The selection process for the 2024 Break Your Boundary (BYB) interest-free student loan program has successfully concluded, and we are pleased to welcome Mark Nitikulthananon, who is currently pursuing the Advanced Education in General Dentistry Residency Program and Master of Science in Dental Sciences Program at the University of Rochester Medical Center, USA, as the newest member of the Matilda family this year.
The Matilda Foundation is dedicated to fostering opportunities for studying abroad through the BYB interest-free loan program. Every year, our selected recipients are unique individuals who represent the core values that the Foundation seeks. Mark, selected for 2024, exemplifies Matilda’s diversity, as his journey differs from previous recipients in many ways. For example, he is the first BYB recipient to pursue a straight dental education track and the first to begin his studies before applying for the loan.
Though Mark often humbly describes himself as “just an ordinary student” and “an ordinary dentist,” the Matilda Foundation, through our conversations with Mark, discovered the extraordinary within him. We hope that, through this interview, you will also see these qualities as well—such as his “self-awareness” (Mindfulness), his “thirst for growth” (Thirsty), and his “courage to step out of his comfort zone” for what he considers worthwhile. This courage of his is further supported by his determination and the information he diligently sought out (Inquisitiveness).
Let’s get to know Mark’s story.
Mindful - Self-Awareness
Q: Please introduce yourself.
Mark: I’m the youngest of four children, raised by a single mother. Before coming to the US, I worked as a dentist at a community hospital in Udon Thani province called Ban Phue Hospital. I started working there right after graduating from the Faculty of Dentistry, Chulalongkorn University. The reason behind me working here is because there’s a requirement to work to repay the government loan for at least three years if you graduate from a public university. I ended up staying at Ban Phue for about four years.
Q: What made you decide to stay longer than the required time?
Mark: Working at Ban Phue Hospital gave me many valuable experiences. Ban Phue is about an hour from the city of Udon Thani, but it’s much more rural. It gave me opportunities I wouldn’t have had in the city. There were many patients at the community hospital, so I was able to hone my skills in various procedures. I also worked with teams of dental assistants, traveling to remote health centers in the districts to provide care.
During COVID, when there was a shortage of staff in other departments, I volunteered to help with swabbing in negative pressure rooms and preparing vaccines. It was a fun and rewarding experience despite the heat and challenges. We had a good working community that made every day enjoyable.
Q: What do you like to do in your free time?
Mark: I like to bake. I enjoy working creatively with my hands and doing things that require attention to detail, and baking ticks all these boxes. I also enjoy playing the piano.
Inquisitiveness – Seeking Answers
Q: Can you tell us about how you decided to further your studies in the US?
Mark: One day, I read a post from a senior dentist who shared her experience of settling in the US as a dentist. Before reading that, the idea of becoming a dentist in the US seemed far-fetched for me, especially the financial aspects and the livelihood. However, in her post, she explained her journey from the beginning and how she managed to do it despite not having family support. I was intrigued, so I reached out to her for advice. I decided to use my savings to visit and shadowed her at her clinic in the US for two months. That experience gave me a clearer sense of possibility and more confidence.
Q: Looking back, do you feel it was worth it?
Mark: At that time, I had planned the trip with several goals. One of them was to pass the theoretical part of the American dental licensure exam, as it was necessary for applying to study, and it could only be taken in the United States. However, the most important purpose for me was about building confidence in investing in my own future. Talking to experienced people and seeing what the end goal might look like gave me the assurance that I needed to take the risk and move forward. It inspired me and made me confident that what I was pursuing was achievable.
I felt I had found a model I could follow. The next challenge was figuring out how to get accepted. The program only accepts 12 people in the year I applied, but there were over 700 applicants. After returning to Thailand, I continued to work while preparing my application, including documents like my CV and SOP, as well as taking the TOEFL exam. It was an exhausting and challenging time, but I believed that I could succeed if I gave it my all. Once I started the program, I found that most of my classmates already had families and children. To build a life here, many of them had to take out significant loans. I asked my friends, 'Are you worried?' but everyone was confident that once they graduated, they would get jobs and pay off their loans quickly. Their confidence boosted my own. Here, everyone has the same goal, and my classmates are very supportive of each other.
Q: How’s the experience been so far?
Mark: Honestly, there’s been a bit of culture shock. The American service culture is much more direct and perhaps not as service-minded as in Thailand. It’s more business-oriented. So, when we study, beyond learning about patient care, professors teach us to consider patient insurance plans and think about the business side of running a clinic or hospital, which is something that might not be covered in Thai classes.
As for the academic curriculum, Thai dental education also uses U.S. textbooks, so there’s not much difference. The key differences are in the technology and equipment in the U.S., which are more advanced and rapidly evolving. For example, in Thailand, we might use one tool for everything, but in the U.S., a different tool is used for each individual tooth, down to the smallest details. This precision contributes to much higher treatment costs compared to Thailand. Additionally, digital dentistry has been in use in the U.S. for decades. For instance, over 90% of dental implants in the U.S. are done digitally. In Thailand, this has only recently become more widespread.
Thirsty – A Desire to Grow
Q: Have you ever imagined what your life would be like if you hadn’t studied in the United States?
Mark: If I hadn’t come here, I’d probably still be a general dentist. Financially, I wouldn’t have had any issues, and my life would have been relatively stable. However, competition in the dental field is increasing in Bangkok, and I saw more opportunities to grow in the United States. It’s a milestone in my life that I believe will be worth it.
Honestly, I really enjoyed working at the community hospital. That's why I stayed on for four years even though I was only required to work for three as part of my service. What I liked about it was that I didn’t have to think about money. I treated patients under the 30-baht health scheme, and I got to encounter a wide variety of cases. However, I couldn't see how staying there for 10 or 20 more years would lead to further progress.
Determined
Q: At that time, you had already accepted the offer to study in the U.S. before receiving the BYB loan. Does that mean you had already made peace with the idea of “taking out a loan”?
Mark: Yes, it was my priority to pursue further studies in this particular program in the U.S. Everything else was secondary, and I had to plan and take responsibility for finding the necessary funds to achieve this goal.
Q: From both our previous conversation during the selection interview and now, you’ve shown that you’re not really a risk-taker. So, what made you confident in coming to study abroad even though the financial aspect was still uncertain? How did you overcome that fear?
Mark: I still have fears and uncertainties that I have to overcome because nothing in this world is perfect or certain. However, seeing an example from P’Ann (the senior dentist who became a role model), who had walked this path before, showed me the possibilities. Doing additional research also helped build my confidence. To add, most of my classmates here have families and have taken out loans far larger than mine. Even those with heavier financial burdens than me aren’t worried. Their confidence that everyone here goes on to have good income and successful careers as dentists in the U.S. after graduation cements my own.
Accountability – Responsible and has a Clear Repayment Plan
Q: Why do you think Matilda was the right fit for you?
Mark: I think it is an excellent financial option for someone who knows what their future income will be and how much they can afford to repay at a time.
With regards to student loans, if you compare it to American dental students, on average, the student loans are around $300,000, and at some universities like NYU, it can go up to $600,000. Since I’m not an American citizen, if I were to take out a loan, it would have to be a private one and the number would likely be even higher. So, I felt that the interest-free loan from Matilda suited me the best.
Q: If you were to give advice to someone interested in the BYB program, what would you suggest?
Mark: The main thing is to have a clear plan for “what’s next after studying.” In the end, it’s still a loan that needs to be repaid. I think the Matilda selection panel wants to be confident that the candidate will be able to repay the loan. So, I needed to be confident in my future career first. During the interview, I focused on showing the panel my clear determination—how I would be able to repay the loan based on my education and career plans.
Seeing a clear future from examples and being confident in what I wanted to do helped me proactively plan my repayment. I want to pay back the BYB loan as quickly as possible and with as much as I can without causing too much hardship. So, for those interested in applying, I’d suggest thoroughly researching both from experienced individuals and from understanding yourself.
Mark’s story is one of passing on confidence—from Ann, the pioneering dentist who inspired him, to his international classmates, who share similar goals and face even higher financial risks without hesitation. Their confidence in their chosen paths has inspired Mark, who now walks a well-planned journey toward his future.
With clear steps and examples to follow, Mark is determined to stay on course and achieve his goals, carrying the same confidence forward.
With a clear plan, supported by both data and success stories from those who had gone before as guides and maps, all that’s left for Mark is to follow his own determination without straying from his path.
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