Most but not all of my clients are people for whom English is a second language. Almost all are multilingual and many have extensive experience from outside the United States. Some are already dentists who have completed their training and already practiced dentistry in their country of origin; and now they are applying to Advanced Placement Programs leading to the DDS degree in America, Canada, England and Australia. Most of my clients also share an interest in serving the desperate need for extensive new initiatives in oral health care geared towards meeting the needs of societies’ most vulnerable sectors in the Developing World. I am convinced that one’s ethnicity, language skills, and multicultural experiences need to be woven together in a most eloquent fashion in your Personal Statement, as interconnected themes that radiate throughout your admission essay. Your ethnic or racial background and international aptitudes are your greatest assets as an applicant, and they need to be carefully related to both your short and long term goals. I do everything that I can to make your personal statement to dental school as effective as possible. After a careful review of your material, I often ask you highly specific questions born from my many years of experience writing dental statements. I am a seasoned expert concerning what is important to include, and what is not. I have also had a great deal of practice at condensing a lot of material onto two to three double-spaced pages or approximately 5200 characters with spaces. Often, in both the questions that I write for you as well as the statement itself, I contribute creative ideas that help to make your case for admission much more powerful. Dental school is extremely competitive. It is not enough to suggest that you are hoping to contribute to the diversity of the program; you must demonstrate in especially creative ways how your own unique combination of high motivation and multicultural background makes you uniquely suited to dentistry and that you have enormous potential for meeting the oral health care needs of the planet’s underserved populations.

 

Most advanced training programs in Dentistry have a first and second cut, with those who are still under consideration asked to answer additional questions, upon which further evaluation is made to make the second cut to the applicant pool. Below are sample answers to those types of supplemental questions.

 

Question :1

 

One of the greatest challenges that I ever faced was developing the kind of time management, multitasking, and study skills that would enable me to gain acceptance to one of the finest dental schools in my country, India. Despite the fact that I was determined to become a dentist, I had not yet come to grips with the extent of the commitment that was required if one is going to strive for uncompromising excellence. As I began studying in my college courses in preparation for dental school, I did not excel at first, but I soon did everything in my power to get the highest grade possible. I started studying longer hours with a much more serious attitude, and I began to experience a great joy in studying as a result of my advancing appreciation of all that was at stake, the career of my dreams. Giving my all 24/7 to my studies soon became my natural life course of action. It paid off, and I scored a rank of 257 on the dental school exams, out of 80,000 candidates, and I was accepted to one of India’s top dental schools. I learned a great deal from the extra effort that I put into this preparation for dental school, the importance of setting short- as well as long-term goals, setting priorities, and never failing to put dentistry first in my life. I have learned that the greater the sacrifice, the fuller will be the realization of the dream.

 

Question :2

 

I see my family as primarily responsible for my growing up to be a resilient, dedicated, and highly effective professional most of all as a result of my parents in particular, who always labored to instill in me a great appreciation for social service to one’s community, coupled to a work ethic characterized by rigorous responsibility. Perhaps the most difficult period of my life was when I was recently married and moved to Montreal, Canada in 2016 - which required a great deal of adjustment. In the context of so much personal upheaval, while it all went well, I was distracted from my foremost professional engagement at the time, studying for the NDEB AFK Examination. Because of these rapidly moving events, I did not achieve as high a score as I would have liked and I felt guilty that I had not been free to give my undivided attention to my studies so as to have done better. Once again, I had to buckle under to greater levels of self-imposed discipline, re-prioritize, and re-focus with greater precision. I was pleased to obtain a more competitive score upon retaking the exam.

 

I also soon returned to volunteer activity in oral health not long after my arrival to Montreal, pleasing me greatly to streamline this focus as well. Often, when I face challenges, I think of my mother whose undaunting record of community service never ceases to inspire me, and drive me forward to successfully meet the next challenge.

 

Question:3

 

An artist since childhood working mostly with jewelry, I have cultivated manual dexterity since I have been able to move my hands. A constant learner dedicated to lifelong learning – I learn with my hands as well as my mind. Dental preparation and execution is inseparable for me from art, as I see the smile as the ultimate and most sublime tribute to art and beauty. Since I have arrived in North America I have kept busy in preparation for your program, attending CDE courses from the University of Toronto and the University of Washington. My dedication to dentistry is bolstered by my keen passion for helping the underserved and this is grounded in my own personal experience. My cousin in rural India was born with a cleft lip and palate. She lacked access to corrective surgery which led to considerable oral health problems. Through these difficult times, I learned the true value and profound importance of a smile. Seeing the results after my cousin was finally able to receive corrective surgery was like witnessing a miracle, a watershed moment in my life that cemented my drive to build a career in dentistry. These days, my friends, studying an practicing dentistry at XXXX University, stand as powerful inspirations to me of the highest level of commitment, responsibility, and state-of-the art dedication to which one can aspire. I too now very much crave the rigors of dentistry at XXXX, and giving my professional lifetime to the practice of dentistry in Canada.