You can count the airports and clinic lists, sure; but better yet, count the moments in which your thinking changes. My ITI year in London at Queen Mary University of London and Barts and The Royal London Dental Hospital with Prof. Shakeel Shahdad was exactly that.
How the door opened
I first learned about the ITI Scholarship while training in Belgium with Prof. R. Jacobs and attending the EAO Spring Break. Colleagues spoke about an eye-opening year that, depending on the center, combines clinics, patient care, and research. It was my first application. I had recently completed postgraduate oral surgery training and enjoyed the work, but I recognized there remained much to learn. No one from Lithuania or the Baltic States had received the scholarship, so I kept expectations modest and told myself I would try three times. I selected London primarily on trust; every account I heard was positive. Then, one mid-November afternoon, I was stopped at a red light when the email arrived. I read the first line, found out that I was moving to London, and almost rolled through the intersection.
Landing at QMUL & The Royal London
From the moment I walked in, I knew I was in a true academic-NHS ecosystem: postgraduates and specialists working together across a case mix we rarely see at home – oncology, trauma, hypodontia, and complex full-mouth rehabilitation. What struck me most was the integration: planning, surgery, and reconstructive prosthodontics were all discussed at the same table rather than in separate rooms. As an oral surgeon, I had to adopt a restorative mindset immediately. I had restored only a few patients before and arrived ready to learn. By day two, I had been assigned to four implant-related research projects; by early November, I was already seeing patients. And above all, London was where my research and clinical work came together.
Mentorship & clinical growth
Prof. S. Shahdad teaches how to work as a high-level clinician: structured, question-driven, and relentlessly logical. From my first clinics, it was clear how his method empowers students – every uncertainty is broken down to first principles until the answer emerges. His expertise across surgery, prosthodontics, endodontics, and orthodontics set the tone: a single session could span autotransplantation, full-arch implant planning, complex GBR, and prosthetically driven reconstructions on implants and teeth.
As the year progressed, CoDiagnostiX became routine. Starting from a digital wax-up, we set the smile line, midline, incisal edge, tooth proportions, and occlusal plane; then confirmed inter-arch space, vertical dimension, and occlusal scheme. Only once the restoration was right did the implants move into place – aligned to the screw-access path and three-dimensional position, with platform depth set to support emergence while preserving facial bone and soft tissue. The plan then translated into a surgical guide and a defined restorative sequence. In short: the restoration leads; the implant follows.
Beyond placing implants, I restored full-arch cases, which was a personal goal. Over the year I grew confident in planning the restoration, positioning implants accordingly, and delivering tissue-level implants in both posterior and anterior regions with esthetics comparable to bone-level solutions. My GBR became more predictable, and I used it with implant placement to treat severely narrowed ridges. Most importantly, the team trusted me and supported first-time procedures in over half of the cases. Performing live surgeries for the first time was humbling and exhilarating in equal measure. Earning that trust and serving as my patients’ doctor is what I am proudest of.
Research & a city that moves you
The scholarship accelerated my research as well. Our collaborative projects are nearing submission. I had an opportunity to present my PhD work at the AO Annual Meeting in Seattle and at EuroPerio11. At EAO Monaco 2025, I presented our London research on dental implant therapy in Stage IV periodontitis, turning day-to-day clinical work into a wider conversation. Those meetings closed the loop: we planned, treated, analyzed outcomes, and brought the lessons directly back to the chairside.
I am grateful for a department culture that is energetic, supportive, and genuinely celebratory. Sharing the year with Dr. Ethan, an ITI Scholar under Prof. N. Donos, added daily value, from rapid second opinions to trying the best restaurants in London. I leave with a broader skill set, a clearer teaching model for my students at Vilnius University, and a deep respect for a team operating at the highest clinical standards.
People who made the year
Thank you to Prof. S. Shahdad, M. Patel, C. Wellmann, T. Gill, P. Ryan, M. Myint, N. Razaghi, P. Yazdani, D. Jayawardena, N. Thanabalan, K. Patel, and A. Mahmud and to Prof. N. Donos for the guidance, support, teaching, and friendship. To the admin team – Salma, Sabah, Pamela and Reesah – for the welcome, the scheduleTetris and the crash course in the NHS. To our nurses – Gia, Michaela, Evelina, Farina, Sarah and the many others who stayed late and saved days with last-minute implant orders. To the lab, especially Namarig, for the patience when I didn’t yet know what I wanted and for helping me get there. And to my friends Žaneta, Sarah, Cherry, Meredith, Mandaj, Niloufar, Nursena and Gunjan for walking the road with me.
In the end, the year isn’t measured by flights or clinic hours. What stays are the patients who trusted, the mentors who encouraged, and the teammates who made a new city feel like home. And if you ask how to measure a year, I’d say to measure it in the love that shows up in clinics, ITI Study Clubs, and late-night plans.
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 46 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.
