She’s seen the world, but Dr. Pia Chatterjee Kirk has found her home teaching in Mississippi.
WRITTEN BY Kristen Wright, Associate Editor
Dr. Pia Chatterjee Kirk is currently an assistant professor in the Department of Care Planning and Restorative Sciences at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, School of Dentistry. More recently, she has been recognized as the coordinator of a national women’s symposium highlighting the impact of women in dentistry titled “The Dental Monologues: Evolution of Women in Dentistry.”
As a 32-year-old member of a former expatriate family, Dr. Chatterjee Kirk has gathered memories from around the globe. Many of these memories such as the limited oral health care availability in countries she visited have led her into the dental profession.
Her father is a chemical engineer and the family has always been on the move. She was born in New Jersey where she resided for three years before moving to Houston, Texas. In the early 1980s, shortly after the U.S. oil market decline, Dr Chatterjee Kirk’s father assumed a position with an Arabian American oil company in Saudi Arabia.
The family, including Chatterjee Kirk and her younger sister, moved to Saudi Arabia. As the girls grew older, their parents had to make the difficult decision to allow them to attend high school in the United States. Chatterjee Kirk explained that in Saudi Arabia expatriate families are offered standard American schooling through the ninth grade. After the ninth grade, families are expected to either move back to their home country with their children, or send the children to boarding schools abroad.
“My parents explored that option of moving the entire family except my father back to the United States, but I didn’t want to be responsible for my parents living apart so I elected to leave Saudi Arabia to attend school in the United States before the ninth grade to attend high school.”
I think I’ve moved around so much that I try not to plan too far out. I try to lead a fulfilled life of family and happiness, and I think the rest will come.
Chatterjee Kirk had an uncle who lived in New York, so the family decided this would be the best location to attend boarding school. She spent two years at the Masters School in Dobbsferry, N.Y. Although she enjoyed her school and the weekends in New York City, the cold climate of the northeast did not suit her.
A school friend had an older sister who lived in California and there happened to be excellent boarding school close by. The duo discretely retook the admissions examinations required for boarding schools and successfully transferred from their respective schools to The Webb Schools of California.
“At the time, I had no idea that this decision would change the course of my life because it is at this school that I met my future husband,” Dr. Chatterjee Kirk said.
After graduation from Webb, she attended the University of California at Santa Barbara.
“During my senior year at UC Santa Barbara, my parents retired and moved back to the U.S.,” she said. “It was just after the Gulf War, and because they had already evacuated once they decided to move back to Houston, Texas.”
An economics major grappling with career options, Kirk decided to take preparatory courses for the MCAT. After taking a course in basic EMT training, and experiencing the lifestyle, Chatterjee Kirk decided to explore other options in the health professions. She was encouraged to take the DAT. She did well on the test and was motivated to pursue a career in dentistry. She shadowed many dentists at the UCSB dental clinic as well as a local orthodontist who educated her about current issues in dentistry.
Because she had spent most of her formative years geographically distant from her family, Chatterjee Kirk decided that she would attempt to remain as close as possible to her family during her adult years.
“I applied to several dental schools across the country but felt a connection with San Antonio. Having been away at boarding school and college, It was nice to be able to hop in the car and visit my parents and develop a friendship with my brother.”
During the summer between her third and fourth year of dental school, she participated in a Co-Step internship with the U.S. Public Health Service at a federal prison in Atlanta, Ga.
“This internship provided me with an invaluable experience and, as fate would have it also gave me the chance to reconnect with Scott Kirk, a close friend from the Webb High School in Santa Barbara, California.” Chatterjee Kirk had kept in touch with Kirk through the years. She decided to visit Kirk who was living in Birmingham at the time and the two began dating. It did not take long for the relationship to become serious and when Scott had an opportunity to start a new company in Jackson, Miss., Chatterjee Kirk decided to apply for a general dentistry residency at the University of Mississippi, also in Jackson. Chatterjee Kirk completed her residency and during that time became engaged to Kirk. Upon completion of the residency, Chatterjee Kirk was not sure if Scott would remain in Jackson so she sought out an associateship in a small community close to Jackson. Soon after that, she was encouraged to apply for a faculty position at the School of Dentistry.
“It was a great opportunity for the uncertain position we were in at the time.” The two married Feb. 2, 2002, and she is approaching her fifth anniversary in academics and feels that her career has been fulfilling.
In order to mainatan a balance with a career, she spends her free time with family and friends.
Her husband Scott, is an expert in fisheries biology and oversees a small business which manages lakes and ponds for businesses and private landowners. “For as long as I have known him, he has been passionate about fisheries. Fortunately he was smart enough to make this an enjoyable career,” she said. Despite long distances, she enjoys visiting family members that live all over the country and getting together for “girls weekends” with her friends. The furthest venture has taken the Kirks to India where most of the extended family resides. Chatterjee Kirk says this was one of their most enjoyable trips.
“Scott and I like to go out to dinner and try new and different restaurants. We try new recipes at home and even make our own sushi. When traveling to a new place, we enjoy finding eateries off the beaten path that are frequented by the locals,” Dr. Chatterjee Kirk said.
She has a good time professionally, as well. “I think dentistry has a lot to offer women, the lifestyle is great. Women are able to schedule their days to incorporate everything else in their busy lives,” she said. “Many women dentists I know like to work with their hands because it allows us to express artistic talents. The networking and fellowship the dental community offers is also a tremendous advantage.”
She explains that that there definite advantages to being a female dentist, staff management issues can be challenging for women, “They have to figure out what those boundaries are. I’d tell women considering dentistry as a career to talk to other dentists, especially female dentists, about the pros and cons.”
She also advises women to develop relationships early - not just with faculty, but with peers.
“Our dental class planned many activities together. There were 90-something of us, but we were close.”
Dr. Chatterjee Kirk credits her easy transition into academics to Drs. Karen Crews and Neva Eklund, she said. “They are senior faculty, and they’ve made it comfortable for women entering into this field.”
Another gem she holds dear is encouragement from those she loves. “For me, I’ve never felt that there was anything that I could not accomplish, and I owe that to my parents,” Dr. Chatterjee Kirk said. At a young age, her father had always impressed upon her that she was free to go anywhere in the world. She describes her father as a global person; well traveled, a true citizen of the world who has resided in many different countries, enjoys meeting all people, and who is a genuine humanitarian. And she says her mother is the glue that holds everyone together. Chatterjee Kirk describes her mother as the one who encouraged her when she needed it most and this helped to keep her focused on her goals, “She instilled a confindence in me that made me feel as if nothing was impossible.”
“My most fond memory was when I was young and I used to listen to my parents discuss their dreams. They moved here from India years ago, and their dream was to see their children grow and prosper in the United States. I was able to figure out how to make the most of the opportunities given to me and my siblings have done the same. My sister started her job as an attorney in Texas and my brother graduated from college this year and is pursuing his dreams in California. We feel fortunate to be able to fulfill not only our dreams but those of our parents who have given up so much for us.”
Dr. Chatterjee Kirk can be contacted at [email protected].
get to know her …
what are you reading? The Story of Trader Joe’s
favorite web site? www.google.com
favorite comfort food? Grilled cheese sandwich
favorite hometown restaurant? We really miss In-N-Out Burger in California.
who would you interview? Although I can think of many people who would be interesting to meet, whether due to their professional or personal influence on me, I try to be practical and surround myself with those I can reach and really learn from. I have been very fortunate to have strong women in my family to look up to - the first being my mom, who has always been there to work through a problem and give me advice. I look up to my colleagues, as well as my friends. I was fortunate to share some intimate moments with several speakers in The Dental Monologues program, such as Drs. Cherilyn Sheets and Dushanka Kleinman, and I plan to keep in touch with these women in the dental profession.
