A.C.’s Personal Statement
Results: 11 interviews, 5 Acceptances
“Our experiences shape who we are and ultimately helps us decide our path. My decision to pursue dentistry was based on a series of important events over the past several years, starting from the day my braces were finally removed when I was sixteen. My orthodontist took great pride in his work as I initially displayed my new smile. I was ecstatic because I had crooked teeth since childhood and was always hesitant to smile even when I wanted to. I will forever be grateful to my orthodontist and I felt that whatever I end up choosing as a career should positively affect people in a meaningful way. The road to my decision was a long and important one with many unexpected curves along the way.
Upon graduating from high school, I took pride in winning awards and scholarships for community involvement and academic excellence because the awards gave me greater confidence in my abilities. Following my freshman year of university, healthcare became an attractive career path because of the respectability, growing demand and presented many challenges. Dentistry, medicine and research were professions which appealed to me the most. Unsure which option to pursue, I began consulting with people in those specializations to help decide which career suited me the best.
My dentist, Dr. Chan gave me a chance to learn about the dental profession. I assisted in office work while observing procedures from checkups to root canals and saw the dexterity needed in a dentist. I was most fascinated with cosmetic procedures; in particular the placement of dental crowns. Dr. Chan prided himself in being an artist as he carefully altered the contours of the crown using his tools, ensuring the crown matched the original tooth and in accordance with the patient’s bite. As a teenager, I enjoyed activities requiring fine use of my hands such as playing the flute and building plastic models. Being able to work with my hands, use neat tools and show off my artistic ability led me to seriously consider dentistry. Before getting too excited about cosmetic procedures, Dr. Chan said, “The main job of a dentist is to relieve a patient’s pain”. I recall an event when a patient came in during an emergency with great pain from an infected wisdom tooth. Following extraction of the tooth, the pain subsided. The patient was incredibly grateful to my dentist although I cannot understand Mandarin; I sensed the relief in the patient’s voice. Seeing the patient’s expression brought back memories of the time my braces were removed. At that moment I knew for certain I wanted to become a dentist in order to help people feel the same sense of gratitude that we experienced by providing superior care.
Shadowing a dentist has shown me the unique challenges they face everyday. Similarly, being a cashier at an organic grocery store has allowed me to tackle many scenarios from rare product requests to calming down visibly angry customers; honing my interpersonal and problem solving abilities in the process as these skills are vital to overcome any obstacles presented. Successful dentists must be able to earn the patient’s trust and ease their worries. Working as a floor service volunteer at a hospital, I provided company and reassurance to patients uncomfortable with the surroundings. Volunteering gave me a better understanding of society and a greater sense of compassion to help those in need. In addition, the experience developed my patient interaction skills in preparation for a career in dentistry.
From talking to current dental students, I realize that dental school can be difficult and perseverance is required to succeed. Studying a lab intensive program such as molecular biology provided a challenging curriculum and valuable research opportunities. Last year, my efforts were rewarded as I accepted the University (Senate) Scholarship. The award demonstrated my ability to achieve a high level of academic success in a demanding program resulting from a strong devotion to learning. A continuous commitment to learn and improve in dentistry is imperative for providing excellent care given the constant enhancement of procedures such as dental implants. My experiences have helped me mature as a person and prepared me for the rigors of a pre-doctoral dental program. I have complete confidence in my decision to pursue dentistry and understand the lifelong dedication necessary in order to fulfill my personal and professional goals. Thank you for your consideration.”
