Dr. Mridula Trehan is the Principal, Dean, Professor and Head of the Orthodontics Department at NIMS University. She has done her Bachelor's and Masters's from Lucknow in 1994 and 1998 respectively. She has been a Postgraduate teacher since 1998. Her areas of interest include standard edgewise technique, myofunctional appliances and esthetics in Orthodontics. She has numerous publications in various peer reviewed International and National Journals and has contributed to a few chapters in the textbook Pedodontics. She has also written a chapter for the practitioner manual published by the Indian Orthodontic Society in 2016. She has presented scientific papers at prestigious platforms like the American Association of Orthodontists and has been invited as a guest speaker at various national conferences. She is a member of the Dental Council of India and serves as a reviewer of JIOS. She obtained her fellowship from the Academy of Dentistry International in the year 2017.

NIMS Dental College and Hospital

What is your philosophy of leadership?

"I make sure my support is available whenever my team needs it"

I strongly believe that leadership is more of a structured approach which a person adopts depending on their goals and needs. And a good leader holds the capacity to lead a team in the right direction. If I talk about my leadership style, then I enjoy delegating tasks and taking the lead on projects by getting personally involved. I always inspire my team by ensuring my support as and when required. 

What makes the education industry the best to work with? 

"This field offers direct opportunities to work for nation and personal growth" 

Education is all about furthering the development of future generations. It is definitely a rewarding field to work with because it offers a fairly steady career path with plenty of growth and learning opportunities for professional development. Also the education industry has a lot of common ground across the world.

What are your roles and responsibilities towards the students and college?

"I am responsible to manage department activities and address students' concerns"

Being the Dean of this amazing institute, I have various kinds of responsibilities including academic, programmatic, managerial and fiscal one. I am accountable to verify the adequacy of instruction, monitoring academic integrity, conferring degrees and for student recruitment, admission and academic progress. Apart from all this, I am also responsible for the ethical conduct of research and for establishing and maintaining a culture of compliance and integrity among faculty, staff and students. 

What do you think should be the college's top priority over the next three years?

"We should conduct more training programs to enhance students and faculty skills"

In my opinion, we should work towards creating a mindset of continuous learning among students and use learning and development as a tool to drive engagement and retention. Because embedding learning is very essential to meet the industry requirements and job needs. Lastly, we should focus on the internal training of students and faculty to address the shortage of talents.

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How do you use the immense knowledge and experience you have gained over the decades for the growth of NIMS?

"By contributing towards curriculum development and establishing a sync between everyone"

I am using my past experiences and knowledge to lead and coordinate college strategic planning and curriculum development. And following are a few of the other activities which come under my scope of work being a Dean and Professor:

  • Supervising, evaluating and supporting departments in a manner that promotes excellence in instruction, and scholarly and creative productivity.
  • Overseeing the processes of faculty and staff selection and retention.
  • Coordinating the professional development of college administrators and staff.
  • Providing recommendations to the provost on policies and procedures, especially in the academic area.
  • Managing non-teaching faculty in the college. 
  • Developing, leading and encouraging fundraising in support of the college's goals.
  • Managing the fiscal affairs of the college.

What are your views on the placement and higher education of students of your college?

"We provide all kinds of support to students if they want to study further or do a job"

After completion of a BDS course, students have the option to either start working or to study further. So, if a student chooses the former, they can open up their own private practice, work in someone else’s clinic, can also join the Govt sector or work in the Short Service Commission or Non-Government Organizations. But if they wish to study further, our institute offers Postgraduate and PhD courses in all the 9 specialties of dentistry. Students can also pursue M.Sc. in basic science subjects or even an M.Ch in AIIMS. But my recommendation to them would be to do their post-graduation (MDS) because not only will they be gaining an in-depth knowledge of the subjects but will also get the highest degree in the country. Lastly, they can avail overseas opportunities. 

Being the Research and Development Dean, how do you define your connection with students and faculties? 

"By assigning mentors and projects on the latest topics to students"

Based on the current needs and recent developments in the dentistry field, various research projects are given to students and faculties for the benefit of their personal and professional growth. And a competent guide is allotted to a group of students who all work on a specific project so that a connection can be established between them and their respective guides. These projects are time-bound and upon completion, students are asked to submit them to the research and development dean. 

What kinds of changes have you observed between your time and today's education industry?

"Online mode of education has made things much easier for students"

As much as I have observed because technology has improved a lot, clinical and academic learning has also changed towards the brighter side. Be it academic books, journals or treatment videos, everything is available online and students can study using them whenever they want. This online mode of learning is the thing that was missing in our time. 

What message will you give to the family or parents of students?

"We provide the best quality education to students in the Dentistry field"

As the data suggests, only 5% of the population visit dentists for their treatment. Opportunity exists for the budding dentists who can convince the remaining 95% of the population to start the treatment. So the scope of the new dentist’s in the future is high. And our University is committed to delivering quality education, so we assure the family of students that your child is in the right place.

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Any advice which you would like to share with the new generation coming forward?

"Keep upgrading your skills and experience"

From my experience, I can tell you that growth opportunities are numerous in the field of dentistry. We just have to learn the required skills and come forward with a strong will, determination and a focussed mind to grab those opportunities. So finally, I would like to say that oral health is an integral part of general health and it should not be seen in isolation.