Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Patrick Sebastian Lolo.
Dr. Lolo, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Hi my name is Dr. Patrick Sebastien Lolo and I am a pediatric dentist in Miami, Florida. I was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti and moved to Miami with my family when I was ten years old in hopes of a better living situation and better education. My career in dentistry was sparked due to lack of oral healthcare in Haiti and the fact that I had developed aggressive periodontitis (a rare form of gum disease) at a very young age. I attended the University of Florida, College of Dentistry in Gainesville, Florida for dental school then completed my pediatric dentistry residency at Nicklaus Children Hospital in Miami, Florida. Growing Up, I’ve always had a passion for children which sparked my interest in pediatric dentistry. My goals are to provide the most fun, comfortable, pain-free and enjoyable experience a child can ever have at a dental office. My vision is for every single child to leave happy and wanting to return to see Dr. Lolo. My dream is to teach every child I treat that fear of the dentist is false evidence and going to the dentist can be a fun experience.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I had to overcome many obstacles to be here today. Some of the struggles I endured on my journey were, being raised by a single mother as well as the language and cultural barriers I experienced as an immigrant moving from Haiti to the United States. Being raised without having a father figure around had many impacts in my life. It was extremely difficult for me to learn how to establish long lasting loving relationships. It also made me deal with and overcome a great deal of depression and character development. The Cultural and language barrier was also extremely difficult to deal with. When I first moved to Miami, many children made fun of me because I had a Haitian accent and I didn’t quite fit into the hip-hop culture in Miami. I used to dread waking up every day to go to school knowing I would get picked on at school. Attending school in Gainesville, Florida was by far even a greater cultural shock then living in Miami. The level of racism and inequalities I endured was by far the worst thing I’d ever experience in my life. However, I did not let that deter me as I always knew I had bigger callings in life. Looking back, all those struggles really made me into the fantastic pediatric dentist that I am today.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Currently I am a pediatric dentist. I work both in a Hospital operating room setting as well as an outpatient dental office where I treat children anywhere from 1 to 18 years of age. I specialize in the care of all children including special needs children such as kids with autism, aspergers syndrome and down syndrome just to mention a few. What set me apart from most other pediatric dentists is that I’m fun, hip, stylish, young and energetic. Also I love working with all types of children no matter the race or ethnicities.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Pediatric dentistry is a very long and tough journey, however nothing beats waking up each day to put a smiles on children faces. Some days you’ll feel like giving up, just remember nothing worth having comes easy in life. All you have been through in the past, both good and not so good, was simply to prepare you for the road ahead. We all have a purpose, so just keep going!
Contact Info:
- Email: Patricklolodmd@gmail.com
- Website: https://www.nicklauschildrens.org/find-a-physician/physician-details/en/1609257484/patrick-lolo-pediatric-dentistry
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr_plolo/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/plolo
- Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/dr_plolo
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