Unlike many on this list, Dr. Moon didn’t always know he wanted to be a dentist—but once he decided, there was no looking back. His father taught dental materials at Virginia Commonwealth University. He later found a crucial mentor (more on her below) and was ultimately able to buy his own practice. “Going into dentistry is the best career decision I could’ve made,” he says.

Dr. Rena Vakay, the first doctor with whom Dr. Moon went into private practice. A highly respected dentist
with years of experience, Dr. Vakay took the fresh-out-of-school Dr. Moon under her wing. “I really believe that where you start as a working professional can determine the rest of your career,” he says. “Luckily, I was with Dr. Vakay, and she gifted me with a lot of her hard-earned sage wisdom about dentistry.”