In the Spotlight

Mia Harrison, DDS, MPH: Leap and the Net Will Appear

Sometimes Your Intended Path is Not the One You are Meant to be On

The career journey for each individual is different. Some know exactly what they want to do from childhood and work their way there on an earnest direct path. Others may not know what they want and wait to see where life takes them, one opportunity after the next. Others desire stability and stay at their first job or company until they retire. And there are countless variations in between.

For Mia Harrison, she knew she wanted to be a physician for as long as she could remember. Everything she did was with that goal in mind, including volunteering at hospitals and studying hard. She made the difficult decision to stop playing on the high school basketball team (in which she excelled) to prioritize more time for her academics. Mia demonstrated maturity beyond her years.

After earning her Physiological Science BS from UCLA, Mia landed a job at the University of Southern California as a physical therapy aide to support herself. Her intention was to gain more experience and knowledge through her position while she studied for the MCAT. But while working as the PT Aide, she had an “aha!” moment. She realized she didn't want to work in the hospital environment. She questioned whether she wanted to deal with life and death decisions. Continuing on this path would be a huge investment in time for something she was now unsure she wanted to pursue.

Mia took a step back and asked herself what she really wanted her life to look like. She made the decision not to continue down the path to becoming a doctor. She also knew she didn't want to become a physical therapist. For the first time, she felt lost. She didn't know what direction she wanted to take for her career. “What am I going to do?” she wondered to herself with angst.

Fortunately, she had an incredible boss, Dr. Yogi Matharu. He took her aside and asked her, “What are you going to do? What is your next step? What do you think about dentistry? Why don't you talk to one of the deans of dentistry school so you can learn more about the program?”

Perhaps because Mia had never had a cavity or braces, the idea of becoming a dentist had never occurred to her.

The Stars Align... and Mia Does the Work

What unfolded next gave Mia confidence and assurance that being a dentist is exactly what she should be doing.

It seemed that people were put on Mia's path to help her towards her intended destiny. “I'd never seen that before. I don't think most people do. But it was so apparent. I knew someone outside of me, some greater power, was working for me. It was beautiful.”

Mia began volunteering on the main USC campus at the Special Patients Dental Clinic. Its co-location made visiting the dental school readily accessible and Dr. Matharu coordinated a meeting for Mia with the dean he knew.

At the Special Patients Clinic, Mia met Dr. Janet Lent who suggested volunteering at the USC Mobile Dental Clinic. Mia followed through and first volunteered on a weekend that travelled to Bakersfield. While she observed the students and faculty working on the kids she remembered, “having that feeling that this is what I'm supposed to be doing.'” She signed up to volunteer more.

At the Special Patients Clinic, Mia also met faculty member Dr. Veronica Green who asked Mia to work in the lab on her research.

Then one day, a gentleman walked by Dr. Green's office and noticed Mia waiting there. They began chatting and after Mia shared that she intended to apply for dental school, he told her, “I have a pipeline program for underserved communities. There are grants to pay for the Kaplan DAT (Dental Admissions Test) course. It's a free program.” Mia signed up the same day.

With the stars aligning further, Mia later met an individual who introduced her to a post-baccalaureate program at USC for dental school prep courses. She signed up.

She accomplished all this while working full-time.

When Mia first applied, she was not accepted. Instead of being deterred, she studied more and took the DAT again. The second time she applied to only the USC dental school and was accepted.

Mia Stretches Her Wings

The native Angelina had spent her entire life in Los Angeles thus far, so she wanted to venture out and learn more about herself as a person by living on her own. She wanted to see how people live in other places and gain other experiences. She had always admired others who had lived in other countries. Mia decided to fulfill her residency in Arizona.

After the one-year residency, her focus was on community health, so she explored the federal website for community health centers around the country. She found one in Eureka, California. She resonated with their mission and liked that they provided comprehensive care.

Back to Los Angeles

Loving California and wanting to be closer to her family, Mia moved back to Los Angeles during the COVID pandemic. In July 2020 she was hired by the federally qualified Central Neighborhood Health Foundation (now Central Neighborhood Clinic). This was the first time they had received a grant to open a dental clinic. As the Dental Director, Mia was chartered to set up and run the dental clinic. She welcomed the challenge of opening a clinic from scratch while serving the neighborhood her father grew up in.

Currently, Mia works at Veterans Affairs as the lead dentist running the homeless veterans program. “Being part of helping this vulnerable population take the next step in their lives, e.g., finding a job, is very rewarding,” shared Mia.

Aspiration, Inspiration, and Gratitude

Mia's mother Janie has always been a big inspiration to her. “She is always kind. She listens and observes. She has discernment and understanding of people. I aspire to be like her. When I go through a challenge, I think about how she would handle it.”

Because she is from a faith-based family, Mia always wants to be serving others wherever she is on her life's journey. “It is so rewarding when you can impact someone else, even in a small way. This one older lady said she was so scared before she came in. She said thank you when she left. She was in tears.

“It feels good when you help; when you make a difference. I want my patients to feel comfortable. I treat them like my family.”

She is grateful and proud of the relationships she has cultivated with friends and her supportive family.

And when looking back on some naysayers, including those who thought she should stick to basketball instead of honors classes, Mia feels proud of what she has accomplished and her role as a dentist. Last year, Mia was named one of the “Top 40 Under 40” by the National Dental Association.

Facing Challenges and Mia's Advice

Dental school was difficult. There were moments that were particularly challenging. One time, she burst into tears because she is so hard on herself. Mia thanks a wonderful school staff member who cheered her up and told her, “You can do this!”

And Mia kept going. “That staff member helped me a lot.” Mia carries this self-motivation and self-reliance throughout her career. “There are resources out there. You need to find them, learn them, and apply them,” Mia advises.

Other challenges Mia has faced is as a black woman, always feeling “having to be on”, being judged, having to do better. She finds a safe space, like with friends, so she can release that. “It's a huge weight. It is okay if you need to step away. Take that moment. Think about things you are grateful for. Speak positive words to yourself. It is easy to slip into negativity. Counteract with positivity.

“If there is someone you come across (perhaps a teacher or a coach) that has a positive impact on you, keep that relationship. Find that one thing or one person that inspires you. Grab onto that and use that to help motivate yourself.

“Sometimes, there might not be anyone around you to do that. So, you must dig deep and motivate yourself. Use that challenge to fuel yourself and catapult yourself forward.”

Mia and the Bessie Morris Foundation

Last fall Mia and Ivory Freeman, founder of Bessie Morris Foundation, were connected through mutual friends.

Since Mia is a dentist, Ivory asked if she would help at a NOBLE Outreach oral hygiene outreach fair at a Watts Transitional Kindergarten (TK) Head Start school.

Mia made it fun for kids to learn about brushing their teeth and what to expect at a dental visit. The event included tooth fairies and giant models of teeth and toothbrushes.