A dentist from India making her home in America, I am thankful that I spent nearly a year practicing dentistry in India, in 2011, before coming to America, as this helps to keep me humble and continually grateful for the bountiful resources that we enjoy in our profession here in the USA. I am currently a dental resident at Bellevue Hospital (July 2017 – June 2018), where I have been growing tremendously as a professional through a great deal of clinical exposure to a highly diverse patient population at a large city hospital, attending to emergency oral care including dental trauma, geriatric patients, hospitalized patients with compromised medical conditions, and patients in a community dental setting. I am incredibly passionate about opportunities to treat those patients who are physically and developmentally disabled, particularly concerning oral surgery. I cannot wait to arrive at Bellevue each morning.
I am applying for a residency position in Endodontics. I hope to earn a certificate in this area because I want to make this area of dentistry my life’s work, saving teeth and alleviating pain. I pride myself on my patience and determination alongside advanced motor and tactile skills – always dedicated to precision. I am a perfectionist by nature; something about working within the scope of millimeters in the root canal system excites me. It is also very gratifying to alleviate excruciating pain and provide relief. As a general dentist, I am very conservative in my treatment approach, and Endodontics aligns well with my professional instincts and heart regarding treatment planning. I look forward to a long professional lifetime of engagement with medically compromised patients. I could not be more thankful for my residency position at Bellevue. I am gaining a lot of familiarity with the challenges of treating special needs patients.
Earning my DDS Degree as an international dentist was not the only hurdle I faced since my arrival in America. I spent a year studying for the MBA Degree, finishing my first year with a GPA of 3.9. I did this, however, for my husband and in-laws. I am now divorced and am most clear about where my heart is: Endodontics. However, I believe that much of what I learned in my MBA program will also benefit me throughout my career in dentistry.
It pains my heart to see patients every day opt for extraction instead of saving the tooth with root canal therapy for a variety of reasons, most financial. Acquiring an advanced education in Endodontics would give me the opportunity and the skills that I need to give my most full measure as an oral health professional and as much time as possible on a volunteer basis. Giving back to the community has been a critical component of my upbringing. My mother was the president of a non-profit organization for cancer patients in India called Prerna. Every year during summer break, I worked with my mother to organize events for these terminally ill patients, running support groups, fundraising, celebrating festivals with them, and devoting much of my time to the cause. The opportunity to help underprivileged members of my society was the single most significant reason I chose dentistry. Thus, participating in numerous dental camps in rural India was a special joy for me.
I love spending hours inside tiny spaces, handling delicate parts with great care and attention to detail. I also very much enjoy communicating effectively with patients, comforting them, winning their trust, and learning and trying out new techniques and materials. I joined with Kinder Smile Foundation (KSF), a non-profit organization providing oral health care to underserved children and pregnant women. KSF bit me like a bug. Even though I cannot practice dentistry here in the States, I rendered my services to KSF in every way possible. My work with the KSF provided me with a way to stay in touch with my profession, constantly reminding me of my central purpose in life, forming in my mind the vision of the kind of distinguished excellence I aspire to here in the USA.
I came to the USA skilled in implantology, restorations, total mouth rehabilitation cases, crowns, veneers, restorations, periodontal surgery, and complex prosthetic issues. Then, KSF provided me with opportunities to interact with dentists here in America and learn a great deal about state-of-the-art techniques, patient management and communication systems, treatment protocols, ethics, and dental conduct. This helped me excel in my DDS program and will drive me toward the entire dedication to and appreciation of Endodontics. I hope to engage in my contribution to research thoroughly, both in your program and beyond. I am incredibly excited about the prospect of participating in research concerning the microbiology of the root canal system.
Thank you for considering my application to your distinguished residency program in Endodontics.
Residency in Endodontics Personal Statement