Born and raised in Khartoum, Sudan, until the age of eight, I next spent ten years in Saudi Arabia, where I finished high school. Now 28 years old, it has been a decade since I made the USA my permanent home. The fact that I studied Dentistry in Poland and spent five years there has left me fluent in Polish and English. I am also rapidly learning German. Thus, I could not be more pleased that dentistry for me is fully multilingual and multicultural. I look forward to a lifetime of practicing global dentistry, particularly concerning my chosen specialty for balancing my career: Orthodontics.
I look forward to contributing to the diversity of your program in many ways; and giving my all, 24/7. I was fortunate that my parents had the resources to flee Sudan when war broke out and was able to find a safer place to raise their family. After I graduated from high school in Saudi Arabia, wanting to become a dentist, yet blocked from that career in Saudi Arabia because I am not a citizen of the country, I was again fortunate to be able to move to the USA with my twin brother and begin a new life, including, for me, the chance of going to dental school. My mother sold all our furniture so that we could buy the plane tickets. Still, I landed in California in my early twenties with a pocket full of dreams. As a political refugee with nowhere to go but up, I began working six days a week and attending school, earning my first degree as a Dental Assistant from San Jose City College. I jumped at the opportunity to go to dental school in Poland when it arose and earned my DMD Degree at the Poznan University of Medical Sciences, among the finest in the country.
My passion for Orthodontics began even before dental school; soon after, I became a dental assistant in California. I worked in a clinic devoted to Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics alongside Dr. XXXX, DMD. I felt like I had gone to heaven, in the right place at the right time, working with the right team. Throughout my years in dental school, I daydreamed about specializing in Orthodontics at some point in the future. I adore the art of orthodontic wires, the smell of alginate impressions, and the fast pace, often working with dozens of clients daily. Dr. XXXX always explained things to me, so I developed a foundation of understanding in Orthodontics, including diagnosis, and developing treatment plans.
I could not be more excited about the prospect of beginning my advanced training in Orthodontics at your institution and giving my all to your community and the program. I was a soccer coach for kids from 9-13 years old in San Jose, California, and I enjoyed the sense of community. Very much in love with the vast diversity of America, I could not feel more at home in California and find that my Arabic is quite useful, even professionally, since I even find myself speaking Polish occasionally. Most of all, thanks to my wonderful German wife - who could not be more supportive of my advancement in Orthodontics – I am also making rapid progress in learning German. I look forward to many decades to come giving my all to Orthodontics and, at some point, returning to my native Sudan to work on advancing Orthodontics as a discipline in my country of origin. Here in California, I volunteer at my local Sudanese community school in San Jose, teaching kids how to brush their teeth and the importance of nutrition for kids especially.
Thank you for considering my application.
Orthodontics Residency Personal Statement Sample