#317 Foundation Friends — Alisha Sagar and Natalie Gabrawi

Best friends Alisha Sagar and Natalie Gabrawi met at King's dental school and have remained inseparable ever since. In this episode, they share their journey from different backgrounds—Alisha's upbringing in Zambia and Natalie's roots in a medical family—to navigating their foundation years together. 

Their paths are diverging professionally, with Alisha drawn to implants and oral surgery, whilst Natalie gravitates towards restorative dentistry and aesthetics. Beyond clinical aspirations, they discuss work-life balance, the role of faith, and their commitment to giving back to communities that shaped them. 

It's a candid conversation about early career decisions, the pressure to succeed, and the power of friendship in weathering the uncertainties of young professional life.

In This Episode

00:02:10 - Meeting at King's

00:02:15 - Pre-dental school expectations 0

0:04:05 - Growing up in Zambia

00:07:10 - Coming from a medical family

00:12:30 - Different clinical interests emerge

00:15:25 - Specialising versus special interests

00:19:00 - Three-year career projections

00:26:50 - DCT plans and private practice

00:28:50 - Getting engaged during foundation year

00:34:20 - Work-life balance philosophies

00:44:00 - Entrepreneurial ambitions

00:50:00 - AI anxieties

00:57:25 - Faith and staying optimistic

01:02:10 - Darkest days in dentistry

01:03:50 - Blackbox thinking

01:07:10 - A smile transformation story

01:13:05 - Giving back financially

01:14:50 - Fantasy dinner party

About Alisha Sagar and Natalie Gabrawi

Alisha grew up in Zambia before moving to the UK for her A-levels and dental training at King's College London. Now completing her foundation year, she's discovered a passion for implants and oral surgery after shadowing clinicians in practice. She's recently engaged and balancing personal milestones with ambitious career plans that may one day lead her back to Zambia.

Natalie comes from Derby and a family of doctors who actively discouraged her from following in their footsteps. After struggling with self-consciousness about her teeth as a child, she found her calling in dentistry. Now in her foundation year, she's drawn to restorative dentistry and is considering DCT training in the field, with aspirations towards full mouth rehabilitation work.