Every year in June, the ITI opens its Scholarship application portal. We took this opportunity to ask one of our former Scholars, Panagiotis Ntovas from Greece, about his experience, his daily work and what he liked the most about it. He started his Scholarship year in September 2022 at the ITI Scholarship Center at the Tufts School of Dental medicine, Boston, Massachusetts.
What are the three most memorable things you will take away from your Scholarship year?
I embarked on a journey unlike any I had experienced before – moving to a country on the other side of Atlantic – which filled me with a mix of anticipation and the sweet anxiety of stepping out of my comfort zone. Every single day of the 12 months I spent at the Tufts University of Dental medicine has translated directly into solid professional development as a clinician, a researcher and as a lecturer, fostered my growth and improvement within the field of implant dentistry.
I will never forget the day I received the award for best clinical research in the annual meeting of the American Academy of Osseointegration. I also had the opportunity to contribute to more than 10 top-ranked implant dentistry scientific journals and was invited to present at national and international dental meetings. I developed all the above articles entirely during my Scholarship and am still processing data that I managed to collect during my research and clinical experience this year.
Last, but definitely not least, I developed my clinical skills thanks to collaborating with world leaders including: Dr. Att, who was my supervisor, Dr. Papaspyridakos, Dr. Malament, Dr. Galarraga-Vinueza, Dr. Vazouras, Dr. Tavelli, Dr. Revilla-Leon, Dr. Cholidakis and many other colleagues with whom I worked side by side and had the opportunity to discuss ideas and develop great friendships.
Could you give us an idea of how your working week was structured?
I would like to highlight that the Scholarship structure is different at each center. At Tufts, Scholars in collaboration with their directors can customize their schedule according to their personal preferences, interests, as well to the time that they want to invest. In my case, I was lucky to be with my director Dr. Att in faculty practice, assisting, planning and discussing clinical cases. The rest of the week I was treating patients, working in the digital lab and attending literature reviews and lectures given by internal as well guest professors. On many weekends, I had the opportunity to assist in the continuing education courses that were held by our department. One day a week and most of the afternoons and nights after the clinic were dedicated to research, preparing our research projects, collecting data and writing drafts.
Why did you choose this specific Scholarship Center?
Choosing an ITI Scholarship Center is a crucial part of the process. After finishing my undergraduate and postgraduate studies in Europe, my focus was on improving my skills and knowledge in implant dentistry and the implementation of digital technologies. Living on a different continent, and especially in US, was also among my wishes. After evaluating all the possible ITI Scholarship Centers, I chose Tufts School of Dental Medicine as it is one of the most prestigious and biggest institutions in the US. Lcated in the center of Boston, it provides access to the latest digital innovations and world-class facilities. In the interview with my supervisor (Dr. Att), who is well known for leading in digital dentistry, my impression was confirmed. Also, living in US really gave me the opportunity to attend local meetings and meet people of different cultures from all over the world.
Did you get enough support to do your job well?
Everyone has expectations when they start at the Scholarship Center and so did I. Both the ITI and Tufts School of Dental Medicine supported me through my Scholarship year. From day 1, the ITI helped me prepare the necessary documents for my stay in Boston. My director Dr. Att was very approachable and present on a day-to-day basis. I worked with him in the faculty practice, and also assisted him in continuing learning courses, which was an excellent opportunity to learn from him directly. I got full support both from my mentors and colleagues who respected my efforts. From my side, I had to understand that I need to be patient and hard-working to make my dreams come true.
Did you feel you were learning a lot?
I feel I was learning every single day that I spent at Tufts School of Dental Medicine. As I already had experience with the restorative part of implants from my postgraduate studies, in my Scholarship year I focused more on the surgical aspects of dental implants. Also, I had the opportunity to improve my knowledge and clinical experience of digital workflows, utilizing the most innovative equipment, for immediate implant loading and full-arch rehabilitation. Last, but not least, I gathered global knowledge, as in my opinion there are significant differences in clinical approaches between Europe and USA. I tried to attend as many courses and meetings as possible because we never stop learning!
Why would you recommend our Scholarship program to other young professionals?
I recommend every young professional in the field to become part of the ITI family by applying for the ITI Scholarship program. It is a unique experience that can expand personal as well as professional horizons.
There are centers distributed around the world, where young and motivated professionals can work with top-level clinicians and researchers in implant dentistry, learn, gain experience, broaden their knowledge and skills and get involved within the ITI family.
I am sure that every colleague can benefit significantly from this experience by immersing themselves in a vastly different culture and making real friends! Remember, your potential is limitless – just know what you want, pursue it with persistence and never give up on your dreams.
Each year we enable young implant dentistry talent to spend a year abroad at a highly regarded university being mentored by an ITI Fellow at one of our 34 ITI Scholarship Centers around the globe. Are you keen on getting insight into every aspect of implant treatment? Would you like to dive into the complex world of case planning, implant surgery and prosthetic restorations in an international context? Our application portal is open from June 1 to June 30 every year. Don’t hesitate any longer and apply now!
More information available on our website.
