Born and raised in a remote village in rural India, I am familiar with the profound suffering resulting from poverty, especially concerning the lack of access to education and health care. Neither of my parents got a chance at formal education due to family responsibilities. Yet, the life they have led has inspired me a great deal. With no formal education, my father could read, write, and speak three languages, including English, and he taught my mother to do so. The principal educational triumph in my family was scraping together the money to send me to a boarding school where I could acquire a superior education. Meeting people from other cultures and many parts of India helped me appreciate diversity early on.
During the summers of my early teen years, my father would send me to stay with my aunt, who is a nurse, so that I could go with her to the hospital and observe, which I did, day after day for weeks on end, coming to feel most comfortable in the hospital and aching to help out with what I could - which was not much at that early stage. I was very artistic as a child, and my paternal uncle, a potter, taught me how to mold art in clay. I spent hours sitting at the pottery wheel, enamored by the precision and patience required to create a simple earthen pot. This was another inspiration for my pursuit of dentistry.
As a dental student, my rotation in Endodontics stole my heart. While there was nothing easy, especially at first, with opening pulp chambers and finding canals, I stood up to the task and distinguished myself in this area. I find enormous satisfaction in relieving the pain of my patients. I enjoy understanding the patient's psychology and tailoring your behavior to deal with the patient’s fears and anxiety. My passion for art and the joy of relieving my patients' pain led me to earn my Master’s in Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics.
Serving as class president in my master's program helped me develop my leadership and organizational skills. With my particular interest in full-mouth rehabilitation, I grew fond of providing treatments for the elderly. I feel particularly blessed to help older people, seeing them chew their food without difficulty - and smiling.
I am convinced that it is mostly my humble origins that account for my intense devotion to the cause of helping the underserved. Giving back to the most vulnerable members of my community is central to my sense of identity, spirituality, morality, and dignity. I currently lead a team of dental organizations providing bi-annual checkup camps for the students of six large schools. This way, I offer free dental care to children every weekend. On an informal level, I also teach yoga, meditation, and breathing exercises to help people who suffer from stress and anxiety.
Aesthetic dentistry also stands at the center of my professional dreams and aspirations for advancing in my field after earning a doctoral degree. I see an enormous opportunity in Digidesign. I am incredibly excited by the recent developments in 3D printing in dentistry, CBCT, and computer technology.
Earning my master's degree helped me acquire the requisite confidence. My hands are now well trained, allowing me to excel, particularly concerning aesthetic restorations. Opportunities to engage in research helped me cultivate intellectual independence and confidence in my research and clinical practitioner abilities. It would be a special privilege to participate in multidisciplinary research projects. I also work as a part of a team in a trauma center. My devotion has helped me win awards as the best postgraduate student in 2015 and two prizes for best paper presentations. For these reasons, I am confident that I can eventually succeed in my albeit lofty goal: making innovative technology available for treating the underserved.
I crave the multiculturalism and multilingualism of the USA. During the summer of 2018 in the USA, I spent three months shadowing Dr. XXXX, a successful private practitioner in New Jersey. This experience introduced me to multiple new techniques and got me off to a good start in studying how dentistry is practiced in North America compared to India. After earning my doctoral degree and gaining more experience in the USA, I look forward to continuing my education with a professional focus in Endodontics. My career goal is to become an excellent dentist in the US, well known for providing comprehensive dental solutions and multidisciplinary treatments.
I am convinced that my experience thus far and my solid academic foundation will enable me to excel in your Advanced Standing DDS program.
Thank you for considering my application.
Indian Personal Statement International Dentist