In his first year of medical school through the University of Texas, Kirav Patel decided to volunteer at the student clinic. One of the clinic’s offerings was for tooth extraction but finding medical students who were interested in performing that task was like, well, pulling teeth.
“The clinic mostly treated general medical situations, but they had a little side clinic where they pulled teeth for people for free,” Patel says. “Nobody would volunteer for it because they were all med students, and this was dental work. So I decided to do it. I figured, why not? They needed the help.”
To his surprise, Patel discovered a new professional passion. He says he had known from an early age that he wanted to pursue some sort of surgical work, he just wasn’t certain exactly what type, even after enrolling in medical school. At the time, a dental career was not on his radar.
“I had my wisdom teeth removed and got cleanings every six months. Other than that, I didn’t even think about dentistry,” Patel says. “But then volunteering and shadowing opened this door. The clinic had oral surgeons come in and pull teeth a few times each month, and they let me help. Right away I thought, ‘This is really interesting.’”
“As I learned more about it, I enjoyed how broad the scope of practice is, from dental alveolar to head-and-neck surgery. I assisted with more than 300 cases during my time in medical school, and I never got tired of it.”
Even though Patel was committed to obtaining his medical degree by that point, he began considering shifting his eventual focus toward oral and maxillofacial surgery. The only problem was it would require him to obtain a dental degree, a reverse track that is not offered at most dental schools.
One that does provide this path is the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry. A track within the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Residency Program, In fact, the DMD/OMS Certificate has been a fixture at the UAB SOD since 1988, when it was established in part by Charles “Scotty” McCallum, D.M.D, M.D., a renowned academic leader who also happened to be president of the university.
Patel discovered this opportunity after posting about his situation on Reddit and receiving a reply from Timothy Weber, M.D., D.M.D., a current resident in the same track.
“He became my mentor through this process of coming to UAB,” says Patel, who graduated from the University of Texas Medical Branch in 2023 before moving to Birmingham. “He introduced me to faculty members, and they immediately were so welcoming. They allowed me to participate in research, and I did two externships. It just reinforced that I wanted to be here. It’s such a great program.”
Program director Kathlyn Kruger Powell, D.M.D., M.D., agrees. “This program offers an unparalleled opportunity for those with a medical background to gain comprehensive dental and surgical training,” Powell says. “Our graduates are uniquely prepared to provide exceptional care across a wide range of complex cases. That level of preparation requires a significant commitment,” Powell adds.
It also is a rigorous 7-year program that includes a year-long internship in general surgery and anesthesia, an oral surgery residency, and three years of dental school. Patel still has more than 4 years remaining before graduating, at which point he will be 32 years old.
“A lot of sacrifice has to be made. It’s a long journey,” Patel says. “But I understand that this is one of the steps I have to take to do this. The reward is that I will be able to handle almost any situation both dentally and medically.”
Until then, Patel will continue focusing on his residency and his work in the D.M.D. program. He says he tries to give himself two days off each month to spend time with his wife, Dharti, who he calls “my rock.”
“I think it’s absolutely worthwhile, because I know what I’m eventually going to be doing will be so fulfilling for myself, and I’ll be able to help so many people,” Patel says. “The days are long, but the years are short. I’m just trying to make the most of the ride.”