Meet Melanie Silvestrini | Dentist – Innovator – Educator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Melanie Silvestrini and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Melanie, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?

One crucial aspect of my life is the protocol I have established, essentially a personal ‘algorithm’ that guides the way I live my everyday life. I began with the question, “what are the habits and behaviors that keep me at my best?” I have always been very busy and constantly on-the-go since momentum increased during my years in University. Since I was a little girl, my ultimate career goal has been to become a dentist, one goal that I have remained steadfast for. This career path came with extensive amounts of academic preparation and weekend (social) sacrifices. In college, I worked 3 jobs in addition to pursuing my Bachelors of Science in two majors: Biochemistry and Chemical Biotechnology. My three jobs included working as a server, chemistry tutor and freelance makeup artist. At this point in my life, I began to experience a greater sense of urgency when it came to my everyday routine and habits. In order to succeed, I re-assessed only what I have control over in my life. Fast forward to today, I am now a dentist working very long hours in a hospital. As my career and lifestyle demands have increased, my work/life balance has evolved to appear more difficult to achieve.

With my initial protocol in mind over the years, I have established what my #1 self care habit is and have managed to remind myself of the number one thing that I do that keeps me “plugged in.” For me, I found that an adequate amount of sleep (7-8 hours) and engaging in daily self-reflective/meditative practices has been my savior when it comes to the balance that continues to exist in my life.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Becoming a Dentist has been my dream job since I was a little seven year old girl. I am very grateful to have found a career interest that I remained interested in since a young age. Ever since an enriching experience witnessing veneer fabrication in my former dentist’s office, I was amazed at how simple accents and modifications blended together can cause a huge transformation not only in a person’s physical appearance, but also their demeanor and confidence. Since then, I remained focused and continued to educate myself throughout the years on what it would take to become a dentist. It certainly was not an easy path, nor an unchallenging profession to attain. I knew that academics was very important, especially when it came to getting into dental school. My preparation process began as early as middle school and continued into high school and college. In high school, I engaged in Advanced Placement (AP) courses, held tutoring and leadership positions. I was fortunate to have received a full four-year tuition scholarship to college, where I earned my Bachelors of Science from a double-major in both Biochemistry and Biochemical Technology. I had to sacrifice my weekend social life for working hours and for the time required to meet the demands of my challenging major, finances and dental school entrance exams. At the age of 18, I began my own freelance makeup artistry business where I traveled to wedding venues and provided hair and makeup services for bridal parties. With this early entrepreneurial endeavor, I noticed how both dentistry and esthetics are the perfect synergy of my growing passions for beauty, function and health. Throughout the initial years of my undergraduate career, I was always on top of my agenda, my goals and always strived to keep a stable routine. During Junior year, I realized I have turned into ‘autopilot’ much more frequently – I found myself less in the present moment and constantly in wander of what needed to be done next. I could not find peace nor mental/physical relaxation. Everything felt stressful and for the first time I admitted to myself that something needed to change. That same year I discovered meditation and yoga. Eventually I chose to attend Tufts Dental Medicine, a dental school with a very unique mind/body wellness curriculum. During these four years of dental school, I learned more about implementation of wellness habits and how to shape them into more effective ways. There is such power in taking care of yourself. I am a firm believer that self care is the most crucial aspect to focus on when it comes to achieving your goals. Now, I find myself less stressed and more motivated than ever. This is my story and my website was developed with the intent to share my secrets and tips to how I continuing on my mind/body wellness journey as a dentist, innovator and entrepreneur, all while balancing other passions and what I believe in. I hope to help others become more mindful, motivated and aware of what they are capable of achieving.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I was born and raised in Queens, New York and love must say, I love NYC! If one of my best friends were to visit me, they better come well-rested because there is much to explore and enjoy in NYC. A perfect day in New York would begin downtown at the Equinox Hudson Yards, where we would get a nice workout in before rewarding ourselves with the relaxing sauna and outdoor pool amenities. Next, I would bring us to lunch at RH Rooftop restaurant, where we could also enjoy the beautiful streets of Soho. Assuming a beautiful summer day, a walk uptown to Central Park South would be necessary to not only enjoy the scenery but also allow for spontaneity in choosing cafes to enjoy and boutiques to shop in. An early evening trip to DUMBO, Brooklyn would definitely be next on the itinerary for the day because of the beautiful streets and inspiring ambiance. This would be an excellent area to enjoy an early Mediterranean dinner at Celestine and walk around the water overlooking the Brooklyn bridge. I would ideally end the night at a show at Carnegie Hall followed by drinks at the Jazz Club called Fine and Rare. NYC is such an amazing melting pot of diverse crowds, amazing food, enticing individuals and innovative locations to visit.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Much of the good practices that I practice and write evidence-based blogs about on my website, DrMelanieRosalia.Com, have come from the wisdom of a few authors of self-development books. One book that has had a huge impact on my life is ‘Atomic Habits’ by James Clear and ‘The 5am Club’ by Tim Ferriss. These books have led to my increase in emotional stamina: “the worse you feel, the more committed you are to your goals.” With this ideology and philosophy in mind, I felt more enabled to optimize my daily routines and become the best version of myself both energetically, work-wise and in relationships. My personal experiences and journey in following these protocols has led me to write a plethora of articles on my website, many of which focus on the topic of ‘how to make daily habits a more consistent reality for you.’ So, thank you James Clear and Tim Ferriss for your guided wisdom! I would like to also credit Dr. Andrew Huderman and his podcast for a majority of what I have learned about evidence-based tools to improve my everyday physical and mental being. These individuals have truly inspired me to share my own twist and personal experiences which has evolved into my website, where my goal is truly to empower others through education.

Website: DrMelanieRosalia.com

Instagram: @dr.melanierosalia

Linkedin: Dr. Melanie Rosalia Silvestrini

Twitter: @drmelaniedmd

Youtube: Dr. Melanie Rosalia

Image Credits
Pranto Podder JNR Photography Inc