Meet Inspira Advantage’s Dental School Admissions Experts

With over 10 years of experience in mentoring and consulting, Dr. Hossain has guided numerous students through the complex journey of applying to dental school. She served on the Harvard School of Dental Medicine admissions committee, where she reviewed applications, conducted interviews, and influenced candidate selection in weekly meetings.

Dr. Basilice has over 20 years of coaching and admissions experience, including serving on the NYU School of Dentistry admissions committee and the Beekman Downtown Hospital residency selection committee. Dr. Basilice has built two successful dental practices which he continues to operate today as CEO of Cosmopolitan Cosmetic Solutions Corp for over three decades.

Dr. Oyeledun is a board-certified general and cosmetic dentist with over 10 years of admissions and mentorship experience, coaching many pre-dental and dental students. She has helped students gain acceptance to top-tier dental programs, including the University of Maryland, Howard University, Boston University, UCLA, Tufts University, and UPenn. She has served as an admissions committee member at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry and as an admissions counselor at Penn State.

Before attending the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Alex graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles with a Bachelor’s in molecular, cell & developmental biology. She served as an admissions ambassador at Harvard for three years, sitting on student panels for interviewees. She was also a pre-dental mentor and test prep student ambassador at UCLA and is passionate about helping others achieve their dental school goals.

Dr. Gramacy is a periodontics resident and the current Chief Resident at Columbia University College of Dental Medicine. Before attending the University of California, San Francisco School of Dentistry for her DDS, she graduated magna cum laude from the University of Florida. She has spent over seven years working directly in dental school and residency admissions across UCSF and Columbia, evaluating more than 500 applications and participating in interview-day decision-making.

Dr. Alexandra (Alex) Stein attended Emory University for her undergraduate education before completing dental school at Penn Dental and pursuing an orthodontic residency at Columbia University. She has spent years interviewing and meeting with prospective orthodontics residents, relaying the information to the department heads, and contributing to the selection of the most promising candidates.

Dr. Sonnenberg is a pediatric dentist who earned a BS in biology from the University of Connecticut and a DDS from Columbia University College of Dental Medicine. He joined Flanders Pediatric Dentistry, a well-established private practice in Flanders, New Jersey, as Interim CEO & Pediatric Dentist. This practice, founded by his father in the early 1980s, has a long-standing reputation for providing exceptional dental care to the community.

Before attending the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Dr. Holmes graduated with a Bachelor's in economics from the University of Florida. She has served as the Lead Coordinator for Harvard’s Bridge to Dental School Program, which provides undergraduate students with an interactive curriculum that demystifies applying to dental school. Additionally, Dr. Holmes was her cohort’s Class President and served as an admissions officer at Harvard.

Dr. Jain earned a DDS from the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, where he served as a student admissions interviewer. Before attending dental school, he completed a degree in human biology with a specialization in bioethics, humanities, and society from Michigan State University. Students whom Dr. Jain has mentored have gained admission to dental school at the University of Michigan, the University of Detroit, Marquette University, and Ohio State University.

Dr. Ng is an orthodontic resident at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Dental Medicine. He completed a General Practice residency at New York Presbyterian-Brooklyn Methodist Hospital where he gained additional experience in hospital dentistry and advanced general dentistry procedures and was awarded Resident of the Year in his cohort.

Dr. Garofalo is a general dentist with a passion for helping students navigate the journey to dental school. He holds a BA in biology and psychology from Rutgers University and graduated with a DDS from Columbia University, where he served as a student admissions member. With five years of coaching experience, Dr. Garofalo takes a thoughtful, student-centered approach to supporting applicants with care, insight, and practical guidance.

Dr. DePalo is a pediatric dentist specializing in treating medically complex patients and those with special health care needs. He earned a DMD degree from the Harvard School of Dental Medicine and completed his residency at the Ohio State University/Nationwide Children’s Hospital, where he also graduated with a Master’s degree. Dr. DePalo has 10 years of mentorship experience and has helped students get into top dental schools, including Harvard, UPenn, UConn, Boston University, Tufts, NYU, and Ohio State.

Dr. White is a board-certified pediatric dentist and courtesy assistant professor in the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at the University of Florida College of Dentistry. He graduated with a DMD from the UF College of Dentistry and completed his pediatric residency at the University of Florida/Shands Hospital. Dr. White brings more than 10 years of mentorship experience, including serving on the dental admissions and pediatric dentistry residency committee at the UF College of Dentistry.

Dr. Wallace earned a DMD from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, where he represented students nationwide as National President of the Student National Dental Association. He also served on the Tufts University School of Dental Medicine admissions committee for over three years, evaluating 1,500+ applications and interviewing over 500 candidates. Before dental school, he completed a BS in biology at North Carolina A&T State and an MS in medical science from Hampton University.

Dr. Allen is a practicing general dentist and educator with nearly 40 years of experience in dentistry and dental education. A graduate of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Dr. Allen earned a DDS before completing a residency in hospital dentistry at the same institution and a fellowship in dental anesthesiology at New York Medical College. He also serves on the admissions committees at Roseman University College of Dental Medicine, having evaluated more than 500 applicants.

Dr. Chestleigh is a general dentist and experienced admissions counselor with over a decade of dental school admissions mentorship experience. He earned a BS in molecular and cellular biology from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign before graduating with a DDS and a Master’s in health science from the Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry. Dr. Chestleigh has served on the University of Iowa College of Dentistry’s admissions committee, evaluating applications and contributing to admissions decisions.

Dr. Roehm is a dual-specialty resident in periodontics and orthodontics at the University of Pennsylvania. Before beginning his dual residency, he served as a staff dentist at the Veterans Affairs Hospital in Milwaukee, where he provided comprehensive dental care, mentored AEGD residents, and participated in the resident selection process through interviews and candidate evaluations.

Dr. Donaldson is an orthodontist, educator, and admissions mentor with over a decade of clinical, leadership, and consulting experience. A graduate of the Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry, he completed his residency in orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics at Howard University. As a Howard University orthodontic resident, Dr. Donaldson participated in the admissions interview process for incoming applicants, assisting with candidate evaluations and providing feedback to the selection committee.

Dr. Styles is a general dentist with over 25 years of experience in clinical practice, education, and student mentorship. She graduated from the University of the Pacific’s (UOP) Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, where she served as an admissions ambassador and American Student Dental Association (ASDA) PreDental Officer. Students she’s worked with have been admitted to dental schools at UCSF, UOP, Midwestern, USC, UCLA, the University of Nevada, Oregon Health & Science University, and others.

Dr. Dash is a general dentist with more than a decade of experience. She graduated with a BS in biology from Hampton University before attending the Howard University College of Dentistry, where she has served as an admissions committee member for 13 years. She completed her general practice residency at Bronx Lebanon Hospital Center, where she gained advanced training in comprehensive and emergency care.

Amy graduated from Wellesley College before studying at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine. She has extensive experience in pre-dental mentorship, leadership, and research. At Harvard, Amy serves on the admissions committee and leads the Pre-Dental Committee for the school’s American Student Dental Association (ASDA) Chapter. In this role, she introduces the dental student experience to prospective applicants from underserved backgrounds and coordinates a mock interview program to support them through the admissions process.

Dr. Truong is a general dentist and Dental Director at Wilmington Community Clinic in California. She earned her DMD from the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, where she also served on the admissions committee, evaluating applications and interviewing candidates. After graduating from Harvard, Dr Truong completed an Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) residency at NYU Langone in San Diego, where she refined her clinical skills across general dentistry areas.

Dr. Rabizadeh is an orthodontist with extensive experience in clinical practice and dental school admissions. He earned a DDS from the University of California, San Francisco School of Dentistry, where he served as a student interviewer and co-founded the Alpha Omega International Dental Fraternity Nu Chapter. He later completed a certificate in orthodontics at the Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health and earned a Doctor of Health Education degree from A.T. Still University.

Dr. Anderson is a general dentist who earned a DMD from the University of Florida College of Dentistry after completing a BS in nutritional sciences at the same institution. He spent three years on the University of Florida College of Dentistry admissions committee as one of three selected, where he evaluated 150 applications and interviewed over 100 candidates. Dr. Anderson currently practices general dentistry in the New York City area.

Dr. Kapoor earned her DDS from New York University College of Dentistry, following dual BS degrees in molecular & cellular biology and French and an MS in genetics and genomics from the University of Connecticut. Dr. Kapoor has over eight years of mentorship experience and has served as a student liaison for the NYU College of Dentistry.

Dr. Kelly earned a DDS with Higher Honors and a Distinction in Dental Education from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio School of Dentistry. During dental school, he served as an admissions interviewer, where he was involved in the process in a decision-making role. Dr. Kelly currently works as a general dentist at a community healthcare center in San Antonio.

Dr. Shah is a board‑certified general dentist and public health advocate. She earned a DDS and an advanced certificate in public health from New York University College of Dentistry, following a bachelor’s in neurobiology and physiology from the University of Maryland. She brings over five years of admissions committee experience to her role, including serving as an admissions ambassador at the NYU College of Dentistry.

Dr. Avezova has been practicing general dentistry for over a decade and brings 8 years of admissions committee experience to her work as a counselor. She earned her DDS degree from Midwestern University–Arizona College of Dental Medicine after graduating with honors in microbiology, immunology, and molecular genetics from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Dr. Pascal is a general dentist, educator, and aspiring philanthropist. She graduated with a BS in biology from Oakwood University before earning a DDS from the Loma Linda University School of Dentistry (LLUSD) with multiple Dean’s List honors. With over a decade of mentorship, she has guided aspiring dental professionals through candidacy building, application building, and interview preparation.

Dr. Claro is a dual specialist in pediatric dentistry and orthodontics, board-certified in orthodontics, and a Regents and Flemington Humanitarian Scholar who graduated from the University of California, San Francisco School of Dentistry. With 50+ years of mentorship and 10+ years of admissions committee experience, she has mentored countless students through their dental school admissions and residency journeys.