“I will never forget my first case with the All-on-4® treatment concept”
An interview with Dr. Alexandra Marques
In the Science First Journal interview, Dr. Marques shares what it’s like being a female oral and maxillofacial surgeon in an overwhelmingly male specialty, and what steps the industry can take to be more inclusive. She also discusses the transformative power of the All-on-4® treatment concept and why she decided to join FOR’s Emerging Leader Program.
Read on to learn about these incredible insights from Dr. Marques, in her own words.
Dr. Marques, when did you decide to become a maxillofacial surgeon?
“Everything started during my time in medical school, where my fascination with jaws, teeth, and the ability of dentists to transform individuals by restoring their smiles, took hold. Becoming an oral surgeon gives you the power to achieve fast and powerful results. I will never forget my first All-on-4® case, and the experience of seeing a patient shedding tears of joy when she looked in the mirror for the first time immediately after the surgery.”
How do female graduates from dental schools compare to their male counterparts?
“Even if the number of women in medical and dental school has increased in recent years, still we see a big gap when we look at key opinion leaders who perform advanced surgeries, and speakers at large conferences. It seems women prefer ortho or pediatrics, while maxillofacial surgery remains a male-dominated field. Every time I attend a source about ‘heavy surgery’ I find myself – most of the time – as the only woman. This includes most courses about All-on-4® or placing zygomatic implants.”
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What can women do to close this gap?
“It is important that they believe in their skills and in their capacity, to assert their own unique perspectives and contributions and build a strong career.”
Is there anything that the industry can do to inspire and engage young female dentists?
“The industry can build more support programs to improve capacities of the young dentist and help them build their careers. This can be as simple as dedicated an All-on-4® course to female clinicians. It can also engage more female clinicians as speakers and trainers, to benefit from the diversity and the great work of strong and successful mentors such as my colleagues Ana Ferro and Edith Groenendijk of the FOR Emerging Leader Council. This will definitely inspire the younger generation.”
Why did you decide to join the FOR Emerging Leader Program?
“During my career, I have worked with many speakers and advanced surgeons around the world, completed international degrees, and build up my own large clinic. But something was missing until I came across the information about the FOR Emerging Leaders Program. Everything it offered made sense; the coaching, the networking, the training and workshops on how to master on-stage and online lecturing and clinical presentations, and the possibility to connect and exchange experiences with advanced clinicians from all over the world. I applied, and I received an unexpected call one day informing me of being accepted into the ELP program.”
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