Imagine this: as a substitute of you going hundreds of miles across the States to repair your teeth, a specialist comes almost to the doorstep. Well, that is the concept that popped up in a mind of a young Oral Surgeon back in 2014. Since then, Dr. Cameron Lewis has come a great distance in fulfilling his life’s mission – to assist as many individuals as possible by bringing the smile back to their faces.

Dr. Cameron Lewis is top-of-the-line oral maxillofacial surgeons within the States and an unprecedented entrepreneur. His idea of remodeling the standard dentist’s office right into a traveling one was so unconventional that no person believed he could succeed.

Still, he decided to go against every comment and turn out to be a traveling surgeon who would go from city to city, community to community, dental office to dental office, and above and beyond to assist those that need it essentially the most. Fueled by his passion for helping people, Dr. Lewis managed to search out a approach to make it a win-win-win situation; for patients, himself, and the dental offices where he was a guest.

Dr. Lewis experienced many ups and downs on his journey to get where he’s today, but he points out that he would not change anything. The one regret is that the day has only so many hours and that he cannot fit more people in need into his schedule. Dr. Lewis reveals the way it all began and got here together on this exclusive interview.

Why did you select to pursue a profession within the healthcare industry?

I knew I desired to turn out to be a health care provider since I used to be a child. My dream was at all times to assist people. So, after I was imagined to select a highschool to attend, I told my parents about my dream, and their response was, “Are you serious? How are you even going to perform that?”

They supported my alternative, but no person in my family had an identical profession. I had no person to present me any direction. That is why I needed to make a plan for the following ten years all by myself. I selected the varsity that may give me one of the best shot at entering into Dental or medical school. I at all times believed that the undergrad program at Xavier University in Recent Orleans was one of the best alternative. Then Howard University college of Dentistry is where I ended up receiving my Dental degree 4 years after I graduated from Xavier.

So, you desired to turn out to be a health care provider. Why did you transition to dental school and turn out to be an oral maxillofacial surgeon?

A watch-opening moment happened after I went to South Africa in 2001 for my undergrad internship. The time there modified my life in multiple way. The suffering and the pain I witnessed were almost unbearable, but it surely only strengthened my alternative.

While I used to be within the emergency rooms in South African hospitals, a gaggle of individuals caught my attention. They were silently sitting within the waiting room, but do not get me fallacious because they were in immense pain. Each person was holding their mouth and they might come day after day, the identical people, sitting there in the identical pose for hours.

Once I investigated the problem, I discovered that the underlying problem was that the dentist got here to ER just once per week and worked just for six hours. And right then and there, I knew what my next step can be – to turn out to be a Oral surgeon by going through the trail of dental school.

To not say that your idea is unheard of, but it surely is unconventional. Why didn’t you go together with the standard office?

I desired to be my boss and be independent from the beginning. I assumed concerning the traditional office, but the entire experience in Africa that pushed me toward dentistry also made me pondering how I can reach more people.

There have been not many individuals in my area who required my skills. You might be in trouble in the event you come to me to repair you up. So I founded Cameron Lewis LLC and commenced traveling and bringing my services to different general dentist’s offices.

The second a part of the concept was that I didn’t should pay the rent, the overhead, employees, or any of that with the traveling office. It is a win-win situation for everybody. Patients are taken care of, I receives a commission for my work, and the hosting dentist’s office doesn’t should keep a costly specialist on salary.

What’s the biggest challenge you had to beat in your success journey?

There have been many challenges, however the one that nearly derailed me from my dream was after I tried to get into an oral surgery program after ending dental school. It took me three years to finally get the specialization.

During that point, I used to be lost. I didn’t know what to do. I did the whole lot I used to be imagined to do as much as that moment and got rejected. I kept doing internships and attempting to persevere my way through, but it surely was terrible. I fell into depression.

But God sent me salvation through books and readings. Faith has at all times played a big part in my life, and it never wavered. Even at my lowest point, I kept turning toward God, asking for guidance. And while I used to be reading sacred texts, enlightenment got here. I noticed that tribulations would pass, and I can be back on my path.

What would you advise all entrepreneurs attempting to make a reputation for themselves?

You’ll be able to achieve anything, but you could put your dream in stone. Only then can you persist through all challenges in your journey. Be humble and do the work you must grow your skills and yourself as an individual.

You must never put work above the whole lot else; you might have family and friends. Money will come and go, but they’re those who will at all times be by your side. Discover a approach to balance that because you may’t walk this path alone.

NOTE: This text is a contribution from our advertiser and doesn’t necessarily represent the views of Medical Every day