Commencement Spotlight: Mother-and-Son Student Duo Reflect on Two-Year Journey
When Fatema Abdo DMD AS 26 matriculated at GSDM two years ago, she joined her son, Mohamed Hussein DMD 26, who was part-way through his own dental education. This month, the mother-and-son duo will reach the finish line together as GSDM graduates.
“[Commencement] represents to us the many years of hard work, not only in dental school, but also with the journey that brought us here,” Hussein said. “It’s a reminder of how unexpected life can be.”
Abdo said it’s been a dream come true studying alongside Hussein. It was a privilege watching him firsthand develop his hand skills and patient rapport, she said, in addition to receiving unwavering support, encouragement, and helpful information from her son.
“You can see your son in front of your eyes—he’s growing up,” Abdo said.
When the duo moved to the U.S. from Saudi Arabia, neither could have predicted that they would have graduated from the same dental school in the same year. Hussein said he now couldn’t imagine it any other way as watching his mom adapt to a new dental system and staying passionate about dentistry has been inspirational for him.
“Both of us are excited about dentistry [and] the moments where we talk about cases, techniques for learning, and different ways we can help patients made this exciting journey memorable,” Hussein said. “It really enforced for both of us why we chose this profession.”
During the didactic portion of their respective programs, Abdo and Hussein took two classes at the same time. With the classes they didn’t take concurrently, they helped each other study and shared guidance to best succeed. Their collaboration extended into the Patient Treatment Center as they become a “true mother-son duo,” as they assisted each other with long procedures whenever they could.
“At some points, he guided me, especially with technology, and with practical things with patients, I guided him,” Abdo said. “We helped each other. He was really supportive.”
While there were many milestone moments throughout their time at GSDM, both Abdo and Hussein said their favorite shared experience was when they passed their licensure exam, especially after a significant snowstorm affected their initial testing day. That achievement took studying into the wee hours of the night, practicing in the Simulation Learning Center, and getting coaching from faculty, the pair said. It was an immense relief for both to pass.
“Having someone who understands what you are going through and sharing the experience made it more manageable and more meaningful,” Hussein said. “Sharing all the experience created memories that both of us will carry for the rest of our lives.”
Over the last two years, the duo spent most weekends driving back and forth between Boston and East Longmeadow, Massachusetts, where the rest of their immediate family, Abdo’s husband and their daughter, lives while the latter is attending private high school in Connecticut.
The four-hour round-trip drive was worth it for everyone in the family to pursue their academic goals. Hussein said he and Abdo made the best of their long car rides.
“We’d talk about our day, discuss cases, sometimes just relax and enjoy the road,” Hussein said. “Dental school is busy and those moments became valuable.”
It is hard for the duo to believe their days of being dental students together are nearing the end, but they are also excited for the next steps in their careers. Following commencement, Hussein will be starting a general practice residency at Yale New Haven Hospital in Connecticut. Abdo plans to enter private practice as a general dentist. Hussein joked that it would be great to one day open a family office with his younger sister, who wants to become an orthodontist, an idea that Abdo loved.
Abdo said she hopes her experience with Hussein proves to any parent that they should chase their dreams—even if their child shares the same enthusiasm.
“If you put something in your mind, if you work hard and you do your best, I believe you will reach your goal,” Abdo said. “My advice to any mom, to any family, any dad, anybody interested, do not stop at any point. You have to continue your life. Nothing is stopping you.”
As for Hussein, he said life has a funny way of showing you that you’re on the right path.
“We are very grateful for Boston University and GSDM for giving us this opportunity. It’s not every day that a mother and son are able to share such an experience, and we’re very fortunate to have been part of this community,” Hussein said. “[We] made unforgettable memories, made our friendships that will last forever, [and] mentors who we keep learning from.”
Read their story from 2024: https://www.bu.edu/dental/2024/10/30/mother-son-duo-class-of-2026/
To read our full commencement coverage, please visit our Commencement 2026 page.