International Dental Student Appreciates Education at UCSF

Student Profile:
Dileep Danivas As president of this year's graduating class of International Dentist Program students, Dileep Danivas knows the program inside and out. Hailing from India, he's very active in the international dentistry community in the United States, allowing him to speak with authority when he says UCSF's program is "easily one of the top three in the whole nation." After completing a bachelor's degree in dental surgery in India, Danivas worked for three and a half years as a lecturer and clinician at Rajiv Gandhi College. During this time, he spent Sundays working for a community dentistry program, providing free care to people in the poorest villages. This sparked a strong interest in public health. After his brother came to America to study pediatrics, Danivas decided to further his education in the United States, as well, and entered the master's program in public health at Texas A&M University. Danivas never planned to stray too far from dentistry, however. So after completing his MPH degree in 2004, he entered the International Dentist Program at UCSF. "It's a very good combination, DDS and MPH, because it gives you a really good perspective of what's happening in the community," says Danivas. And community involvement is very important to Danivas. After beginning the program, he immediately became active in the American Student Dental Association on campus. Now, as class president, he serves as a representative for the international dental students at UCSF. "There are so many leadership opportunities," he says. "It's nice to do something outside your regular drilling and filling." Danivas researched international dentistry programs in the United States thoroughly before coming to UCSF. He says it's one of the best for many reasons, but what struck him first was the extremely fair and balanced interview process. Other programs are less dedicated to impartiality, he says. He also appreciates the level of flexibility within the vibrant UCSF program. One aspect of this is the ISO, or Independent Study Option. It allows students to tailor the program to their needs or interests. He says most students choose to do extra clinical work, but some spend the time working on independent research projects. Danivas cites the opportunity to work at UCSF's Buchanan Dental Center, an off-campus clinic that serves mostly underprivileged patients, as another major reason the UCSF program stands out. "It's geared for people who are already dentists," he says. "Other programs don't have that."
Danivas also enjoys the amount of extracurricular activities and electives available to students in the UCSF program. Students can take classes in acupuncture, practice management, public health and holistic medicine. And there are plenty of organizations and student associations to join. Opportunities such as these are unique to UCSF's progressive program, he says. "Each student has their own identity outside of the clinic," he says. "It helps them develop their personality." Danivas plans to spend at least 12 years in the United States before returning to India. After graduating from UCSF, he would like to work in a private practice in Arizona for a few years to pay off his student loans. Once he's out of debt, he plans to return to postgraduate study to specialize in endodontics - root canal treatment. Danivas appreciates the education he is receiving in America. He says the United States provides "an environment in which you can give the highest quality of treatment, and progress as a professional." Danivas' ultimate goal, however, is to return to India to run his own private practice. He also would like to rekindle his ties to academia through research and teaching. And he is adamant about returning to community service. Dentistry in India is five to 10 years behind the United States in the cities, and 20 to 30 years behind in rural areas, says Danivas. He wants to help bring about change by returning to teaching and providing free services to the most needy. "It makes so much sense," he says. "I was there in India, and I know how the system works. Now here I am; I know a whole different system. I'm in a position where I can help people in India make the transition to an advanced kind of dentistry. It would be such a great privilege to do that." Source: Aria Pearson