In this Dental Leaders episode, Payman sits down with Fabian Farbahi, a 22-year-old Sheffield dental student who's already mastered something most people spend decades learning: the power of genuine conversation.
Fabian spends 3.5-hour train journeys striking up chats with strangers because he's fascinated by people's stories—the same curiosity that drove him to become president of Sheffield's dental student society and spend two months on elective in Brazil learning Portuguese. They discuss Fabian's refreshingly unformed career path—he's drawn to oral surgery, intrigued by sports dentistry, passionate about public health behaviour change, and comfortable not knowing exactly which direction he'll take.
The conversation covers his transformation from small-town student to confident stage presenter, lessons learned managing volunteers without pay, and why the best time to take business risks is when you're young. What emerges is someone who understands that dentistry isn't just about teeth—it's about connection, communication, and throwing yourself into uncomfortable situations until they become second nature.
In This Episode
00:03:35 - Choosing Sheffield and moving north
00:06:45 - Clinical mistakes and university challenges
00:07:40 - Student society presidency
00:11:25 - Train conversations and connecting with strangers
00:14:20 - Getting into dental school struggles
00:17:40 - Career interests: implants, oral surgery, sports dentistry
00:20:35 - Public health and behaviour change
00:26:15 - Implantology path and the dip
00:30:05 - Practice ownership versus travel ambitions
00:32:20 - Two-month Brazil elective experience
00:41:20 - Six-year projections and taking risks young
00:44:30 - Managing people without payment
00:50:15 - Business culture and leadership style
00:54:50 - FDI World Dental Congress in Istanbul
00:58:20 - Shadowing at Evo Dental
01:01:30 - Sponsor hunting and sales lessons
01:06:00 - Finding confidence through reinvention
01:08:50 - Fantasy dinner party
About Fabian Farbahi
Fabian Farbahi is a fourth-year Sheffield dental student who served as president of the Sheffield University Dental Student Society. Originally from Taunton, he recently completed a two-month elective in Brazil, working across multiple cities whilst learning Portuguese and immersing himself in the culture.
