This Week we feature Young Professional Dr. Nikki Rubaine -Connell
Just the thought of a visit to the dentist is often a very scary experience for most persons much less being in the actual dentist chair and viewing all the instruments around, but for this week’s Young Professional, Dr. Nikki Rubaine-Connell, it is another opportunity for her to enjoy what she loves to do most.
Dr. Rubaine-Connell is the Director of Dental Services at the BVI Health Services Authority and Owner of SMILE DENTAL SPA.
“It’s not work for me. I feel a sense of enjoyment and excitement when I am doing my work and it doesn’t come as if it is labour. That is my passion- Dentistry”, Dr. Rubaine-Connell told Virgin Islands News Online. But little would one know that her first extraction was a scary experience but that was a long time ago in dental school.
After graduating from Howard University in Washington DC as a Doctor of Dental Surgery and doing a year of General Practice Residency in Oklahoma at the Veteran Administration Hospital, Dr. Rubaine-Connell became the first local female dentist to return to the Virgin Islands after studying abroad.
Our Young Professional said after graduating from Howard University she could have returned home to practice right away but chose to do a year of General Practice Residency, a decision she said has served her well. “It is not a normal thing to go to Residency after getting a Doctor of Dental Surgery Degree since you can then go out to work but I chose to do otherwise since I was coming home to the BVI and wanted to have more experience and to be able to give back more to my community instead of just coming back as a Brand new dentist."
She also noted that on returning home she didn’t want to depend on other Dentists in the service to guide her through her first years as a new Dentist and is happy to say that she fared well due to her decision to sacrifice another year from home to do Residency.
Dr. Rubaine-Connell’s practice includes dentures, root canal procedures, crowns and bridges and mostly esthetic procedures. She sees all types of patients including adults and children. “I really enjoy treating patients who are afraid of Dentists. I am always fascinated when a patient enters the dental operatory with that fearful look on their faces and leaves my office with a smile.”
Her desire to become a Dentist started under interesting circumstances at the age of ten. “When I was a youngster I had very crooked teeth which were believed to be associated with the headaches that I used to have so the Dentist in the BVI at the time told me I should get my teeth straightened. So I had orthodontic treatment in St. Thomas when I was about ten years old. Every month I would have to take an entire day from school and leave Tortola, Travel to St. Thomas just to get my braces tightened and so I thought this is something that we need in the BVI. We need an orthodontist in Tortola, so that was my goal-to study orthodontics. When I got into dental school I found everything else so more exciting than Orthodontics and so I just stuck to General Dentistry.”
Prior to studies in the United States, Dr. Rubaine- Connell studied for a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology from the University of the Virgin Islands. She is a product of the Ebenezer Thomas Primary School and the then BVI High School.
Speaking of her experience since returning home in 2004, Dr. Rubaine-Connell said it is a pleasure to be at home and working among familiar people while serving her country.
“When I work with a patient who has come in with a problem after fixing that problem I feel a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment in doing my job. My dental school goals were that five years after graduation I would open my private practice and I have accomplished that so far. I am going to serve with the Health Services Authority for a period of time where I feel as if I have fully given back to the people of the community and then my ultimate goal is to be in private practice full time.
Dr. Rubaine-Connell said she has been working hard to improve conditions at the BVI Health Services Authority Dental Clinic but would like to see much more improvements before she goes off into full private practice. She said one of her accomplishments that she is very pleased about is being able to get a new office area for the dental clinic that is much more spacious and comfortable for both patients and staff. “So I feel I have accomplished much already but now I want to see this area being used to full capacity and being able to become self-sustaining.”
Among the persons that Dr. Rubaine-Connell has much gratitude for are her husband , Rollirick Connell, her biggest supporter, mother Lecia Rubaine, and Orthodontist Dr. Trevor Connor. “That’s my mentor.". I was working as Dr. Flax’s Dental Assistant at the time when I told Dr. Connor of my interest in Dentistry he actually pushed me to get into dental school and when I was there he would call to see how it was going. He is still is my mentor and today we are business partners at SMILE DENTAL SPA."
She says apart from the encouragement that she has received from persons her driving force is her desire to help others. “I like to see people doing well and so if everyone around me is doing good, I am happy.”
She advises youths to believe in their dreams and not allow themselves to be sidetracked. “Going through dental school was very difficult for me and I always tell my protégés who are out there studying right now, anything worth having is worth fighting for and so that is something that I live by. If I want something I will go for it no matter what. If you have a dream persons would try to throw cold water on you and make your dream seem insignificant but if you think that it is something that will work, go after it, fight for it, and get it!”
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