Uyen Minh Pham, DMD, is a dentist and workforce strategy consultant currently working with 123Dentist, Canada’s largest private dental service organization (DSO), which operates approximately 500 clinics across the country. Uyen began his career in practice before transitioning into the business side of dentistry and now and now he focuses on developing a sustainable pipeline of dental professionals to support the organization’s needs.
What led you to your current role?
I've been a practicing dentist for almost a decade after graduating from McGill University's Faculty of Dentistry. My clinical and entrepreneurial journey eventually led me into the business side of dentistry, specifically within DSOs. In 2021, I joined a smaller DSO with around 60 clinics nationwide, serving as a senior executive advisor reporting directly to the chief dental officer, where I gained valuable insights into operational and workforce challenges. Now, as a consultant for 123Dentist, I use those lessons to strategize and ensure a sustainable pipeline of dental professionals.
What were you hoping to gain from the AI for Health Care: Strategies and Implementation program? How did you choose this program?
I enrolled in the Designing and Implementing AI Solutions for Health Care program (now called AI in Health Care: From Strategies to Implementation) in 2022 aiming to deepen my understanding of how AI could effectively address real-world health care challenges, particularly in workforce management for dentistry. Harvard Medical School's reputation, combined with its practical, solution-oriented curriculum, made this course an obvious choice. I was particularly interested in how AI-driven strategies could improve efficiency, predict workforce trends, and optimize talent acquisition and retention. As a Canadian professional, I was also motivated by a broader vision: to bridge innovations between the United States and Canada, ensuring that breakthroughs in AI are shared, adapted, and applied across our health care systems for mutual benefit.
How was your experience during the program? What did you find most useful or interesting?
The program was transformative, providing both strategic frameworks and practical tools that were immediately applicable. I found the discussion on predictive analytics and AI-driven decision-making especially insightful. The interactive elements and real-world case studies, specifically tailored to health care contexts, significantly enriched my learning experience. Moreover, collaborating with health care leaders from around the world reaffirmed for me the immense value of international dialogue. It underscored that while health care systems differ, we share common goals of accessibility, efficiency, and innovation.
Are there any learnings from the program that you’ve applied to your work?
Absolutely. I've implemented AI-driven workforce analytics to better predict dentist availability, regional talent shortages, and turnover rates, enabling our DSO to proactively address staffing gaps. By utilizing predictive analytics, we've streamlined recruitment processes, reduced time-to-hire, and improved operational efficiencies. The strategies learned from the course helped me align AI implementation with our business objectives, directly benefiting our nationwide network. I firmly believe that adapting AI strategies refined in the U.S. health care environment to meet Canada's unique system has amplified the impact of these efforts.
Would you recommend this program to other health care professionals? If so, why?
Yes, I wholeheartedly recommend a program like this with Harvard Medical School. The curriculum is both practical and strategic, making it highly beneficial for health care professionals seeking to leverage AI in their operational roles. It equips participants not just with theoretical knowledge but with actionable insights and tools to drive meaningful improvements in their organizations. It fosters a spirit of collaboration that transcends borders, encouraging health care leaders from different systems to learn from each other. For anyone navigating the complexities of modern health care operations, and especially for those passionate about building bridges between innovative ecosystems like the U.S. and Canada, this program is a valuable investment.