I come from a family of physicians; I excelled at school, especially in the sciences, and was intent on working in the medical field. I chose dentistry because I possessed a solid esthetic sense and understood the importance of a smile from an early age. I was also aware of the fear that a visit to the dentist engenders, especially in children, and I knew that I could form a rapport with them to elicit trust and confidence. I am now a well-qualified and experienced pediatric practitioner, teacher, and researcher passionate about treating special needs child patients and educating the young in preventative oral and dental regimes. I assure the reader that I shall apply exceptional diligence and enthusiasm and seek to ‘add value’ from my considerable experience to the program if selected for your distinguished residency program in Pediatric Dentistry.
My research on special needs, especially autistic children, has been very satisfying. I have become aware of the shortage of dentists who specialize in treating such children and strongly desire to be part of the solution to the problem.
I obtained my MDS at the prestigious Chaudhary Charan Singh University in Meerut, India. My thesis related to the prevalence of oral mucosal lesions in children and adolescents, and my library dissertation related to behavior management in pediatric dentistry. I enjoy research and have the characteristics and skills that make me a good researcher. I am determined, capable of analytical, original, and creative thinking, set realistic but challenging goals, and am happy to collaborate to achieve common aims. The awards made to me, and my published research will assure my ability, commitment, academic achievements, and potential. I am especially interested in assisting in the investigation into early childhood caries and sleep bruxism.
Having completed my MDS, I taught dentistry at two colleges and enjoyed teaching, receiving excellent feedback from students and faculty. There are few things more satisfying than seeing a student master a complex concept after a struggle to do so, and I was attracted to the life of an academic. However, I missed patient contact and decided that practicing was significantly more satisfying than teaching.
I was appointed Consultant Pediatric Dentist at the Rainbow Children’s Hospital in Hyderabad in October 2015. I was fortunate to work with an exceptionally caring, skilled, and experienced supervisor, Dr. XXXX, who is now the President of the Indian Society of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry. I treated a wide range of conditions in children with ‘unique needs and learned a great deal about overcoming the psychological obstacles to treating such child patients. I knew that ‘one size fits all' is not a concept that could be applied to such patients and that a personalized approach to each unique patient was necessary. I learned to use various techniques to gain cooperation and achieve optimum outcomes.
I had never doubted the importance of preventive dentistry, but my experience at the Rainbow Hospital inspired me to pursue this subject. Treating preventable diseases in young children is frustrating. I have done as much as I can to encourage regular dental and oral hygiene regimes, especially in the young when life-long habits can be formed most easily. I feel so strongly about the subject that I have a Facebook page dedicated to this topic.
I moved to the US when my husband was offered a position at Google. Shortly after our arrival, I volunteered my expertise and time at the Autism Center of America. Soon after that, I was appointed as a Research Assistant in the Psychophysiology Lab at Stanford University, where I am still employed.
The strong esthetic sense that drew me to dentistry is reflected in my hobbies of portrait photography, drawing, and dance. I have happily worked and socialized with people of many ethnic and social backgrounds. I enjoy learning about other cultures and sharing my rich cultural heritage.
Thank you for considering my application.
Pediatric Residency Special Needs Children
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