I come from a culture where dental treatment is not considered a priority. I saw many, including young people, with missing teeth since visiting a dentist rarely occurs without extreme pain. The evidence of the importance of dentistry was all around me and instilled an interest in pursuing it as a career. Experiencing the satisfaction of turning grimaces of pain into smiles of relief during my clinical training and having the opportunity to provide primary dental hygiene education to people who may have had none previously gave me immense satisfaction and firmly confirmed my career choice.
It was always my hope to specialize in Orthodontics. During my training to qualify to practice in the US, I had the opportunity to assist in the Orthodontics Department at the College of Dentistry of XXXX University. I shadowed residents and fabricated removable appliances for pediatric patients. I was incredibly impressed at the skill and dedication of the residents, but what left the most significant impression was the dramatic difference treatments often made to the patient’s confidence and self-esteem. I am also excited to be involved in a specialty where new materials and techniques constantly evolve. I certainly hope to play a part in assisting in achieving further advances.
I am currently working as a general dentist and clinical director. I know the high demand for specialist orthodontic treatments, especially for children. Having worked with patients who have recently completed their orthodontic regimen, I have again been impressed by orthodontic treatments' positive and sometimes dramatic impact. I hope to acquire the specialist skills and knowledge to become an excellent orthodontist and enhance these as far as possible throughout my career. I know that certain skills and characteristics are called for in this specialty, such as critical thinking, planning skills, an awareness of the need for cross-disciplinary cooperation, and an ability to communicate technical and complex matters to patients in simple language. I am also conscious that patients naturally seek trustworthy and well-trained specialists for long and complex treatments. I am confident that I have such skills and characteristics and the potential to develop them further.
I worked as a research assistant on the team of Dr. XXXX, a professor at the University of XXXX School of Dental Medicine. I worked on the Dental Registry and DNA Repository projects for nine months in 2012. I worked with experts in various dental specialties and acquired significant knowledge, research experience, and related skills. I also had the chance to pass those skills on to undergraduate students under my supervision. I immensely enjoyed this teaching experience, and I hope to be able to tutor students of orthodontics part-time in the future.
As a dentist, I have been involved in various outreach programs and free clinics and see this as a duty rather than a choice. I realize that orthodontic treatments are not easily accessible to many who could benefit from them. I hope to be able to help many children and young people who might otherwise go untreated. I am also interested in dental and oral hygiene education and will seek to further these throughout my career by contributing to related projects.
I have happily studied, worked, treated, and socialized with people of many cultural and social backgrounds. I enjoy learning about new cultures and sharing information about my own. I get on easily with people and am happy working collaboratively to achieve a common goal. I am an experienced general dentist with the necessary characteristics, skill base, research experience, potential, and, most importantly, a genuine passion for the specialty to enable me to add value to the program and become a skilled and effective specialist. If selected, I will give my all to the program.
Thank you for considering my application.
Pediatric Orthodontics Residency Personal Statement