Graduate Reflects on Her Roots, and Those She Will Heal

Shaida Parsaei, DMD23, grew up with an understanding at a young age of how quickly life could be taken away by disease. A native of Iran, she watched her grandmother struggle with lupus, while her uncle, a medical student, tried everything in his power to help her. It ignited a purpose in Parsaei to bring hope to people who are suffering with the burden of disease or pain.

“I appreciated how powerful treatment is in improving one’s quality of life. I aspire to one day bring the same relief and hope to other people who are suffering. This influenced my decision to pursue a career in dentistry that closely relates to alleviating pain.”

When Parsaei graduates with her DMD degree, she will go on to pursue a specialty degree at Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) in endodontics. Her next steps in the profession are a culmination of life experiences that shaped her into the practitioner she has become. It all started the moment she held a drill.

“My dad taught me how to use a power drill from a young age, taught me to trust my hands, be patient, and create the vision I have,” Parsaei said. “The first time I held a dental drill in my hand, it took me back to all the projects I did with my dad. I thought of dentistry as a marvelous combination of engineering, medicine, and art and decided to pursue it,” she said.

The route to dental school was not easy for Parsaei. She immigrated to the U.S. when she was fourteen and after going through a lengthy immigration process, she had to learn a new language. In college she worked three jobs while taking a full course load.

“In my life, I have seen, felt, and dealt with a lot of pain: physical pain, emotional pain, pain of immigration, pain of being a foreigner, pain of separation,” she said.

Parsaei recalls spending time with her mother in the emergency room helping translate into words the immense pain she felt. She credits her mom with showing her how to have tremendous resilience.

“I realized the intricacies of pain beyond location, quality, and associated symptoms, and how difficult it is to effectively communicate something you can’t see. It gave me a deeper understanding of pain and how it affects people mentally and emotionally,” she said.

That is perhaps why Parsaei feels such a close connection to her own patients.

“I have been fortunate to learn from patients who have trusted me with their health and painful life stories and struggles. From treating patients who cried the first time I met them, to patients who shared photos of their kid’s wedding and grandchildren’s birthday parties, I feel honored to serve others. I am grateful to contribute a small part to their healing process through dentistry,” she said.

Parsaei formed strong connections with her patients, mentors, classmates, and friends at HSDM. She was active in outreach efforts as a Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Ambassador, and regularly volunteered to provide pediatric dental care through the ACTION clinic and Give Kids a Smile. In 2022, she was named a Harvard Presidential Scholar for the 2022-2023 academic year. The full-tuition scholarship provides support to individuals committed to careers in public service or academia.

As she prepares to graduate, she reflects on her journey from being that little girl holding a drill, to standing on a stage holding a Harvard diploma.

“My journey in uprooting my life from across the globe and growing new roots in the U.S. has been full of hope for a second chance in life, a journey full of heartache, hope, and resilience. I was one of the lucky ones, given a chance to pursue a life I could have only dreamt of as a little girl living in Iran,” she said.

She plans to return to the middle east periodically to serve her community and to represent women in a professional setting. “Perhaps I’ll ignite hope for other women to pursue their dreams and pave the way for the next generations of dentists and endodontists,” she said.