“Helping people is what I do,” Dr. Sinapioa Ioapo

With an unwavering passion to help others, Dr. Sinapioa Ioapo has returned home to Samoa to continue to serve the dental needs of the community.

Last May Dr Ioapo graduated from New Zealand’s University of Otago in Dunedin with a Masters in Dental Surgery.

This milestone only adds to her Bachelor in Dental Studies, of which she was the first Samoan female to graduate from in 1997 in Fiji.

The eldest of three sisters and a bachelor by choice she says her patients come first and that she is “married to my job”.

“It is my passion to help people,” she said.

“So I worked really hard to make my dream come true and now I am in my mid 40’s and still doing what I love the most.

“I am not married because I’m married to my job.

“I love helping people.”

She said she feels very excited that she is home to once again work with the community.

“Because it’s my job to help them, to deal directly with human beings and I love my job,” she said.

“And it’s not an easy job as well because there are different people and they come from different backgrounds. “We even get special needs people in so it’s a difficult job.

“But it’s my job and it’s my calling and I have to face the reality of it.

“They can be a challenge but when I know what they need, it is easy to do the job.”

She said one of the biggest challenges was returning to university after 10 years in the work force.

“Going back to do more training and further my understanding was not easy,” she said.

“It’s really hard, especially trying to adjust again in learning some new ideas, it was very difficult.

“Not only that, we needed to do a lot of research, a lot of reading, and plus we had to see patients as well.

“So if you put all of that together it was just overwhelming.

“It wasn’t an easy journey, so many challenges and a lot of sleepless nights.

“But it all paid off and it was worth fighting for.”

Despite being well educated, Dr Ioapo said she has never worked for the money.

“If money was my focus I would have left ages ago but it’s not,” she said.

“It’s the feeling of being able to help the people who needs help is all that matters.

“Yes life in Samoa is very expensive, but it doesn’t matter to me that is the honest truth, because I love what I do for my people.”

She said while she would love to do her PhD, right now her place is in Samoa with her patients.

She did have some advice to young graduates. “My advice to the young graduates is you need to go back for further training to upgrade your knowledge and skills to help the people.

“Especially in our country we need more doctors, to help or people.

“Don’t think of the money, but think of that one person that you were able to help.

“That will really make a difference in other people’s lives and trust the people who you helped will never forget you and what you did for them.”

Furthermore, she said there is no limit once you set your heart and mind on something that you are passionate about.

“The only limit is the sky and do what you love the most,” she said.

Dr Ioapo said she is grateful to so many people that helped to gain the knowledge to ensure she can now serve people of Samoa better.

“I just want to thank the Lord for that he had done for us,” she said.

“Also thanks to my family and the Church for all their support and especially the National Health Services the Dental division. “Special thanks to the NZAID for sponsoring us.”

She said she is also grateful for the presence of Dr Elizabeth Williams, who graduated from the University of Otago with a Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Dentistry, during their studies.

“Dr. Elizabeth kept me company and so that saved me from being homesick,” she said.