Born and raised in Vietnam, I immigrated to California and graduated from UXX as a dental hygienist, spending the next six years working in this area. Then, I went to dental school to become a dentist. Since May of 2016, I have been practicing general dentistry and preparing myself for extraordinary effort and excellence in the area of Endodontics. I hope to become part of your outstanding Endodontics team and earn my Certification in Endodontics, making it my lifelong specialty.
It was a profound honor to return to Vietnam as a dentist, participating in a dental mission, and providing free, primary care to the underserved. I see this trip as the first of many. I have a lot to give to dental missionary work in Vietnam, mainly since Vietnamese is my native language, and I am most useful on a mission there as a communicator. On my last trip, I witnessed many young and older adults coming in with desperately decayed teeth. Still, most of these teeth could have been saved rather than extracted. It saddened me greatly that we were unable to keep those teeth. This experience left me still more motivated to excel in Endodontics as my area of professional specialization in Dentistry to balance my professional life.
I have been actively engaged in research since my days as a student of dental hygiene, and then during dental school, studying musculoskeletal disorders among dental professionals, for example, in support of Dr. XXXX, an expert in the field of physical therapy – working with data, literature reviews and compiling lists with descriptions of strengthening exercises that help to counteract daily pain experienced by dental professionals.
Beginning in dental school, I increasingly developed a special passion for Endodontics. I hope to contribute all that I can to the profession through research, lifelong learning, and constant striving for clinical excellence. I also plan to dedicate as much time as possible to the underserved members of my community.
In addition to serving as a volunteer Teaching Assistant for a Periodontics module with Dr. XXXX and a pre-clinical composite restoration class with Dr. XXXX, I completed numerous continuing education courses, spending all weekend studying subjects ranging from esthetic restoration and implant dentistry to Periodontics and most importantly, Endodontics. This will help to ensure that I provide my patients with up-to-date care.
While working as a dental hygienist, I collaborated closely with several dental companies (Henry Schein, Colgate, etc.) to donate toothbrushes and toothpaste, which I brought with me to orphanages in the rural South of Vietnam, along with providing instruction to the children. I also worked closely with AYUDA International, an organization from UXX that delivered dental care to the Developing World. With AYUDA, I traveled to Mexico, Peru, and Fiji to provide dental care to those in need. Seeing how this organization mobilized and motivated individuals to help others is most inspiring. I also started the Professional Allied Club. We achieved our goal of providing resources, interview tips, and study management for the dental hygiene students at UXX interested in applying for dental school.
I prioritize being an example of hard work, diligence, and dedication to research. I learned many valuable things as a dental hygiene practitioner for six years before dental school. It is necessary always to show respect for team members, be supportive, and always have an upbeat attitude. I yearn to be selected to become part of that team, an endodontist – a specialist in saving teeth.
I have long engaged in sports from swimming to triathlon throughout high school to college; therefore, I understand the importance of teamwork and its impact on everything in our life. As a dental hygiene team leader at XXXX Dental Group, working alongside Dr. XXXX, I had the opportunity to work with an incredibly excellent team to deliver the utmost care to our patients; and we exceeded the office quotas month after month. During my six years with the team, we made significant progress and achieved an extremely high level of well-synchronized efficiency. We were nominated as the office of the year for two years, and I was awarded the Laser Cup Trophy for winning in the region’s competition. I will never forget that moment, not only for my abilities as a team leader but also for the accomplishment that resulted from our collective efforts. Becoming successful as a dentist in private practice has also inspired me to set the bar high and distinguish myself in Endodontics.
My goal in a residency program is to learn about state-of-the-art techniques, approaches, and best practices. I could not be more dedicated to achieving excellence in endodontic pulpal therapy and endodontic pulpal therapy, and I look forward to giving my all as part of your team.
I thank you for considering my application.