Your name, program, dissertation title.

Reyhaneh Alimohammadi, Master of Science in Dental Science, Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Changes in the fractal dimension of peri-implant trabecular bone after loading: a retrospective study

Please tell me about yourself, why did you pick UT Health San Antonio, and your program.

I graduated from Azad Tehran Dental School, which is one of the top-notch dental schools in Iran, in 2010. I moved to the states four years ago. Being so interested in Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, I did a lot of researches about the nine Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology programs in the states. I found the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio program to be the best. It has the highest board-passing rate because of its knowledgeable faculties who have the enthusiasm to teach and pass on the knowledge to the residents.

Please provide a few sentences summarizing your dissertation. What was the experience like for you? 

The aim of my retrospective study was to examine the bony trabecular changes on periapical radiographs 12 months after prosthodontics loading, using fractal dimension analysis. The subject of my thesis is one of the very recent interesting subjects in Periodontics and Radiology studies. I worked on data that the Advanced General Dentistry department had collected for over 10 years. I would say the experience of collaborating with faculty from other departments with different perspectives made my research even more interesting.

Why are you passionate about your research topic? How did you first become interested in it?

When I was serving the Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology community as an active reviewer for some scientific journals– I came across articles about fractal analysis that I found really interesting. Our program director was so encouraging and he advised me to work on this topic.

What has been the highlight of graduate school so far? Have you won any awards or have there been any achievements you’ve been proud of?

Being one of the authors of “Radiologic Clinics of North America” was something I am so proud of. Having my name next to the most amazing oral and maxillofacial radiologists in the world was a dream come true. What made it more special was the fact that I was the only resident who was honored to be an author. Needless to say, I owe this to our knowledgeable and supportive program director.

Another achievement that I would consider as the highlight of my residency was passing Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology board part one that had 35 percent passing rate.

What’s next?

I am going to do a private Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology practice. I am challenging Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology board, part two in September.

Any advice for your fellow graduate students?

There is no substitute for hard work.