Complete Dental School Application Package
Academic Explanation (1500 Characters)
Are there any factors that may have affected your academic record?
Simultaneously studying and working while caring for my family was a herculean task throughout my undergraduate years. Several tasks were always waiting for me, and time and resources were minimal. However, I never let these problems overpower me, and despite the many obstacles set in my path, education has now been my top priority for several years. For as long as I can remember, I have been the head of our four-member household, the father and guide of the family, caring for my younger siblings. In the USA, I was in a completely foreign education system as I had grown up learning and doing everything in French. On top of the challenge of English, at the same time, I found myself forced to become an entrepreneur so that we could have time and resources to study and build a future.
In 2013, I lost my maternal grandfather, who had been my constant source of support and motivation, a grandpa and a dad rolled into one. His death led my mother into a spiral of deep depression, aggravating our circumstances since, at the time, we were genuinely struggling to put food on our table. I had to work more hours while grieving; it was excruciatingly painful. In 2014, I lost my paternal grandfather to cancer. A year later, when it finally looked like we were rising above perpetual suffering, my paternal grandmother followed my grandfather and died of breast cancer. Thus, my undergraduate years were full of challenges. I kept on pushing not only for myself but also for my family. After all, what matters most is how we rise above adversity.
Proposed Course Information (1000 Characters)
Will you take additional course(s) after submitting your application? Will these courses lead to a degree? If so, what degree? Will/are you taking post-baccalaureate courses after submitting your application? Will that lead to an additional degree or certificate earned?
Yes, I will be taking one last course, eight credit hours of Human Gross Anatomy, needed for the completion of my Master´s Degree in my Biomedical Sciences program. After dental school, within a few years, I hope also to earn an MBA that will help me with the business side of dentistry, especially concerning finding creative ways to finance the care of the underserved.
Other Responsibilities (1500 Characters)
Please explain any other responsibilities you may have outside of being a student.
I am preparing myself to have zero responsibilities when I start dental school, hopefully in the Fall, giving 100% to the program and never letting my focus waver or my passion stray. As a serial entrepreneur, I have put many things in place to eradicate my entire workload before entering dental school. I have had the time, energy, and focus needed to excel in my master's Program, and I have put multiple people in place to manage my business operations. I recently placed my barbershop in Roswell, GA, up for sale and will drop the price as much as necessary until it is sold. Nothing is as important to me as being free to give my all to dental school. I am determined to become a dentist in Georgia, mainly since it’s my home. On the personal front, I am still the head of the household and the role model, and I will be for the rest of my life. However, it is not a burden or a chore; we have come a long way in the past ten years and are financially improving. Thus, I will continue to contribute to my mother's and my siblings' support while completing the program.
Hometown (1500 Characters)
What state, county, and/or country did you spend most of your life from birth to age 18?
From birth to age 18, I spent my life in Douala in Cameroon, Central Africa.
Disparities (1500 Characters)
Do you feel that the area where you grew up has health disparities such as medically underserved, dentally underserved, or reduced and free lunches provided for high school students? If yes, please explain.
Absolutely, yes. In Cameroon, I grew up surrounded by poverty and disparities everywhere, not just in healthcare. Going to a doctor or a dentist was a luxury. Most needed healthcare, and few could afford it. My country is medically and dentally underserved. Yet, excellent care will always be available at a price, often one hundred times what the poor pay for healthcare.
Shortage of resources puts a fatal strain on a minimal number of healthcare institutions in the country. To add insult to injury, there are not enough physicians. Even when they are present, they have little equipment and less medicine to work with; the equipment that they do have is ancient. I have seen many people writhing in pain with no one attending to them. Those physicians that do exist in Cameroon are not well-trained. Often, they can provide only momentary relief to the patient.
There aren’t enough rooms and beds, and hospitals paint a bleak picture since they are always overcrowded. It is common to see several patients lying on the floor, waiting for an empty bed. One person passes away, and the other one gets into his bed. There is little dignity – either in life or death. And this was pre-COVID-19.
Complete Dental School Application Package Statement of Interest (1500 Characters)
Why are you interested in receiving your dental education from The Dental College of ___ University?
Georgia has been home since I landed in America a decade ago. My whole family has always lived here, everyone who migrated from Cameroon before and after us. My mother moved here 15 years ago to join my uncle, who has been in Georgia for almost three decades. My siblings, uncles, aunts, cousins, and friends - everyone calls Georgia their home. I have a community here that has followed and watched me grow since I arrived. I cannot imagine myself being as happy anywhere else.
Additionally, I own multiple businesses in the State of Georgia. The warehouse for my online shops is located here in Georgia. All the schools I have been to are in Georgia except for my master's in biomedical sciences in Mississippi, based on the recommendation of Ms. Perry at DCG.
After attending a dental impressions program for three years in a row, attending every information session at Kennesaw State University, virtual events from DCG, visiting the campus, talking to multiple representatives, and building relationships with current dental students at DCG, I am in love with my fingers crossed. I felt like I belonged there when I visited.
Some say that ‘home is not a place, it is feeling,’ Georgia, with all its fascinations and flaws, makes me feel very at home.
Future Plans (1500 Characters)
Please describe your plans for practicing dentistry after graduating from dental school.
After graduating from dental school, I plan to specialize further and would love to do so at the ____ College of ____, and then spend the balance of my life giving back to the State that has given so much to me. I have most enjoyed community life in Georgia, especially in my barbershop. Coming from Cameroon, I am all too familiar with the deep despair of not being able to find dental care when one needs it most. I aspire to work in a low-income area on a sliding scale, growing, learning, and being exposed to as many cases as possible. I will thrive on the appreciation shown by patients. Working in my community will always be my top priority, and I will consistently work hard to support my family and help the community.
I also plan on learning more about the business aspects of dentistry in and out, so I can open my private practice in Georgia someday in an underserved area. I have seen several lives lost in Cameroon due to the lack of timely help, which disturbs me. My overarching life goal has always been to become a dentist at the service of the people. Heal not only the outside but comfort the inside along the way is my lifelong mantra. I want to give people something affordable and accessible, not burn a hole through their already ripped pockets.
Virtual Shadowing (six hundred Characters)
The pandemic has created new opportunities to explore the dental profession, including virtual shadowing. We want to understand the details of these varied experiences and how they add to your application. Please describe your virtual shadowing experiences and what you learned from them. (Include details such as (1) what type of interaction you had with the dentist, (2) did you have any interaction with patients and (3) whether you were able to communicate with the office after the experience.)
Virtual shadowing has been one of the best discoveries I have made during the pandemic, allowing me to learn a great deal from various dentists. I observed many procedures and treatments and was fortunate to shadow dentists engaged in all aspects of dentistry. Although I could not interact with the patients directly, I watched their transformation happen. I observed the monumental changes in peoples’ lives, solidifying my desire to become a dentist.
Required Short Essay (250 words)
Please write a short essay, no more than 250 words, to explain your experience, which may mirror the example below:
Discuss an accomplishment, event, realization, or change of career plans that sparked personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others. How has that illustrated resilience, determination, and perseverance as part of your authentic character?
The opening of my first business, a barbershop in Atlanta, was my first momentous change in the USA. I come from a family steeped in penury, with uncertainty covering us from head to toe. I had just moved to the US with my family with an empty bank account, no guiding figure, and no action plan. But somehow, I knew I had to keep attending school despite disappointing grades. I had to study while working full time and assisting my siblings as I was the oldest of the three, I did not know how, but I had to figure out a way to generate more income with limited resources in such a way that it left me time to study.
I persevered with grit, brainstorming, and researching ways to prosper financially. Once I figured out how to buy a barbershop, I had a fighting chance. I started planning, strategizing, and learning how to make business plans. I built the shop from the ground up, making plans, changing plans, giving directions, receiving feedback, and criticizing what I had accomplished so far, encountering numerous challenges, and tackling each one of them head-on. It’s like I was reborn, a phoenix rising from the ashes. I started living that way then and ever since. Growth has made me a good entrepreneur with sharp business acumen and a more compassionate human being. I am ready for dental school.
*Supplemental Questionnaire (This would be a generic or common answer I would use for all the dental schools that ask me this question in their supplemental essay application)
Why do you want to pursue dental education at our College of Dentistry?
Throughout my journey here in the US, I have acquired many skills and worked hard to cultivate my character as an African American who wants to become a moral leader in my community. While exposed to entrepreneurship, healthcare in general, and customer service through my multiple jobs, I learned about Americans, their lifestyles, and their values through osmosis, focusing more on what Americans share than their differences.
Through my life experiences, I have learned patience, resilience, fortitude, organizational skills, hospitality, time management, and how to prioritize. My decade in America has been a constant challenge and a valuable learning experience. I trained myself to become entirely self-disciplined to evaluate my thoughts and react most effectively and graciously. This, I believe, makes me an excellent candidate for your College of Dentistry.
I struggle each day to craft and build my character in such a way as to be remembered by all as a compassionate and sincere dentist who works miracles for people with his hands and loves dentistry more than his billfold. A caring and nurturing person by nature and habit, I seek lifetime growth in Dentistry. Your dental program is a perfect match for my level of motivation and lofty aspirations and ambitions. From my interactions with current students or alumni via social media to the faculty members I briefly encountered, I felt welcomed. Your dental school can bring out the best in me, giving me the wind I need beneath my wings.
*You and ____ (600 Characters)
Consider your interests, experiences, characteristics, and skills. What makes GSDM a good fit for your dental education? As a dental student, how will you contribute to the school community?
My dentist is a ____ alum practicing here in Georgia, and we have spoken at length about his experience at ____. He has given me many pointers and unique details about the school, and my desire to participate in your program has grown steadily.
I would be in heaven, surrounded by Boston's spectacular sophistication and diversity. If I were to be selected for the program, the unrivaled advantages of Boston would most certainly tip the balance in favor of GSDM.
DSE in a few words (1000 Characters)
Born and raised in Cameroon, Central Africa, I grew up in a poverty-stricken neighborhood with the most meager resources. As far as one’s eyes could see, there was poverty and helplessness with little infrastructure and no materials at school. When we had an informatics class, we had to share a computer desktop with between 3 to 5 students. Sometimes, we had one desktop computer for the whole class.
My home was modest and comfortable, but our city was the criminals’ den. We had neither supermarkets nor much in the way of public transportation. Of course, there was no movie theater and few restaurants - everyone cooked and ate at home to save money.
The firstborn in a family of three with no father present, I am the head of the household and the role model for my entire family. I have always assisted my mother and siblings and plan to continue doing so if they need my support.
You and Howard (5000 Characters)
How does our program fit with your career plans?
As an African man born and raised in Africa, it would be a great honor to be accepted to HBCU for dental school. Since your program, as I see it, is the crème-de-la-crème when it comes to African American education, I would be able to learn many essential things that I would be able to learn at no other dental school. Black consciousness in America, the Black Lives Matter Movement, for example, has not been at the forefront of my interests since I have had a myopic mindset focused exclusively on Dentistry. I plan on practicing, however, in an area of the country, such as Atlanta, where Black customers will represent most of my clientele. Becoming a dentist at Howard would help me better understand my future patients, at least the African American ones, whom I plan to serve for the balance of my professional life.
I moved to the US more than ten years ago from our native Cameroon to pursue my dream and be a voice for my community – taking full advantage of the vast opportunity America presents to fulfill one’s dreams. If I want to make a positive contribution to my community and be the leader of tomorrow that I aspire to be, HBCU would be a perfect choice, preparing me intellectually as well as scientifically to serve the black community as a dentist and much more, also as a leader for social programs that protect youth, and a role model for young black men and women who are considering a career in dentistry in particular.
I would love to be a part of the most dynamic academic community at HBCU, with constant knowledge exchange sessions with professors and peers. I would love to follow a rigorous course on the path to excellence in dentistry as a member of Howard’s academic community, especially the community of dental students. I keenly look forward to the rigorous education in Dentistry that I hope to receive at HBCU, the ideal program to become a community leader and a top-notch dentist.
Cultural Experiences (5000 Characters)
Describe any experiences and/or skills that have made you more appreciative or sensitive to other cultures or the human condition.
My firsthand experiences of growing up in extreme poverty in a highly impoverished country, Cameroon, facilitated my learning constant and valuable lessons in compassion, empathy, and sensitivity. Until I left Cameroon and arrived in the USA a little over ten years ago, I was unaware of cultural diversity since all Cameroonians' cultural beliefs and practices are similar. Since I landed in America, however, I have been learning about diversity, multiculturalism, multilingualism, and how cultures contrast, co-exist, and sometimes collide in the urban America of today. I celebrate diversity and always will, and I see it as speaking to the single greatest strength of our country.
My move to the US encouraged me to grow, learn, and acclimate myself to new worlds, not only America writ large but also numerous subcultures, ethnic- and language-based pockets, or spheres of urban areas with their cultural characteristics, which one sees clearly in Atlanta for example. I immediately began to learn from those around me, fit in, imitate, gradually finding my own space and playing my role as part of these larger, complex wholes. My barber shop was a community focal point, and I loved the interaction, jokes, news, and friendship. Many of my neighbors, if not the majority, were originally from somewhere else, and we enjoyed learning and sharing. All strangers to each other on some level, we cohabitate nonetheless and help each other as much as possible.
As I began living in such a diverse and multicultural environment, it was an unprecedented experience for me. Different, but much needed, helping me to realize that change is the only constant. Whether we like it or not, it makes us better. It drives us to do better, keeps us engaged, and prepares us for what is coming next. I started opening my heart to others as I understood their necessities within our common frameworks of understanding. I learned to love despite the hate around us. I learned to empathize and treat others’ problems like my own. It made me a much more mature individual, more empathetic, more caring, and more receptive to diverse and contrasting opinions.
Provide a specific example of how you promoted diversity in your community or school. (5000 characters)
Promoting diversity has long been among my goals in life, and I try to reflect this in everything I do and try to build. I now own a barbershop in the heart of my community, Roswell, Georgia, in a white area. Because of the racial dynamics, many of my Black friends suggested that setting up a business here might not be a promising idea. I felt otherwise attracted to the idea of serving as a representative or ambassador to this white community. It was not easy, but certainly worth it. As the days rolled by and business flourished, I was able to unite people from every generation and race in a colorblind space where gender and even sexual orientation were neutral and respected, age revered, and one’s social class ignored. On top of that, this business has also allowed me to introduce many people to Black culture and the origin of barbershops.
A commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is central to my core values- they define who I am and will become throughout my career. Not only because of where I’m originally from but also because of the values I have assimilated while trying to fit in. I know first-hand the feeling of being excluded and treated like a ‘other’, and I will always do everything in my power to unite people rather than to drive a wedge between them. There is, in fact, no greater power than that of association and collaboration. Unity in diversity, always.
Self-Promotion (5000 Characters)
If you could appear before the Admissions Committee, what information would you want them to know that is not included in your application?
I feel enormously grateful for this precious and competitive opportunity, even to have a chance of being accepted to Dental School. This is already a miracle for me since I come from the other side of the planet and saw little more than death, destruction, and despair while growing up - without electricity, clean water, or healthy food. Every day was a struggle for my family to arrange two square meals.
Coming to America and building and growing multiple small businesses on my own paid my way through my undergraduate studies, and I continued to support my family. I am immensely grateful and will forever be to the United States of America for taking me in and giving me a solid chance to pursue my dreams. I came from behind, but I now feel strongly that I will live a fulfilling life at the service of my community, which has nurtured my growth. Now, as I approach the realization of my longtime dream of becoming a dentist, I approach God on my knees, my body trembling with a keen desire to serve him as fully as I can for the balance of my life every time that I help someone poor, suffering, and who has fallen through the cracks in our society.
The common denominator throughout my enterprises has been my resilience - I have never given up, no matter how difficult the situation seemed. That is the kind of person I am, determined to carve out a life of service, for this is what I most prize. From Cameroon to Atlanta, I have not stopped moving constantly, and now from a barber chair to a dental chair, I seek the critical, definitive move. When I am not working, I study, and little by little, this enables me to secure a place for my entire family to be safe and comfortable and learn and pursue their dreams. Now is my time, and I beg you to look favorably at my application. The barber from Atlanta will have room in his heart and his chair for a long time for those who most need to be there.
Preparation for the DAT (5000 Characters)
How did you prepare for your DAT? If you took the DAT more than once, describe your preparation for each.
I did not prepare for the DAT as I should have, primarily due to the pandemic. I had less than a month to prepare, take the exam, and submit my application if I didn’t want to be late and miss the chance of being considered.
Firstly, for many reasons, I did not do well in grades during my undergraduate years. However, I have been trying to make up for my mistakes during my master’s program and show the committee that I am worthy of representing them in the dental community of tomorrow. I took a whole load of extremely challenging courses each semester. Due to my record, I needed to take more courses than others and excel in each one. I have sought to demonstrate that I am not the same student I once was.
Older and more mature, with over a decade under my belt in America, I have developed multifaceted organizational skills and advanced significantly in oral articulateness, intellectual acumen, and analytical ability. I took over 13 credit hours every semester during my master's program, including this Summer, 2020. My grades now reflect consistency and maturity.
I was limited in the time to study and prepare for the DAT, primarily by the rigorous coursework I was taking, which was essential to my application. I started studying for the DAT when I took my final for the last course of my summer semester at the beginning of August. School for the Fall semester started at the end of August, and I also had a human gross anatomy class on a graduate level to complete. So, I had to take my DAT before that class to maximize my chances of doing well on both. I gave only one part-time month to prepare for the DAT.
Thus, I feel strongly that the grades that I have obtained in my master's Program are a more accurate reflection than the DAT of my ability to hit the ground running and excel in your program.
Academics
Please describe and explain any academic problems in college and/or graduate/professional school. This may include withdrawals from courses or school, incomplete grades, and grades of D or F (or their equivalent).
By the time I came to America, I had begun to regard my childhood daydream of becoming a dentist as something of a pipedream, a fantasy, and more immediate concerns were dominant in my life for the first few years, including most of the time that I was completing my undergraduate education. My central goal in life at that time was only to graduate. I just had to make it until the end, no matter how long or impossible. I had so many responsibilities when my family and I moved to the US that my only ambition was to get through the day; not yet obsessed with Dentistry as I am now; I was too busy working multiple jobs in multiple domains. I typically searched for more overtime hours to keep food on the table. Additionally, I understood that I had to build something for myself if I wanted to have a chance to have a steady income while going to school. I could not pay much attention to academics, and my grades began to suffer. Becoming a small business owner became necessary to achieve financial freedom for myself and my family. So, I also became an entrepreneur as an undergraduate, on top of overtime shifts here and there. We achieved greater economic security, but my grades took a significant hit. In fact, while I was studying toward my undergraduate degree, entrepreneurship was my primary focus.
I began taking my first classes shortly after moving from my French-speaking homeland to the US. Once here, I had no mentor or guide and had to take one day at a time and find answers on my own. I was lucky to get a passing grade, and I hunkered down in a process that I hoped and prayed that I could someday finish. The rest was all uncertain.
I was so busy scrambling to feed my younger siblings and buy them what they needed for school that I was not even aware for a few years that my school system had advisors that could have helped me. Toward the end of my senior year, I finally walked into an advisor’s office. Once I learned more about the educational system in America, I came to understand why I had failed to take advantage of what academic resources do exist; I took a long hard look around me, my life so far, the chance to go far with a bit of help, I focused from then on out almost exclusively on preparation for dental school.
Other information
Please describe a healthcare or social issue you are passionate about, and explain why. What role can you play in addressing this issue?
The single most significant historical factor driving my passion for becoming a dentist is that there were none where I grew up in a small village in Africa that also did not have a doctor. The lack of a dentist to even so much as pull a tooth was horrific. From an especially underserved area of one of Africa’s poorest countries, I have been quick to note that even Africans that have been transplanted to America, like me, tend to oral health decay that is a legacy of their childhood.
Where I come from in Africa, people only think about a dentist when they are in pain, this is the norm. If it doesn’t hurt, then they conveniently forget about it. I never visited a dental office until I came to the USA. I was just amazed by the beauty and the importance of it. Unfortunately, it is still considered a luxury back home. I hope to someday return to Africa to labor in the face of such overwhelming need, using my leadership and organizational skills to institute sustainable progress in oral health care. I want to do this as a dentist, an African man, and an entrepreneur. Someone must bear the cost of dental care, and at least eventually, it must be the people themselves. I look forward to brainstorming with like-minded peers about ways to make oral health advancement sustainable in the Global South.
Complete Dental School Application Package