#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 Episode00:02:10 - Meeting at King's 00:02:15 - Pre-dental school expectations 00:04:05 - 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 partyAbout Alisha Sagar and Natalie GabrawiAlisha 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.

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