Her Story
About Simran
Simran Kaur serves as the manager of Cochrane Plaza Dental Care in San Jose, California, where she oversees staff scheduling, patient relations, training, and administrative operations to ensure smooth daily workflows for doctors and patients. She began her dental career in 2022 shortly after immigrating, starting at the front desk with no prior experience before advancing through dental assisting and treatment planning roles, earning her promotion to manager after nearly two years. Simran completed her bachelor's degree in 2025 in just two and a half years while balancing work and studies, and she is now preparing to begin her Doctorate of Dental Surgery at the University of Utah, intending to specialize further in oral and jaw surgeries over an additional six years. Her passion for the field stems from its tangible results and artistic elements, such as crafting prosthetics, which align with her background as a painter, and she credits her aunt, a practicing dentist, as the key role model who inspired her path after working alongside her for four years. In her professional and personal life, Simran prioritizes honesty, compassion for others, and maintaining a strong family orientation with a healthy balance between work and home life, advice she extends to aspiring professionals in dentistry.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Simran
01What do you attribute your success to?
My success is attributed to my aunt who is a dentist. I worked with her for the whole 4 years and she was a great role model.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Do what makes you happy, not just for the money, because dentistry requires 10 years of school and you need compassion and love for it. Also, do not take too many gap years because it is hard to get back on track.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Do what makes you happy. It's not about the money because you are going to school for like 10 long years. You cannot do those 10 years if you don't love medicine or dentistry. You should have compassion.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge is lack of knowledge in people about dental care. People are not very cautious about their dental care as much as they are about their medical care, and sometimes delay complex procedures until it is too late.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Honesty, being there for others, and being family-oriented with a good balance between family and work.
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