Before Yousif Alsaoor was a dental student, a bullet went around his head in the womb. His family fled Iraq, rebuilt their lives in rural Australia, and never looked back.

In this episode of The Brush Up, host Michael Klein sits down with Yousif, a fourth-year Bachelor of Dental Science student at Charles Sturt University in Orange and the President of the Student Dental Association for 2026. Yousif shares the extraordinary story of his family’s escape from Iraq, why he chose dentistry (and how he “finessed” the doctor title past his dad), what it’s like studying in a tight-knit rural campus far from home, and the clinical moments that made him fall in love with restorative dentistry.

He also opens up about the mentors who shaped his standards and why the best advice he’d give his first-year self is not to lose himself in the process of becoming a dentist.

Topics covered: refugee background and family resilience, choosing CSU and rural dentistry, Student Dental Association leadership, sim clinic and restorative passion, patient rapport and clinical milestones, mentorship and rigorous feedback, and advice for dental students.

The Brush Up is brought to you by ADA New South Wales. Find resources, episodes, and more at adansw.com.au.

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