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Dr Vidya Hari Iyer
Dr. Vidyaa Hari Iyer

- Leading Clinical Practioner and Professional Counsellor

Dr. Vidyaa Hari Iyer- A Versatile Clinical Practitioner bent towards holistically uplifting people

1Can you start by taking us back to your early education days? How did you join BDS, and how was the BDS journey for you?

My schooling was in Sacred Heart Church Park, Chennai and Abu Dhabi Indian School. I was elated when my name appeared in the local newspapers in UAE for scoring the 3rd rank in science department in my twelfth grade (in 1990). While I was thinking about architecture for my college education, my father pursued me to take up dentistry as a career. An opportunity to study MBBS in Russia came up, I preferred that over dentistry and boarded my connecting flight to Delhi only to return to Chennai because of a bomb hoax on my flight. That sealed the deal for my dental career.

As a dental student, I was very studious and hardworking. My name was up on the top ranker’s board even in the first year. I was almost always in the top 3 in 11 of the 17 total subjects of BDS. Even in my clinical years, I did the maximum of patient cases. I planned for one day at a time and was in the good books of all the professors. Despite getting engaged and married a few months before my final year’s exams, I scored well.

2Take us through your career path after BDS? How did you reach the point where you are today? What are the highest points/peaks so far in your career?

After my BDS from 1990 to 1995, I worked for a short time in the dental department of a hospital where I was paid a small sum of Rs. 250 which was depressing. But my hard work there improved the dental department’s revenue by 4 times in the first month of my job. This meant that I was immediately given a salary hike and a place on the hospital’s name board. But soon, I joined Ragas Dental College, Chennai as a staff in the Department of Prosthodontics where I worked for 4 months and later transitioned to Conservative Dentistry where I worked for 12 years. They were the golden years of my life. All was going well until 2005 when I met with a tragic accident which paralyzed my right side completely. Very Soon, due to my health condition, I had to resign from my teaching job which I was truly passionate about. Anyway, I started taking care of my Dr.Vidyaa’s Smile Dental Clinic which I had started with a few lakhs on 9th February 2000. Today, it is worth much more and I offer much more services than just dental treatment.

The turning point of my career came in the year 2002 when I was called to be the MC/host for the Tamil Nadu State Dental Conference in Trichy. I was also in-charge of the student cultural event during this time. There, I had received multiple CVs of the dental speakersand while I was going through them, I realized I had very less to put on my CV apart from my demographics. This motivated me to do something more and from 2002 onwards, I have enrolled myself in many programs to up skill and upgrade myself every single year.

After trying hard for a few years to crack an MDS seat in government colleges, I started pursuing other courses that I was interested in. My first course was a PG Diploma in Medico-Legal Systems from Symbiosis, Pune and I continued to study there for another PG Diploma in Hospital and Healthcare Management. As I had worked on a thesis project on Biomedical Waste Management, I tried writing articles to 10-15 journals about the topic. Alas all of them rejected the articles. Later I realized through an editor of one of the prestigious journals, that their editorial committees had no experts on such topics and recommended I write a book on the topic.

This led to my first book publication, ‘ Going Green- A manual of waste management for the Dental Practitioners’ which was published by Jaypee Publications on 20th March 2007 – World Oral Health Day.

Later, I continued studying PG Diploma in Geriatric Care, D.N Ortho in Neuromuscular dentistry, did my mini-residency in Smile USA under renowned Dr Shanker Iyer, became a member of the American Academy of Implantology, continued studying Laser Dentistry from Aachen University-Germany and Indian Academy of Laser Dentistry, continued studying M.Sc in Psychotherapy and Counselling and also completed my M.Phil in Counselling.

Today, I practice laser dentistry, teach in many prestigious dental colleges and institutions, provide professional psychology counselling to patients, teach psychology at Tamil Nadu Open University, act as a Peak Performance Coach, practice Neuro-Linguistic Programming, act as a POSH facilitator in corporates, conduct a program called Inspiring Young Minds for children from 5 to 15 years where I teach value based education to children from 6countries, work on cancer awareness (recently donated 19 inches of hair), menstrual hygiene, run a ‘Get In-Get Fit’ series for elderly people, mentor people on financial freedom and entrepreneurship.

I was also fortunate that I served as the youngest women president of IDA, Madras Branch in the year 2015.

3What are the roadblocks/challenges or hardships faced? How did you overcome them?

There have been many challenges in life. In 1995, when I received my first salary, I was depressed, In 2002, when I read the CV of many successful dentists, I got the question, ‘Who am I?’; In 2005 when I was paralyzed on my right side, life took a U-turn and got challenging.

2015 was also a challenging year on the personal front since I lost my husband. I was emotionally shattered as society offered very little consideration to Widows.

2020 COVID and lockdown were also challenging as a dentist but since I had the dual profession of counselling I was able to manage.

But I overcame these challenges by never giving up and having the courage to succeed. I always smile (even on my most difficult days), and have even won the Ms. Beautiful Smile Award. Positivity is the attitude I carry every single day.

4What message do you have for budding young dentists at crossroads as they read this? Many are worried about their future career prospects as the field is becoming highly competitive and challenging.

Never compare yourself with others because we are all unique. Outshine the challenges and make the best use of opportunities. Pamper yourself. Get better than what you were yesterday. Don’t leave any stone unturned even when others ridicule, criticize or outcast you. Train your mind to stay out of jealousy, gossip, hatred and dramas.

5What plans and goals do you have for the future? What are your dream projects and aspirational career plans?

I wish to Die-Empty. I work towards giving away knowledge as much as possible. Dr APJ Abdul Kalam is a great role model for this. I wish to give value and hope to people and not put a price tag on everything. I wish to feed people to meet their physical and soul hunger. I wish to give health to people and uplift them holistically. I always try to practice before I preach and do things for soul happiness. I wish to spread happiness and joy as much as possible.

I am going to do whatever I can with whatever resources I have to create a positive ripple effect.

“I feel any girl or woman has a daredevil heart to dream BIG and make it possible. I represent the modern Indian woman with deep rooted culture and etiquette in my upbringing with zest and zeal to face the world. As I weave the success story of my life with courage to succeed, I dare to say “Never ever limit my attitude” and this is just the beginning.” - Dr. Vidyaa Hari Iyer

When people wanted to pull me down, I choose to RISE;
When people wanted to condemn me, I choose to GROW;
When people wanted to see me cry, I choose to SMILE.
- Dr. Vidyaa Hari Iyer