I have a senior classmate, Dr. XXXX, who is currently participating in the Post-Doctor Program in Periodontology at XXXX University. Both of us are Taiwanese dentists. She has shared her great zeal and joy at receiving the most advanced learning experience available in Periodontology, the Post-Doctoral Program at UX. I, too, have the keenest of all desires for such an experience, and the sheer excellence of your program draws me like a moth to the flame. UX is my first choice for advancing my education in Periodontology.
I am most attracted to the close collaborative relationship between Prosthodontics and Orthodontics at UX since I thrive on studying interdisciplinary cases thoroughly. I feel strongly that the more thoroughly interdisciplinary a dentist’s education, the better they will become. I am mesmerized by the quantity and especially the quality of the speakers at numerous lectures offered in our field at UX, presented by some of the planet’s most renowned innovators in dentistry. Soon, I look forward to personally visiting UX to familiarize myself with the program and the school.
My central professional goal is to become a very international Professor of Periodontology, back home in Taiwan – but contributing to dental missionary initiatives that strengthen the field of Periodontology Education worldwide, with particular concern for the Developing World. I could not be more enthusiastic about clinical teaching when I stayed active as an oral surgeon, practicing innovative Implantology, GBR, etc. Since I have acquired some clinical observation experience in Periodontology in both the United States and Taiwan, I have become increasingly sure that is where I hope to cultivate my main specialization.
I have also been drawn to and engaged with research efforts in Periodontology. I helped with a study conducted on animals at National Taiwan University (NTU), for example, exploring the relationship between inflammation on the one hand and periodontal regeneration on the other. My investigation of periodontitis biomarkers was accepted by the International Association for Dental Research (IADR); I will present my poster in Vancouver, Canada, this June.
I learned how to use periodontal surgery instruments as an extern at XXXX University and became a practiced surgical assistant in the clinic. After returning to Taiwan from Ohio, I rotated through each discipline as a dental intern for an entire year at Chi-Mei Medical Center. Under the supervision of experienced instructors, I performed various dental procedures, including natural teeth restorations, crown fabrications, denture manufacturing, root canal treatment, extraction, scaling, and root planning. I also spent much of my free time observing and discussing surgical procedures in the periodontal clinic. I earned the Best Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) Award. I have invested countless hours in literature reviews on periodontitis biomarkers resulting in publication. I have also taken several advanced courses in periodontal surgical hands-on over the weekends to improve my skills.
I have devoted myself to medical volunteerism since I was a freshman in college and was selected by my university as a director of an international medical volunteer group, cooperating with an NGO working in the area of oral health care and education in Nepal, redoubling our efforts in the wake of the horrible earthquake that struck in 2015. It was a great honor to be invited to participate in the international medical volunteer recording competition, sponsored by the National Dentist Association in Taiwan, winning second place.
Thank you for considering my application to your distinguished Externship in Periodontology at the University of XXXX.
Post-Doctoral Externship Perio Personal Statement