Resident Spotlight: Dr. David Haderlie
Compiled by Dr. Moein Sadrkhani
Get to know this month’s featured resident, Dr. David Haderlie, of University of Connecticut.
The Paper Point: Dr. David Haderlie , thank you for accepting our interview request and sharing your unique and interesting story. Let’s start by addressing the big elephant in the room: how are you dealing with this COVID-19 situation? How is your residency?
Dr. David Haderlie: Like everyone else, I am spending a lot of time at home. My wife and I have four children, so we have had more time together which is nice. I have really enjoyed the residency thus far. It has made me glad I made the decision to leave general practice and go back to school.
The Paper Point: Lets go back to normal. How did you got interested in dentistry?
Dr. Haderlie: I have an older sister who was completing a dental hygiene program when I was in high school. She suggested that I look into dentistry as a career option. I always gravitated toward science. I thought dentistry would be a good fit.
The Paper Point: After dental school, you did AEGD and then you worked as a general dentist for eight years and you bought a practice as well. Tell us your experience of these years?.
Dr. Haderlie: Working in both private practice and community health clinics has been good for me. Private practice was hard for me, doing good dentistry sometimes is the least of your worries. Community health clinics have their own set of challenges. I think I learned that every situation has pros and cons.
The Paper Point: After having your own business and being successful, what brought you back to school again to do residency in endodontcs?
Dr. Haderlie: Like I said, private practice was hard for me. I had contemplated specializing for years. Ultimately, I realized that due to the way I work and think, endodontics would be a better fit for me. It was also something that I had enjoyed more than other branches of general dentistry.
The Paper Point: How was is the residency UCONN? Is it tougher of what you had in mind?
Dr. Haderlie: The stress level/difficulty is about what I expected. I have really enjoyed my time at UCONN. One of the reasons that I applied and chose to come to UCONN was because of the wonderful faculty here, and they have exceeded my expectations. The endodontic department faculty members and my fellow residents are top-notch.
The Paper Point: Dr. Safavi, your program director, is an iconic figures in our endodontic world. What has been your experience with him?
Dr. Haderlie: Dr. Safavi is a wonderful educator. He loves to teach, is very accessible, genuinely cares about people, and has a high intellect that is balanced with good old common sense. I feel extremely fortunate to have him as a program director.
The Paper Point: You have won grants and research awards tell us more about that; also let us know what if any research you are working on now ?
Dr. Haderlie: I completed my predoctoral training at the University of Iowa where they had a strong research department with lots of opportunities. So it was not difficult to do research if you had the desire. My research mentors, like Dr. Safavi, were some of my favorite faculty. I was lucky to work with them. Currently I am exploring various research options.
The Paper Point: You have been in involved at ADA committees and organized dentistry , what was your motive and are you still involved in it?
Dr. Haderlie: Many of the dentists that I respect from dental school, my AEGD, and colleagues in private practice have been involved in organized dentistry. I feel that we owe a lot to dentists that have built a great profession, and we need to do our part to keep it great. I am a member of the ADA tripartite organizations as well as the AAE.
The Paper Point: Any good books or series, movies suggestions for all our readers staying home as much as possible these days?
Dr. Haderlie: I am pretty boring, so I don’t think I am a very good resource. But I have been able to get outside with my kids more. I also enjoy historical nonfiction.
The Paper Point: Wish you all the best and good luck with your practice; please keep safe. Any final words for our readers?
Dr. Haderlie: Thank you, Moein, for your part in organized dentistry and trying to keep our community connected.
About the author: Dr. Moein Sadrkhani is a member of AAE’s Resident and New Practitioner Committee and a UCLA Endodontics resident, Class of 2020.