I realize many Indian dentists are applying for Advanced Placement programs for International Dentist Programs in the USA. Many, like me, have considerable experience practicing dentistry in India before immigrating to America. Most, I assume, have also struggled to prepare themselves to be selected for your program by engaging with dentistry here in the USA to the extent to which they have had the opportunity to do so - as I have done. In my case, however, I hope to be selected because I have extensive African experience, which has been fundamental to developing my professional identity and my quest to help the underserved. I spent two of my formative years in Tanzania, which left an indelible impression on my professional identity as a dentist. I dream of returning to Africa after earning my DDS Degree and engaging professionally with oral health in Tanzania. This is integral to my professional vision, helping the underserved in some of the most underdeveloped parts of the Global South.
Because of my extensive clinical experience in dentistry, I am convinced that I can hit the ground running in your program. I have recently participated in several clinical research projects at the University of North Texas Health Science Center, where I have also recently earned an MPH Degree. My records demonstrate that I am hardworking, dedicated, focused, amiable, and an outstanding team player. If selected for your DDS/DMD Program, I will give 100% to honor the mission. I lived in Tanzania for two years as an adolescent, accompanying my father, who served as a physician. I often accompanied him on his rounds when I was not in school. This experience shaped the life that would follow, both in my love for health care and my passion for Africa, where there is a significant shortage of dental professionals.
I keenly look forward to participating in developing preventive treatments, including sealant application, temporary teeth restoration using GIC cement, extractions, and hand scaling. I pay close attention to how multiple treatments can take place on the same day, collaborating with other dental professionals to expedite treatment plans for the large groups of patients who come to dental camps in Africa when available. I hope to spend much of my time visiting schools and community centers in Africa, educating all age groups concerning oral cavity health, bringing teeth models, and teaching brushing techniques. My concern with the underserved is also not limited to Africa. I have been impressed by the significant needs closer to home as a participant in free dental camps here in the US, noting how low-income people drove hundreds of miles for the treatment.
While poverty is widespread in our native India, I saw a vast difference between people in Tanzania and those in India as I accompanied my father to medical check-up camps. The illiteracy rate was much higher in Tanzania, and people were even less aware of the issues and less able to afford treatment. I closely observed dentists who worked alongside my father, a doctor, and could not have been more impressed with their heroic achievements against all odds. It was here that I first felt my calling to dentistry.
I look forward to several additional years of full-time practice in general dentistry after earning my DDS/DMD, after which I plan to specialize in Prosthodontics. I look forward to playing a part in fostering preventive care, engaging in innovative research for caries management that would positively affect various populations, and working with various non-governmental organizations and missions of mercy to make dental care accessible to the underserved.
My long-term career goal is to end up in the academic world, passing on the forefront of dentistry to the next generations. I imagine myself as an academician in Prosthodontics at some point. I always seek to maintain a remarkable fluency and currency concerning our field's technological aspect. I look forward to training dentists for implant surgery under general anesthesia. As part of my MPH Program, my involvement in several clinical research projects at the University of North Texas Health Science Center has helped me make vast strides in my research skills and advance enormously as a creative and interdisciplinary thinker in dentistry.
I would be most grateful for this opportunity to prove myself to your program. Thank you for considering my application for this competitive position.
African Prosthodontist Personal Statement MPH
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