I attribute my decision to become a dentist to my profound desire to serve my community, especially the underserved, the poor, and the less fortunate. Raised by a loving family dedicated to scientific advancement and community service, I am compassionate and have always excelled at science, especially biology. Since adolescence or even before, I have been dedicated to becoming a healthcare professional. By the time I was in high school, I felt called to a career in dentistry.
Since childhood, I have been an artist, primarily an avid painter of the human face, whose proportions have long been etched in my mind. This helped me develop a special appreciation for the sheer beauty of the smile and helped me significantly expand my manual skill and ability to work in small spaces devoted to intricate detail; this reinforced my conviction that dentistry was my life vocation, my professional destiny.
In dental school, I acquired a comprehensive understanding of the basics of clinical sciences. I enjoyed clinical work, particularly the precision and clinical experience necessary for dentistry excellence. I participated in screening camps for the underserved and participated in oral health education programs.
I felt incredibly privileged to have the opportunity to complete my internship in one of the most neglected rural areas of India, where the people were in the most desperate need of my help. This experience will always be with me, helping define my intense desire to devote myself to India’s millions of extreme oral health care. The area where I did my internship has one of the country's highest incidences of submucous fibrosis due to the high rates of betel quid consumption and other tobacco-related products. This helped spur my activism as a fighter against tobacco and betel quid consumption.
After graduation, I began serving as an assistant dentist in a well-established practice, entirely devoting myself to patient assessment and management in addition to assisting in surgery and continuing to learn as much as possible, staying current with advances in dentistry by attending numerous conferences. After three years of additional experience, I started my practice working with patients of all age groups and from vastly different social and economic backgrounds, providing free services to those unable to afford care as much as my finances would allow, mainly free dentures to the residents of a home for senior citizens, where I also served as Chairperson of the Board of Directors. This profound experience deepened my appreciation for issues in senior dental care.
In addition to staying active as an artist, particularly with my oil paintings and helping to raise funds for deserving artists in my community, I have also enjoyed modeling, enhancing my sensitivity and appreciation for beauty. In 2011, I was awarded the much-coveted title of Mrs. India, which changed my destiny by making me famous, even more so than had been the case previously, as a model with my face selling a wide variety of products in India, further deepening my sense of responsibility as a role model for Indian oral health care professionals of tomorrow, especially women.
Since I was a dental student in India, I have wanted to continue my studies in dentistry in the USA and learn from the experts in the global forefront of our profession. I see technological advancement in dentistry in the USA as unparalleled and especially appreciate America’s leadership role concerning research. I also became a devoted mother while still relatively young; my little girl is grown and mature. This makes me hungry to return to school and earn the DDS Degree in America to give my all to dentistry as never before. I can finally do so financially and no longer have family responsibilities. Further training in the US will bring me up to date with state-of-the-art dentistry and enhance my capacity to contribute to research in dentistry, mainly as it concerns the underserved in India. The prestige of the DDS Degree will also give me a more remarkable ability to effect change in oral health policies in India, improving our ability to care for the oral health of our masses of underserved.
I work at screening camps for the underprivileged sponsored by religious organizations. This year, 2017, I will be finishing my Diploma in Medical Cosmetology, and I am highly motivated to put what I am learning to work helping residents of the IDA XXXX nursing home, where I continue to provide dentures to help our older citizens not only chew their food but also take pride in their appearance. Earning the DDS in America will enable me to enhance my contribution to oral health care for the elderly who cannot afford oral health care.
I thank you for considering my application to your distinguished DDS Program.
International Aesthetic Dentistry Personal Statement