Sameer Patel, 28, is an orthodontic registrar at the Eastman Dental Hospital, and has just completed an MSc in Orthodontics. Sameer qualified from the Royal London Hospital in 2009; after VT, he undertook SHO posts in restorative dentistry and in maxillofacial surgery. Alongside his current role, he has also worked as an associate in general practice one day a week since 2010, has taken on the running of the practice's training programmes, and is undertaking a distance learning certificate in Medical Education with the University of Dundee.

I am usually up by 7 am at home in Woodford Green, Essex. I try to go for a run in the local park in the mornings but if not, the first thing I usually do is hit the snooze button.

If I am feeling particularly healthy that day I may have some muesli and fruit at home for breakfast but have been known to scoff a pain au chocolat at work if running behind.

I am incredibly lucky to live only 25 minutes away by tube from the Eastman Dental Hospital - or 20 if absolutely necessary!

I work Monday to Friday at the Eastman Dental Hospital. These ten sessions consist of six sessions treating patients, one to two sessions working with consultants on new patient clinics and the rest for revision for exams and admin.

My responsibilities as an orthodontic registrar are similar to those of other specialty trainees. My primary responsibility is to the patients I treat to ensure that they have the best, evidence based treatment available to them undertaken to the highest quality I can provide. Outside of the clinical field, all registrars within the Eastman undertake a two-year Masters programme involving a research dissertation. These, along with audits, presentations and committees, mean that we all learn to spin a number of plates at once early in the programme.

The beauty of being in an Institute like the Eastman with its reputation and transport links is that I have had exposure to the whole range of orthodontic patients - from young children requiring interceptive treatment or short periods of treatment following trauma - to the orthodontic treatment of adults in preparation for orthognathic surgery. Each of these patients, and sometimes their parents, has specific needs and ideas regarding orthodontic treatment, some of which can be challenging.

On Saturdays, I work as an associate from 8.30 am to 1.30 pm in Romford, about an hour's drive away, treating NHS patients. We have a specialist orthodontist within the practice who undertakes private orthodontic treatment at Collier Row and NHS orthodontics at our sister practices. The pace of work is naturally different given the nature of the treatment and the training setting at the Eastman, but the largest difference is probably the patient base. Within Collier Row, the patients are mostly older patients and there are often in-depth discussions regarding the costs of treatment, which can often be the deciding factor in patient choice. All orthodontic treatment I provide at the Eastman is 'free at the point of use' so there are no, potentially difficult, discussions regarding cost.

I really enjoy both aspects of my practice. Working at the Eastman, and the SHO posts in the run up to it, have been great places to work and learn. I also enjoy the fact that the treatment we provide can deliver real benefits for patients with potentially minimal biological cost. I get a lot from working within a large team at the Eastman with huge levels of support and opportunities to pick up tips of the trade! I also relish my clinical and managerial responsibilities within the practice; I have sole responsibility for all aspects of the dental care of my patients and this gives me the confidence to take initiative within my role as a registrar.

I am a great believer in lists, especially in crossing things off, however trivial!

The timetable within the Eastman has given me ample time to work towards a higher degree and the support of my research supervisors helped me manage what was often a very full timetable. Working on this, as well as my practice responsibilities and on my Certificate in Medical Education, was a handful at times but I am a great believer in lists, especially in crossing things off it, however trivial! The first task on my list is usually 'write a list'.

As part of the general practice, I am Training Lead. This means that I work closely with the practice owner and practice manager to assess training plans for each job role, discuss appraisals and help staff members develop their own personal development plans. From this, I try to engage speakers for lunchtime sessions to address specific training needs or identify appropriate external courses for staff members to pursue. Taking the Certificate has really helped me to develop a structure to the training and learning and the feedback from staff has been positive. A secondary role in this is to help organise staff social events which have always been great fun with visits to the theatre and staff dinners.

At the Eastman, I have studied and worked with the same people for two-and-a-half years and we have all developed a close bond through our shared experiences.

I come from a family of dentists but, in all honesty, I was determined to do something different at 15 - anything but teeth. However, at 16, I went to my parents' practice and saw the way they interacted with their patients and the rapport they had, as well as the variety of things they did in their working day, and I was sold!

I did have orthodontic treatment myself when I was 12. At the start, I hated it, particularly as I needed to wear a headgear brace, but I am now grateful that I had the treatment as it really helps me explain to my patients what it feels like to have a fixed brace. It has also made me more reluctant to give them headgear!

I suspect like a lot of people, my interest in orthodontics came when I was an undergraduate at the Royal London Hospital. I had excellent orthodontic teaching in diagnosis and some treatment and the logical approach to diagnosis and treatment planning was incredibly interesting. I was initially nervous about treating children and young people but have found them to be brilliant to work with and interesting people to talk to! I also think that trends in dentistry as a whole will involve moves towards minimally invasive techniques and I feel that orthodontics has a major role to play in this in the future.

At the time of writing, I have been Secretary of the Training Grades Group of the British Orthodontic Society for a week. I will be sitting my MOrth examination in June of this year and finishing my training contract in September. After this I can choose to either enter practice as a specialist orthodontist or continue training for at least a further two years with the aim of becoming a consultant. I am hoping to progress into consultancy training after this year has finished. I feel that I would really enjoy working within a larger team and being able to help train and develop future orthodontists. Long term, I would prefer to have a mix between specialist practice and hospital orthodontics.

I usually get home around 6 pm. I enjoy going out for dinner with friends or catching up with the news. My interests are as varied as my career: I enjoy keeping fit, eating out, theatre, socialising... I also enjoy trying new hobbies and travel such as diving in Borneo and snowboarding in Austria (where I am right now!). I have also just been accepted for training as a ChildLine counsellor.

I have really enjoyed my career so far and am pleased with what I do for a living. It is something I am proud to share when meeting new people though the conversation often stops there or descends into spot diagnoses of wisdom tooth pain!