Meet Dr. Laura Souza, DDS – Brazilian Dentist Living Her Dream Life in Southern California

Dr. Laura Souza, DDS is a native of Brazil, from the town of Porto Alegre, near Uruguay and Argentina. Her love of a healthy lifestyle was instilled in her at an early age by her parents and ultimately led Souza to a professional career in Southern California.

“My parents owned a gym and my sister and I were always trying out new classes. My mom also used to be a Yoga instructor and became an inspiration to me in also becoming one later in life – in addition to becoming a dentist. I’ve been fascinated by dentistry ever since I was a little kid. I’ve always enjoyed science, biology, studying the human body, and the simple fact of taking care of people. I found out that in dentistry, I could combine the love I have for taking care of people’s health, learning biology and the human body, and performing artistic work while developing great relationships with people at the same time!”

FOLLOW YOUR PASSION

When you have big dreams, it’s important to think about your WHY. For me, it was WHY do I want to pursue a career I love in another country? The answer for me was easy – moving to the U.S. would allow me the chance to do the high-quality dentistry I dreamt of.

Once you are sure with your WHY make sure to constantly believe in yourself. A lot of people will tell you that you can’t do it and you must believe in yourself even when you get discouraged. Surround yourself with people who support you. Also don’t think only about the end result but constantly think, “what’s next?”  Remember your passion. Remember your purpose.

BELIEVE IN YOURSELF

As a Brazilian female dentist practicing a profession that I love – in another country – I know that if I can do it, You can do it. I was determined to succeed from an early age and I had to set many goals for myself. However, I also had to deal with many “No’s” in the beginning after I arrived in the United States. I hit several roadblocks and I was discouraged, mostly because of my language barrier. A lot of my friends worked in Portuguese and Brazilian restaurants to help pay the bills and work on their language skills. I knew I wanted to work in a dental office, but was told I needed to work on my language and communication skills.

I got a job in a restaurant at night to help pay my bills and worked on my English. When I wasn’t doing this, I was persistent in reaching out to dental offices until they said, “Yes.” I even said I didn’t need to get paid at first, I just wanted to prove myself and learn as much as I could. Thanks to those sacrifices I finally am in the position that I always dreamt of. Being part of Hornbrook Center for Dentistry, with the legendary Dr. David Hornbrook as my mentor, is simply a dream come true.

Learn more about Dr. Laura Souza https://www.hornbrook.com/about-us/meet-dr-souza/