Tooth Talk: Q&A with Nabeel Zahid ENDO 27
In our Q&A series, “Tooth Talk,” we are sitting down with GSDM students and residents to learn more about their paths to Boston University, their time at GSDM, and how they have made Boston their home.
For the next edition, we spoke with Nabeel Zahid ENDO 27. He shared about his early exposure to the GSDM endodontics program, his research on artificial intelligence-based osteoporosis detection using cone beam computed tomography, and the people at GSDM who positively influenced his dental education.
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Questions and responses have been edited for clarity, context information, and length.
Nabeel Zahid ENDO 27. (Photo credit: Dan Bomba, GSDM.)
When did you first know you wanted to become a dentist?
Culturally in Pakistan, where I am from, there is a lot of expectation from parents for their kids to have a professional education. I wasn’t forced into anything, but there was an expectation to have a significant career. When I was a kid, I was into medical dramas. I remember being seven or eight years old, and I managed to somehow sneakily watch episodes of “ER” with George Clooney. They had all these surgeries on the show, and I was really interested and wanted to be a doctor. When I got into high school, I was first exposed to the idea of being a dentist. I was into artistic things, like music and science fiction books, and I liked the idea of fixing things. After that, getting into dentistry was a practical decision.
What was your initial dental education in Pakistan like?
I did four years of general dentistry and then four years of endodontic residency. We had a lot of exposure to patients early on, and that really gave me a really good overall experience of not just managing a tooth, but rather treating a person. Communication with people was an integral part of my training in Pakistan. I’ve been able to use that to my advantage. It really helps if you can speak to people at a level that they understand and you’re empathetic, that really affects your overall approach to patient care. And honestly, it reflects in your results. Sometimes the patient’s pain is managed 80, 90 percent by your procedure, but that 10 percent to take the edge off, that’s your attitude.
Why did you decide to specialize in endodontics?
Endodontists are experts in managing very intricate and delicate anatomy inside the tooth. If I were to oversimplify it, one or two millimeters inside the tooth could be the difference between the patient keeping their tooth and the patient losing their tooth. It’s this idea that, inside the tooth, there is a Pandora’s box of problems that an endodontist is trained to fix that really, to this day, is very gratifying for me.
What made you decide on attending GSDM for an endodontics residency program?
I had the good fortune of interacting with GSDM graduates and visiting faculty during my residency years in Pakistan. That was the first time I learned that various endodontic techniques were developed at GSDM by Dr. Herbert Schilder (former GSDM endodontics department chair). That left a very lasting impression on me. I had a good exposure to the legacy of GSDM endodontics before I had the privilege of being a part of it.
What made 2025 the right time to start your endodontic residency?
Attending GSDM was the end result of this decision that I had made to immigrate initially. I am a father of two and I was working in Pakistan. GSDM was one of the places where I was willing to commit to a three-year program. When GSDM made me an offer, it was a no-brainer for me that I would rather spend three years as a student, learning from the best and then continuing practicing as an endodontist. It was never an option that I thought about twice.
What has your time at GSDM been like so far?
It has been wonderful to say the least. I have a very good mix of research, which was mostly part of my first year, and it’s still ongoing. Since my clinical years have started, it has been one of the most intense, rigorous experiences of my life. It’s turning out to be such a treat to learn these techniques and then to have a vast patient pool to experience these clinically.
What led you to do on your research thesis on artificial intelligence-based osteoporosis detection using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT)?
I wanted to work with artificial intelligence (AI) because there’s a lot of areas of dentistry that use AI to help with diagnosis, management, patient care, and administrative aspects of dentistry. If I oversimplify it and we have good results, an AI algorithm can detect the possibility that someone may have osteoporosis based on a scan and if someone needs further assessment by their physician. Osteoporosis is a disease that affects millions of Americans and has a significant impact on the quality of life. Early detection is key, and early detection could really alter the course of management, which will positively outcome the way people experience and deal with this condition.
What has the whole research experience been like for you?
I was not very experienced in research prior to this. I had some contributions in some papers that had been published earlier, but I never was at the helm of it. Dr. Ramzi Sarkis, clinical associate professor of endodontics, really took me through the motions step by step, building on ideas, doing literature reviews, discussing concepts, discussing possible solutions for how to carry out these ideas that we had in our mind. He stepped in and gave me multiple ideas of maybe this is the way we should look at. He gave me full flexibility and discretion to take the project in certain directions. He also facilitated getting Dr. Omnia Saleh, clinical assistant professor of restorative sciences & biomaterials, involved as she is now an expert in AI in this way. We are now a team of three people in this project.
If you could name a person or people who have made a positive impact on your GSDM experience, who would it be and why?
Two people come to mind. One is Dr. Tun-Yi Hsu, program director of the Advanced Education Program in Endodontics and clinical associate professor of endodontics, who was trained directly by Schilder. The way he taught us through the preclinical course made me feel like I didn’t know endodontics at all before I met him and that’s saying something because I had educational and practical experience before. He’s so patient. He’s so thorough. He’s so detail oriented.
The other is Dr. Sami Chogle, chair of endodontics and Herbert Schilder professor in endodontics. I have read research papers before, and then I discussed them in our sessions with him. I never thought that I could get more out of the same research papers until I discussed it with him and gave me completely detailed perspectives on classic papers.
You are now working in the Patient Treatment Center. What impact do you hope to have on your current and future patients?
In the specialty that I’m in, most of the patients that I’m going to see are going to be in pain, have been in pain, or are affected by dental issues that impact their quality of life. The first, and the most cliched, answer would be that I want to get rid of their pain. I’ve already experienced that for many years now of getting rid of their pain. Patients not only gladly pay you for your service, but they send a lot of prayers for you as well.
If you could give advice to someone who’s interested in going into a residency program, what advice would you give them?
You have to be original in how you present yourself. Whatever experiences you’ve had, whatever your strengths are, whatever your weaknesses are, present them truthfully and be humble. The program looks for people who can be taught, who can learn, and who can work as a part of a team. On paper, we’re students, but most of our day is spent managing patients in a department that is responsible for providing so much care for patients in need. We are all part of a team, so you need to have that maturity. You need to have professionalism to deal with these challenges on a daily basis, and you need to be very curious. You need to accept that if you don’t know something, you need to be willing to learn.
You also need to identify which part of dentistry excites you. If you pursue that specialty, then you don’t have to work a day in your life.