I am a dentist from Brazil and will be graduating from the Program for Advanced Standing Students (PASS) at the University of XXXX in May of 2014. My heart has been stolen by XXXX and it has become my new home. I love nature, all the parks and lakes of Minnesota, the changing seasons, biking, boating, art and especially the cultural diversity. Throughout my studies with the PASS Program, I have also worked part time at the UMN as a research coordinator in the Department of Otolaryngology in the Medical School, doing clinical research in head and neck cancer. The last two years have been the busiest in my life and I love it, the challenges keep me highly motivated, and I constantly thirst for more. I have my heart set on being selected for your orthodontics residency program not only because I simply love it here, but also the fact that you have a very well structured program, with the latest in technology, an emphasis on research, and a well administered environment with orthodontists who love to teach.
I have always wanted to be an orthodontist which is why I went to dental school. My mother claims that she has known this since I was 8 years old and we were waiting on my older brother at the ortho clinic, when he was getting his braces adjusted. As we waited, watching the orthodontist, I became fascinated by the appliances, the pliers, the wires and how they moved teeth to make them more attractive. According to my mom I said: “I want to be able to put this machine in peoples’ mouths and make their smiles beautiful.”
I am a serene young woman and have been told by my colleagues upon occasion that my happiness is contagious, which brings me immense joy. My character is calm, my approach is amiable, my personality is professional, and I see my greatest strengths to be compassion, sincerity, humor, and creativity. I dance to wind up as well as wind down, mostly ballet, and take special delight in photography; my only indulgence is ice cream and simple fun with family and friends. There is nothing, however, that I find as exciting as wires, brackets, and pliers.
I am drawn to orthodontics for many reasons: the fusion of health, mechanics, and the artistic elements of practice. I enjoy the fast pace and regular patient interaction. I like the way that patients are excited to sit in the chair, always happy to see the orthodontist and motivated about their treatment, looking forward to having their braces adjusted. Committed to lifelong learning, my intellectual stimulation surrounds how much I still need to learn in Orthodontics. I thrive professionally and intellectually on the mechanics and physics of tooth movement. Much of my free time is spent reflecting on the nuances and challenges presented by each patient. I take special delight in educating my patients concerning the condition they are being treated for so that they have a basic understanding of the requirements of oral health over the course of their lifetime. I look forward to a lifetime of service preserving and restoring smiles and self-confidence, serving in a clinic that is restricted to the practice of orthodontics, treating patients of all ages, with a diverse range of malocclusions, treating a broad variety of patients and getting better every day at what I do best.
My personal aspiration is to be a devoted wife and mother and my professional ambition is to be a modest, respected orthodontist. The ideal job for me would be to own and/or work at an orthodontics clinic in the metro area of Minneapolis. This would be an efficient, state-of-the-art clinic with the most advanced technology.
The TMD Program is what brought me to Minnesota from Brazil. TMD was not taught in my dental school in Brazil and many of my colleagues were also curious. As I started practicing general dentistry, I frequently came across patients with symptoms and complaints of TMD and orofacial pain in my practice, so I decided to come here to learn more. At some point in my career, I also want to contribute to the advancement of Orthodontics in Brazil, teaching, introducing new techniques not yet available, particularly with respect to underserved populations, small cities, and rural areas. I want to organize dentists in support of children and young people living in poverty. Rio alone has over eight hundred slums and a large population living below the poverty line with no access to orthodontic care. I would like to start a non-profit organization to provide free orthodontics care to poor and underserved families in Brazil. I also want to research and publish on dental care in Brazil: analyses of specific states and regions with extremely limited access to oral health care. Finally, I am intrigued by the fact that I am unable to find hardly any information at all concerning the history of Orthodontics in Brazil. I look forward to contributing to this endeavor.
It is my profound hope that I may continue to bring my enormous energy and perennial good cheer to the U of XX every day, as I am most confident that I would be able to distinguish myself as a resident in your orthodontics program. Thank you for considering my application.
Residency Personal Statement Orthodontics
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