| Dr. Franklin Casthely started his practice in Miami in the early 1980s after relocating from Boston, Massachusetts. Although at the time he was Clinical Instructor of Prosthodontics at the prestiguous Harvard School of Dental Medicine, he longed for the tropical climate of his homeland Haiti and a community with a larger Haitian-American presence. Dr. Casthely was already a dentist when he left Haiti in the early 1970s. He obtained his dental degree from the State University of Haiti in 1967. After several challenging years Dr. Casthely was able to overcome the barriers placed in front of foreign-trained doctors, and not only attended but also taught at Harvard University. This experience proved to be of great value as it helped further cultivate his leadership and public speaking skills. Soon after relocating to Miami in the late 1980s, Dr. Casthely pioneered several health and community awareness programs which included a weekly medical radio talk show and PBS televised educational segments. He encouraged participation from his collegues in the medical field during these public health endeavors in an effort to improve the quality of both dental and medical health in the Haitian-American community. He believes that as the "first Haitian dentist in Miami" it is both an honor and duty to serve and contribute to the overall well-being of Haitian-Americans in South Florida.
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