Congratulations to Class of '26 SASHP student Ishan Gandhi and his admission to the seven-year BA/DMD program available to Rutgers University students. The Rutgers School of Dental Medicine BA/DMD program is a selective program for highly qualified pre-dental students to have conditional, early-acceptance to RSDM.
Ishan Gandhi SAS '26 is a Biological Sciences major from Old Tappan, New Jersey and was admitted to RSDM in the summer of '24. He will be matriculating to RSDM this fall.
Ishan's passion for dentistry was solidified through his work as a dental assistant over the summer, where he gained invaluable hands-on experience and developed a particular interest in pediatric dentistry. At Rutgers, he is active in numerous activities, both related and unrelated to dentistry. He is a member of the Dental Knights Association and volunteered as a Pediatric Emergency Department Volunteer at Robert Wood Johnson Medical Center. Additionally, he conduct research at the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology in the Roberge Lab. His work includes coordinating with a team of industry-trained medicinal chemists who find leads for a novel target, optimize the molecule for clinical development, and provide tool molecules to elucidate novel biological pathways. Additionally he volunteers as an SASHP Peer Mentor and has shadowed multiple dentists in fields ranging from orthodontics to prosthodontics. In his free time, he enjoys cooking new and challenging items, and also loves traveling to new places.
Ishan's advice to prospective students is to "get involved in a variety of activities that interest you, and don’t be discouraged by setbacks. Sometimes, you may not be sure whether or not something will interest you, so take a leap of faith and find out what you enjoy the most. Another vital tool that you need to be successful in your journey is perseverance because you will encounter several setbacks but the most important thing is staying on track. In terms of academics and research, it is very important to be consistent and focused on the task at hand and make as many connections as possible - whether it be friends in your class, professors, TAs, etc. Finally, be patient with yourself and make sure you give yourself credit where it is due because taking care of yourself is the most important part of your success."
