Today we’d like to introduce you to Yuliya Salmeron.
Hi Yuliya, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I moved to the United States from Russia when I was 19 years old with five hundred dollars in my pocket. I had no relatives or friends here and spoke very little conversational English. In Russia as a child, I grew up in a working-class family. My parents earned very little income during USSR regime; and we lived on monthly food stamps. One of the luxuries we had was a black and white only TV with 2 stations to choose from.
Growing up in Ulyanovsk, which was a small city, people are really set in their ways; and I knew I didn’t want that kind of life. I was dreaming of traveling and being able to see other countries; but more than anything I wanted to get my family out of poverty. Make a better life. I also recognized at an early age that there was a bigger calling in life for me. Even though I had no idea what it was- I knew it was something better. I fell in love with America as a little girl through what books and movies we were allowed and I was learning English at school. I knew at a young age America was where I wanted to go.
After a lot of hard work, I was able to pay for a visa; and I left Russia for good. I will never forget the day I was leaving my town. I was at the bus stop in Ulyanovsk, my mom came to see me off. I was taking the bus to Moscow and from there flying to New York. Before I boarded the bus, I looked at my mom with my eyes full of tears and my last words to my mom were “I may never see you again, but you will never have a lack of food or money. I promise you that”.
I left with the goal of a better life for myself and my family. It wasn’t easy. I faced a lot of adversity – however I would never change my childhood or where I came from, it built my character into who I am today. I think grit was a part of my upbringing and I am very grateful for that. It helped me become a tough cookie.
I ended up in Cleveland with another Russian student and spent first two nights in a greyhound bus station. Work was not easy to find. We were literally walking around downtown knocking on the doors of every restaurant hoping to find work.
It was humiliating in a sense and that’s really when I started to realize that I am not just at the bottom now, I am below the bottom; and I had to survive, so I kept persisting. To make a long story short. I did find work. I did whatever I could to earn some form of a living; from cleaning restaurants at night, cleaning houses for rich people, to waitressing in the local diner.
My Decision to become a dentist was totally by accident. I feared dentists my whole life because of several traumatic dental experiences in Russia. I struggled with severe dental phobia since childhood when I had fillings and root canals done with no or little anesthetic. One day someone asked me to come and help in the dental office during the summer. I got the chance to assist the doctor and that’s when I fell in love with dentistry. I wanted help people to fix their teeth without causing pain.
From community college to earning my Doctor of Dental Medicine degree at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, in 2013, I graduated in the top percentile of my class and received numerous dental awards. A strong desire to help patients in pain and save their teeth motivated me to specialize in Endodontics. I went on to complete a program at Long Beach Veterans Administration Medical Center where I earned my Certificate in Endodontics.
After years of study and becoming a specialist, I decided to move to Austin to open my own practice, Edge Endodontics. My main focus is to help patients save their natural teeth. I am big advocate that “nothing is better than your own tooth”. At my office, I see a lot of patients with high dental phobia due to dreadful past dental experiences; and I am glad I can relate to them and know how to put them at ease most of the time.
Today I am a proud “boy” mom. My son Yulian is eight and Aleksandr – is almost six. When I am not in my practice, I spend my time with boys taking them to soccer practice with my fiancé Chris. My personal hobbies are – reading and working out.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It was never a smooth path, but at no time did I feel like quitting, “the only way out is through it”. Dental school was the hardest thing I went through, but I had too much student debt to just quit. I did have dark times; we all do – I felt like I was bullied at the end of my last year of dental school and some people really wanted to see me to fail. They were envious of my clinical success and I started to see them creating obstacles for me. So, I prayed a lot and just pushed through it. Also, the fear of failure was one of my biggest motivators. Bishop TD Jakes said something like that: “Your greatest miracle will always be in your scary place.” So, I knew that God was testing me and building my character.
Opening my practice from scratch was another challenge. Being a single mom with a new business that may or may not succeed was the most terrifying thing I have ever done. Persistence, faith and laborious work – that’s all it is.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I am an endodontist – a dentist who specializes in root canal therapy. I opened my practice with a mission to provide a luxurious, comfortable, and pain-free experience. Edge Endodontics is not your “average” dental office. Every operatory is equipped with a TV, wi-fi headphones, hot towels, and luxury dental chairs. I always strive to get a patient in pain same day. We also are well known by patients for the capability of easing patient’s anxiety about root canals so they feel relaxed and comfortable.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
I work with many dental practices in Austin, my business is all referral-based and word-of-mouth. I appreciate all of my referral doctors and former patients for trusting me to care for them and provide them an excellent service.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.edgeendodontics.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edgeendodontics/
