Why did you apply for the Osteology Research Scholarship?
After completing a year as a Clinical Research Fellow at COCR, Queen Mary University of London, I was on a lookout for programmes that allowed me to focus on and expand my research skills, particularly in the field of implantology. As I interacted with my peers, one line that kept repeating in the conversations was “Osteology scholarship boosted my research career.” That’s how I knew there was no better way to be exposed to world class research than by applying to the esteemed Osteology Foundation.

Why did you apply for this particular centre?
I remember, during my years of training as a Periodontist, whenever I would read about peri-implantitis, the name Frank Schwarz would keep popping up in every few articles and even in books. So naturally, it was always a dream of mine to work alongside the dynamic and reputed Prof. Schwarz.
I was in regular correspondence with his previous scholars, and the work being conducted was of interest to me and some of it was also in harmony with my previous research work. Also, the Goethe university at Frankfurt is well-known for its implant clinics and the FORM research lab with state-of-art technology.
Moreover, on a personal front, I have always been fascinated by German technology and culture. So, selecting this centre literally represented the overlap of my professional and personal interest.

What did you expect to learn during this scholarship year?
As an Osteology Research Scholar at the Goethe University Frankfurt, I intended to maximise my skills in clinical and pre-clinical research. I was also looking forward to attending the implant and peri-implantitis management clinics. I was also exploring the possibility of project collaborations with my team from India.

Ninad Padhye with his mentor Frank Schwarz at Carolinum Frankfurt

How do you experience the mentoring and social environment?
A regular day at Carolinum begins with a meeting in the morning with Prof. Schwarz and the team. This makes it very easy to communicate and exchange ideas on a daily basis. As a mentor, he gives me the space to grow, while also nudging me in the right direction and motivating me to keep breaking my own limits.
When I joined the department, there was an initial adjustment curve where adapting to a new language and the many registration formalities were sort of a hiccup. But I could get through it easily owing to the fantastic team we have here. The entire team has been so welcoming, that not once did I feel alienated. As a matter of fact, all of them went from being my colleagues to becoming my friends.

To which extent have your expectations been met so far?
I would say that my professional expectations have been met almost entirely. While things were slow in the beginning as I got oriented to the new work environment, now I have had the opportunity to simultaneously start working on and lead pre-clinical and clinical research projects. We have also started working on collaborative research projects between Germany and India. Over and above that, there are implant surgeries by top-level clinicians happening almost daily, which I am fortunate to be a part of. I have even attempted to learn the elementaries of German language and got my share of backpacking around Europe. The scholarship was definitely a huge stepping stone for me, both on a professional and personal level.

Why would you recommend other participants would-wide to apply for this opportunity?
My question is – Why would you not want to apply for this unique opportunity that the Osteology Foundation has to offer?
It gives you a chance to explore and work in a different environment, challenge and push your boundaries, get international exposure, and build a base for future networking. And all of this in one package, without owing anything back!
There were so many things, which I had only read about in books and articles, that I got to work-on or experience first-hand as a research scholar. So, I would highly recommend this scholarship. My only suggestion would be to choose the scholarship centre appropriately, based on your work experience and expertise. That’s about it.