by Dr Alizey Shahid
The hustling little millennial dentist took a chance to support the growing young dentists amid COVID-19. Dr Sahar Naved Khan, an Altamash University graduate of 2020, envisioned a BDS support group to connect all the members of the dental community to raise the practice standards in Pakistan. It is astonishing how this dental- activist managed to gain over 5.4K followers on Facebook within a few short months.
BDS support group: A platform for dental community
Preparing for exams, creative content creation, and daily group management with the aim to uplift dental standards in Pakistan is a perfect example of "dentistry and beyond".
"Taking a leap of faith and pursuing dentistry was one of the best decisions I have ever made,"
-Dr Sahar
In this competitive world, where most people think about their success; Dr Sahar decided to step in and bring about a change. She desires to transform people's mindset, who felt accomplishments were gained by stepping on other's back.
Dr Khan felt that with time passing by, the idea of house job fascinated her. However she has many questions regarding clinical practices. "With no particular guidance from people around me, I was sure that others might be in the same ditch," Dr Khan told.
Hence, she decided to create a group initially on Facebook to connect all dentists. The group include experienced, professionals, teachers, young entrepreneurs, students, foreign, researchers and even one's who changed their field. The group enable them to interact on one platform and share their experiences to encourage and enlighten others.
Navigating social media for the greater good
Above all, Dr Khan believes that the power of social media will help break the vicious cycle of self-obsession and inspire them to lift each other. Over time, Dr Sahar saw her visions and dreams coming true. This Facebook admin proudly stated," many professionals actively participate in the group, discuss their clinical cases and problems, upload lectures for student guidance, enlist career opportunities, provide direction for license exams, and share accomplishments."
Dental Support Group-For seniors and Juniors alike
Above all, the platform opened up several hidden issues of the dental community, among which workplace attire for females was highlighted the most. Meanwhile, A keen eye for aesthetics and love for textile designing did not let Sahar turn a blind eye and pushed her to address this issue. She felt "there is the utmost need for a proper dress code at the clinics for the safety of everyone."
Dr Khan felt that the journey of Dr Sahar Usman has dramatically impacted her. She shared her success story on her Facebook group and was deeply moved.
That is to say, the platform is aiming to address broader dental community issues. The topics of discussion will range from mental health struggles, sexual harassment, workplace exploitation to biased systems.
In addition to an excellent beginning for the BDS support group, this would provide an opportunity for everyone to discuss deeper hidden issues. Similarly, support each one to step forward to present solutions for the betterment of society.
Dr Sahar Khan believes "one should never stop exploring. They should continuously aim to uncover critical areas of opportunity to address evolving market gaps."
-The author is contributing writer at Dental News Pakistan and can be reached at alizey.shahid@yahoo.com
Dr Muattar Hanif
The author is Editor at Dental News Pakistan and can be reached at newsdesk@medicalnewsgroup.com.pk
