MEET THE PROFESSIONAL
September 2017
Dr. Leedia Riman, DDS
Dr. Leedia Riman is a General Dentist at R Dental Group in Beverly Hills, California with her two brothers. She practices all aspects of dentistry and focuses on cosmetic dentistry, invisalign, implants, and geriatric care. In addition to her work at R Dental Group, Dr. Leedia Riman maintains a part time lecturer position at the UCLA School of Dentistry.
Dr. Riman is a supporter of professional networking and our mentoring program within our community. We are very excited to feature her as our professional in this month’s “Meet the Professional” series.
Below are a few questions to help facilitate this interactive connection. At the end of the page you will have an opportunity to post your own questions for Dr. Riman.
……
Describe your current Occupation & Degree/s and Universities.
- D.D.S in Dentistry from University of California, Los Angeles
- B.S in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from University of California, Davis
A list of any awards/recognitions:
- UCLA Regents Scholar award
- The Paul Erlich Geriatric Dentistry Award
- Top 40 Dentist Under 40 in the USA
- “Most Outgoing” by my peers in Dental School
- “Dr. Happy Go Lucky” by my colleagues in Residency
Discuss a moment or turning point in your life that led you to your career path:
When I was working as a dentist for Saudi Aramco, I decided I needed to resign for various reasons. As soon as I made that decision, my brothers (Rawad and Rashad) and I decided to move to Los Angeles to open our own dental office with the ultimate goal of establishing ourselves in LA. It was the best professional decision I ever made and it has also been the most challenging. Although we have had our ups and downs, this experience has been worth it. The best view comes after the hardest climb and we are climbing pretty hard!
Discuss a role model or mentor who influenced your career choice:
My older brother Rashad – I have always looked up to him because he was much cooler (although now I think we are tied for that title). When he decided to become a dentist, that field became a major option for me. I explored it, amongst a few other jobs in the healthcare world, but it seemed to fit my personality and desired way of life the most.
Do you recall any specific challenges you encountered and overcame?
All the challenges I faced were ones I expected to and nothing out of the ordinary – my parents instilled in me that this was the land of opportunity, so I definitely took advantage of each and every opportunity that came my way. I was always over-prepared in the way I did things, I never pulled an all nighter, and had everything planned in my planner, with a clear vision on how I wanted things done. I think the biggest challenge that I encountered and still encounter is that things don’t always work out as planned. I am embracing that for sure now, and it’s allowing more room for surprises and I have a feeling it’s going to yield something amazing.
Where do you see yourself in the next 10 years?
I see myself teaching part-time, practicing part-time in underserved communities, and serving those in need. At the same time, I see myself running an online business that features my dental products line that I will be launching in the next 6 months. I am super excited about it, and can’t wait to show the world what I have been working on.
What advice would you give to someone starting out in your field?
Make sure you really love what you do and understand that you have a lot of options, other than being a general dentist, even though you may think you don’t. One option is to combine your dentistry skills with running a business by opening up your own office. Starting a business is risky and challenging in any field, but this can be very fulfilling if you commit yourself to the business and your patients. The only reason I love being a general dentist is because I have the freedom to practice as I please, which allows me to better focus on my patient’s actual needs. Another viable option is specializing. Specializing is the best option if you want immediate security, which is a wonderful thing. If I didn’t have my own practice with my brothers, I would have definitely specialized.
Lastly, reach out to others in your field who have already been through it. There is so much you can learn from others’ experiences that can’t be taught in school. I am happy to answer any questions—dont be shy, feel free to contact me (or my brothers/business partners).
Tell us a little bit about your hobbies outside of your field:
I love spending time with my family and friends. It seems that after having my daughter, Julia, time is so much more precious and valuable, as it really does fly. I love going on motorcycle rides with my husband, Omar. I also love trying new restaurants with my brothers. However, I would have to say that the way I mostly spend my days is swimming with my Julia. After a long day of work, there is no place I would rather be than with her because watching her grow and develop has been incredible. I also enjoy traveling and dancing a lot, but recently I haven’t been able to do much of either, but I wouldn’t have it any other way!
A Q&A form will be uploaded shortly. In the meantime feel free to send any questions you would like to ask Dr. Riman to admin@network1017.com
Click here if you would like to connect with Dr. Leedia Riman.