Born and raised in Alexandria, Egypt, I moved to America with my family in 2011. I am pleased that I finished my education in Egypt and became an experienced dentist in my country of origin. I passionately believe this will help me excel at dentistry in the USA as a bilingual, bicultural Arab woman dentist. I hope to practice dentistry in both languages; thus, going to dental school again, in English, in the country with the most advanced practice in the world, could not be a more natural career aspiration. I hope my application to your doctoral program in Dentistry for International Dentists will be considered favorably.
On a spiritual and moral level, the underserved represent the focus of my dreams, the locus of the contribution I hope to make to my community, profession, and humanity. I wish to excel, especially in treating Arab speakers needing health care since this is also my first language. Our part of the world, North Africa, and the Middle East are rapidly filling up with refugees from Syria, Iraq, Palestine, and other places, living in camps. Millions of others are displaced throughout the area, struggling to survive however they can. Many have children; dental care is out of reach for the majority. Thus, my vision of myself as a dentist trained in America is a missionary vision, as I hope to return to my part of the world as often as possible to do what I can for those who need me most.
I look forward to a long professional lifetime filled with lifelong education, workshops, and conferences alongside practice. I have a particular fondness for Prosthodontics. In this area, I will seek my highest level of specialization after earning my DDS or DMD Degree and gaining several years of experience in general practice. I am incredibly thankful I completed my full internship year in Egypt before permanently relocating to America. My experience and high motivation will help me excel in your rigorous program. I finished dental school in Egypt in 2017 and finished my internship in October of the following year. In March of 2017, I also completed an ADA CERP hands-on continuous education certificate in restorative dentistry, which fired me up for further study in Prosthodontics.
I am determined to put the underserved at the center of my professional life, as I have labored hard to do it all along. In Egypt, I participated in forty convoy trips of medical and dental personnel going to isolated regions of the country, bringing access to health care to the people. Here in the USA, I volunteered extensively for months at the XXXX Regional Medical Center as a receptionist in one of the labs. I have also shadowed extensively in a dental clinic and am close to attaining certification as an X-ray Technician.
I have long felt a special calling to Prosthodontics because of its extreme power to enhance the quality of life, centered on physical and spiritual nourishment, smiling without reservation, and chewing one’s food. It is like magic. I also study total facial reconstruction as a result of traffic accidents. I was in a bad accident and have had prosthodontic treatment, clearly serving to heighten my awareness and passion for this area of dentistry. I am well versed and experienced in the defective palate, both congenital and resulting from surgical resection, as often results from oral cancer.
Alongside at least annual trips back to my Arab world, giving my all to the underserved, I hope to practice in New Jersey, where I will also seek out patients who are Arab speakers, as I believe that it has excellent value to practice dentistry with those who share one’s native tongue. I also look forward to improving my Spanish over time because of the need for Spanish-speaking dentists. My family lives in New Jersey, and I have an extended social support network to help me excel.
After graduating from your program and becoming licensed to practice dentistry, I hope to begin volunteering at a free clinic. Hopefully, someday, I can devote much of my time and energy to especially needy cases in my clinic.
I thank you for considering my application to your program.
Egyptian International Dentist Prosthodontics