From Dentistry to Business | Firas Salaas | TEDxYouth@AmericanSchoolDhahran

Early Life and Education

• The speaker was initially unsure about what topic to discuss with the young generation, considering options such as dentistry and success, but ultimately decided to share their personal journey from being an average dentist to owning multi-chain clinics (24s).
• After finishing high school in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, they went to Syria to study dentistry, which was a challenging and competitive field to enter at the time, requiring full marks in almost all high school subjects (1m4s).
• Upon completing dental school, they asked their father to open a small clinic, but he refused, believing that they needed to build their own character and future (1m42s).
• The speaker then went to Saudi Arabia to work, applying to over 20 dental centers, but was rejected due to lack of experience as a fresh graduate (2m27s).

Early Career and Master's Degree Pursuit

• They returned to Syria and found a small dental clinic to lease, working there for two years, which provided a good opportunity to plan their next steps (2m51s).
• The speaker decided to pursue a master's degree, specifically in Orthodontics, which they were passionate about, and applied to over 100 universities worldwide before being accepted into Cairo University in Egypt (4m7s).
• They spent four years studying Orthodontics, which taught them valuable skills such as patience, organization, and systematic thinking (4m33s).

Health Crisis and Recovery

• However, during their final year of study in 2005, they faced a serious medical issue, being diagnosed with a hydrated cyst in their lung, which required hospitalization (5m41s).
• A cyst was discovered in the lung, but unfortunately, it ruptured, causing serious medical issues, and studies say that in 50% of cases with a ruptured cyst inside the lung, it can cause anaphylactic shock, leading to death for 50% of people with this issue (6m32s).
• The individual was lucky to have survived and underwent surgery after three months of doctor visits, hospitals, and medications, followed by two months of recovery, but mentally, they developed depression and felt hopeless, isolating themselves from friends and family (7m12s).

Inspiration from Khalon and Khun

• The individual's friend, Fatty, insisted on taking them to visit Khalon Sjab, who was a brilliant high school student but became paralyzed after a swimming accident, and despite his condition, Khalon learned to read books, do software programming, and even work with a company called Space Toon (8m42s).
• Khalon used a special keypad developed by a friend to communicate and work, and despite the challenges, he was able to support himself, and later, he got married and had two kids (10m55s).
• After the war in Syria, Khalon moved to Beirut due to the better electricity situation, which was necessary for his ventilator, and he even received a private jet from the royal family in Emirates to receive treatment at Cleveland Hospital in Abu Dhabi (11m36s).
• A friend, Khun, was in a severe car accident and was in a coma for a long time, but he eventually recovered and graduated from Sha University with a degree in computer science, which was an inspiration (12m13s).

Return to Studies and Career Restart

• After visiting Khun, the person realized they had fully recovered from their own health issues and had their family, friends, and a master's degree waiting, but were not taking action, so they decided to start again and went back to Egypt to finish their master's degree (12m49s).
• After completing their master's degree, they returned to Saudi Arabia, wrote a new CV with orthodontic experience, and applied to the same centers they had previously visited, and this time, all of them called back to start negotiations (13m31s).
• The reason for the change in response was the improvement in their skills and knowledge of dentistry, which is essential for success in any field (14m2s).

Invisalign and Cham Clinics

• They started working in a dental clinic, improved their skills in orthodontics, and heard about a new company called Invisalign, which they tracked and eventually joined when it expanded to the Middle East (14m46s).
• They set a new goal to open their own business and established Cham Clinics in 2010, but faced difficulties, including high expenses and low income, and eventually got fired from their old job for opening their own business (15m38s).
• Despite the obstacles, they decided to run their own clinic and developed strong micromanagement skills, which helped the business grow, and they became the number one Invisalign provider in the Eastern region and number two in Saudi Arabia (16m50s).

Success with Invisalign and Expansion

• They achieved over 2,000 successful cases with Invisalign and reached the top ranking in Saudi Arabia, earning the title of Diamond Epic, given to 1% of doctors who are Invisalign providers in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East (17m54s).
• There are 40,000 dentists, and only 1% of them are top providers, with the individual being part of this 1% (18m27s).
• The individual has opened five branches for Sham Clinics and Derman Dental Centers in KSA and Bahrain, employing 400 staff members and 80 doctors (18m41s).
• These centers treat over 100,000 patients monthly (19m0s).

Motivational Message and Personal Reflections

• In life, people may face struggles, difficulties, and negative voices, but it's essential to believe in oneself and work towards one's goals (19m7s).
• Achievements and success require hard work, and luck may only contribute to 1% of successful individuals (19m48s).
• The individual has worked in six clinics simultaneously to make their business work and emphasizes the importance of not surrounding oneself with negativity (20m8s).
• The individual is motivated by their family, including their son Youf and their recently born daughter, Sham, who was named after their clinics (20m30s).
• The individual shares their story to inspire others and reminds them to remember their friend Kalun's story, who overcame challenges to achieve success (20m50s).