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From Russia with love …of dentistry

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Jason Lake
  • Air University Public Affairs
MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. --  It's amazing what you can do with $500 and an American dream. 

More than eight years ago, Nikolay and Zoya Sky immigrated to New York City from Russia with just $500 cash, some personal items and their pets. They also couldn't speak a word of English. 

"We didn't know at the time, but after we arrived we also had to quarantine our parakeet that ended up costing us about $300 of what we had saved," explained Zoya. 

After completing more than eight years of dental education in two different countries, learning English while working various jobs, and graduating from Officer Training School two weeks ago, the couple can now do what they've always dreamed of doing... dentistry. 

Nikolay, a native St. Petersburg, Russia, served two years in the Russian air force after being drafted as a physician assistant. On one mission, the 37-year-old was nearly killed when he was sent to provide field medicine support as a bomb disposal team went out to examine a dud bomb dropped on a training mission. 

"The technicians detonated the bomb in-place, but I was not far enough away or under cover," explained Nikolay, who studied five years to be a Russian dentist. "I heard the shrapnel fly right past my head." 

Looking back at his four weeks of commissioned officer training at Maxwell Air Force Base, Nikolay said the U.S. Air Force has provided much more detailed training than when he served as a draftee in the Russian Air Force nearly 20 years ago. 

For 31-year-old Zoya, dentistry has been a family occupation. Her mother was a dentist in her hometown in the suburbs of East Berlin. Her father was a former lieutenant colonel in the Russian Army, so she is no stranger to military life. 

It was through Pavlov State Medical University's dentistry program in St. Petersburg, Russia, that Zoya ended up meeting her husband. Next month the couple plans to celebrate their tenth anniversary. 

Shortly after getting married, the couple decided to try their luck with a lottery to get immigration consideration to the United States. When the opportunity came, the couple decided that was where they wanted to put their five years of dentistry schooling into practice. But in order to practice dentistry in the United States, they would have to endure another three years of American schooling and recertification at New York University. 

Zoya and Nicolay worked several jobs to pay for a modest apartment they rented in Brooklyn. 

Zoya was the first to finish her dentistry degree through NYU's College of Dentistry and even completed the university's oral medicine honors program. 

The idea of serving in the U.S. military came last year while Zoya was working a one-year residency at New York Methodist hospital. 

An Air Force recruiter spoke with students in Zoya's residency program about career opportunities. 

"He looked professional and was very organized and efficient, so Nikolay and I decided to look into it," explained Zoya. 

After taking a trip to McGuire Air Force Base, N.J., the couple was ready to make a commitment to the U.S. Air Force. 

"We were shocked about how nice the facilities and equipment were there," Zoya explained about her first impression of the base's dental clinic. 

Nikolay also felt compelled to serve after witnessing the World Trade Center tragedy. At the time of the tragedy, Zoya had a job interview not far from Ground Zero. 

"I saw the buildings collapse from where I was working in Brooklyn and I got worried about Zoya," he said. "She took the subway that ran directly underneath the World Trade Center. Luckily, her train had stopped in time." 

Now, after completing four weeks of physical and mental challenges at Air University's OTS commissioned officers training course, the two captains look forward to doing what they love at their first assignment back at McGuire. 

"In America there is no limit as to how far you can go," Zoya explained. "We went from being nobody to being doctors. Now we want to give something back to America."