Akbar Muhammad has a gift. And he wants to use it for the greater good. As one of 11 children he grew up with what he describes as limited financial resources which meant working "every minute possible" to carve out both the education and the career he craved.

That dedication and determination has seen him return to Bermuda this year, after 14 years of graduate and postgraduate education, as the Island's first Oral and Maxillofacial surgeon. This is an area of dental surgery that can include anything form extracting wisdom teeth to facial reconstruction and minor plastic surgery.

But that is not necessarily the most relevant part of his story.

What he has learnt about life, opportunity and gratitude is notable and worth sharing. Dr. Muhammad has made a tremendous effort to get where he is today, and is just as determined to reach out to others who are chasing their dreams.

"I understood from a very early age that I had to make a sacrifice, I was thinking long term." he explains.

That sacrifice meant forgoing teenage nights out in favour of, for instance, 17 hour days in a kitchen washing pots.

"Because of my finances and being from a large family it was basically working any free minute at any available job and saving that money," he reflects with a chuckle and a shake of his head. "I'm not complaining but I didn't have the 'normal' teenage experience."

Instead he had a dream, or a vision, inspired by his circumstances and the people who showed an interest in his potential and pushed him to maximise it, including one particular teacher.

As a 14-year-old Berkeley student he was asked by his physics teacher, Mr. Morgan, what he wanted to do with his life.

"I told him I wanted to work in health care," says Dr. Muhammad. "And he looked at me and said, 'That's not good enough. You should be a doctor.'

"I couldn't believe that he had more faith in my abilities than I did."

At that moment a light bulb went on for him and he has literally been on a mission ever since.

"I've been blessed to have certain people come my way when I needed them. But I was always out there asking for advice and guidance," he says. "Even (Premier) Dr. (Ewart) Brown — my dad took me to his office to talk to him about being a doctor. He was like 'you go for it, but I want you to go to Howard (University),'" he chuckles. "Fair enough, it's his alma mater."

Dr. Muhammad did in fact attend Howard, but not before a year in Turkey as a Rotary Exchange Student and two years at the Bermuda College.

It was through the Sandys Rotary Club that he met yet another influential contact who took an interest in his success.

"Walter Saul really took me under his wing and gave me a window into the real world," he says. "He told me that just because one door closes it doesn't mean another won't open. That I had to keep going. He said it was worthwhile investing in my future whether it was through loans, grants or even a job. Some people said 'I can't give you money but I can give you a job,' and I took it."

This quality of making and taking opportunities is perhaps what sets Dr. Muhammad's story apart. He believes that "you make your own luck."

"I'm here to say that if I can do it anyone can. If you sit back and make excuses or wait for people to help you then you are giving away your power.

"You are the master of your destiny."

He credits Dr. Deborah Tuzo, Dr. Jewel Landly and Dr. Rhonda James as people who inspired him toward dentistry and reveals that his younger brother, Khalid, cashed in his own life insurance policy to help pay for his tuition, for which Dr. Muhammad is profoundly grateful.

He is also grateful for the faith Mr. Saul showed in him

"He tells me now that he 'saw something in me and he didn't want to leave it to chance'."

What Mr. Saul undoubtedly saw was an intelligent young man with an insatiable desire to succeed. That desire was born from watching the sacrifices his mother made in raising her family and wanting to repay her efforts.

His upbringing in Trinidad also shaped his perspective on opportunity, describing friends in Trinidad who "couldn't do what I have done because they couldn't get a job."

"In Bermuda you can work if you want to. I've been a security guard, a waiter, painted tanks at Bermuda Gas and even worked for Walter (Saul at Bermuda Pest Control) for a while."

And the working didn't stop when Dr. Muhammad went off to Howard University. His first stop on campus was the Student Employment Office.

"I cleaned the bathrooms when I got there and I'm not ashamed to admit it," he says. "When I left here I had no money and that job was $50 a week which meant I could eat."

"Once I determined what I wanted to do I wasn't going to let anything stop me," he states, and in doing so touches on a critical part of his success — he was able to, through his own application and the guidance and encouragement of others, define a goal that helped sustain him.

"It was so important for me to have a vision that I could get excited about. It doesn't matter what you want to do, you have to have a goal — even if that goal is figuring out what you want to do!"

Today Dr. Muhammad is busy building his career in Bermuda. He is working as an associate with Dr. Laidlaw Fraser-Smith but admits it will take time to become established.

"As I'm the first there are still going to be some growing pains in terms of getting the referrals."

Of course his career is just a part of his life's work and he has no intention of slowing down.

"I still feel like there is so much more I can do," he reveals. "I also do volunteer work with community organisations and I teach GED through the Seventh Day Adventists."

"I've had so many people help me along the way and if 10 years from now a young person can look back and say the same about me, that would be great."