I grew up in Damascus, Syria but I have been practicing general dentistry here in America since I earned my DMD Degree at the University of XXXX in 1998. Following a general practice residency at the University of XXXX from July of 1998 through June of 1999, I completed a fellowship position in implant dentistry at XXXX University. Since then, I have been practicing general dentistry in the Detroit Metro Area. Increasingly, especially over the course of the last several years, I have found myself increasingly fascinated and engaged by orthodontics. Thus, I am writing to you on behalf of my application since I seek innovative training in Orthodontics. Little by little, I began incorporating orthodontic treatment planning into my dentistry practice in Detroit, ranging from simple cases of "smile enhancement" to severe skeletal deficiency. This soon opened for me new windows into non-invasive, non-aggressive approaches, what orthodontics is all about and what I have come to love most about dentistry. This led me to allocate one day a week volunteering, observing, and following up on cases from start to finish, in collaboration with our in-house orthodontist. The sense of accomplishment that accompanied seeing the results was for me the central driving force that has convinced me to give my all to orthodontics for the balance of my career. I have fallen in love with Orthodontics because it is a conservative way to achieve beautiful smiles, no drilling, no damage, only construction. I see orthodontists as architects and engineers, building dental arches that are limited only by the imagination in the beauty that they might be able to achieve and continue to inspire. The clinical experiences that I have sought out over the past four years have all strengthened my dedication to the goal of completing graduate training in orthodontics. I am confident that my diverse academic background coupled with the versatility that comes from working in widely varied settings with highly limited resources, will enable and inspire me to prove myself to be a great asset to your team. Having succeeded in the pursuit of my DMD as one of the top students in my class both clinically and didactically, I immediately set about in search of broadening my horizons in dental medicine. I have long been especially attracted to the multifaceted and dynamic collaboration of specialties that one finds in Orthodontics—always working towards a better understanding of the biomechanics of maxillofacial complexion and the proper treatment of various malfunctions. My experience in the General Practice Residency (GPR) was the catalyst that motivated me to aggressively pursue deeper knowledge of dental specialties. Completing elective courses in basic sciences crystallized my comprehension of the growth and development processes of the maxillofacial region. While completing my fellowship at Southern Illinois University in Implantology, I continued to further my understanding of multi-specialty approaches to dentofacial malformations. Working alongside orthodontists with severe cases--ranging from cleft lip and palate to congenital absence of lateral incisors—enabled me to better understand orthodontics and appreciate the systematic nature of orthodontic treatment. I started practicing in the Detroit Metro Area as a general practitioner after completing my fellowship in Illinois, working since then in group multi-specialty centers, gaining additional hands-on experience and advancing my interest in and dedication to Orthodontics through continuing education seminars and attending lectures. It would be an honor to be granted an interview and I thank you for considering my application. Orthodontics Residency Syrian in Detroit

I come from an area in India where severe fluorosis is endemic. Of course, I noticed the mottled and unsightly teeth that were so common around me, and which affected the appearance of so many, this spurred an early interest in teeth and dentistry and led to my career choice which is one that I have never regretted. The ability to change grimaces of pain into smiles of relief is a privilege and a joy. I was born into an agricultural family in rural India and was the first of my family to leave our home area to receive a higher education. Exposure to an urban environment and to people of different social backgrounds was a challenge to a country boy who had never travelled far but thrived. I thoroughly enjoyed my very comprehensive dental training, undertaken at a prestigious Indian college. In the Community Dentist Rotation undertaken in my third year, I was selected to lead a team working in nearby villages which were affected by severe water fluorosis like my home area. Our objective was to educate the population about the serious risks of dental deformities caused by drinking water with extremely high fluoride content and to encourage village representatives to demand that the government provide safe drinking water. Our efforts were greeted very positively by the villagers and various petitions were drafted and submitted for necessary action to be taken. After dental school, I served one year of internship in a government teaching hospital working under the guidance of expert and caring professionals. I dealt with a high volume of cases and consequently I gained exposure to a very wide variety of dental and oral diseases and enabled me to hone my technical and develop vital high level diagnostic skills. In 2001, following completion of my internship, I set up my own practice with the object of providing affordable dental care as widely as possible in the local community. Leading a team and being responsible for all the commercial aspects of the practice was highly challenging being so young but I created a happy and effective team of professionals and a successful practice which I believe reflects my ability to relate well to patients and staff and to inspire trust and confidence in them. I practiced general dentistry performing the usual wide range of procedures such as cavity fillings, extractions, bridge preparation, anterior and posterior root canal treatment and honed my diagnostic skills. I also worked with the local Rotary Club to provide free treatment among senior citizens and treating and providing dental and oral hygiene education to school pupils and residents of the poorer neighborhoods. This voluntary experience was highly satisfying, especially the opportunity to encourage the adoption of effective dental and oral hygiene regimes. I am currently a parent-volunteer at my son’s school in the US where I assist at field trips and provide information on effective dental care. I came to the US in 2012 with my wife, who is a faculty member at a medical school.  I have undertaken wide reading of professional journals to maintain an awareness of recent advances and research. I have completed Parts 1 and 2 of the NBDE examinations and have had the privilege of undertaking an externship under the guidance of a highly skilled and caring professional which also provided me with exposure to the use of the most sophisticated diagnostic tools. I have also assisted in a research project at the Head and Neck Cancer Dept. at the XXXX Medical School. I am extremely excited to be part of a profession in which advances in techniques and materials are so rapid and hope to play my part in future advances. My career objective is to practice dentistry in a rural area where the population has limited access to excellent dental care and education. I am from a rural area myself and it seems to me that country people are the same the world over; open, honest, kind, and hard-working and I am very keen to work among such people and do all that I can to help them. My time in the US has exposed me to people of many ages and social and ethnic backgrounds. I enjoy interacting with others, learning about their cultures, and sharing information about my own. I seek to be a ‘well-rounded’ person and enjoy taking part in sports, especially cricket, volleyball, and table tennis. I am fully fluent in English and speak several Indian languages. To summarize: I have a decade of professional experience acquired in various environments that have exposed me to a very wide variety of conditions and work. I have created and run a successful team and practice demonstrating an ability to relate well with patients, fellow professionals, and staff. I have familiarized myself with the local dental environment and kept up to date with recent developments and advances in techniques, diagnostic tools, and materials. I undertake to work with exceptional diligence and commitment to excel within the program and in my career beyond it. Thank you for considering my application. Indian International Dentist Personal Statement Help

I am a deeply spiritual young woman from India, a mother, a wife, and an experienced dentist who hopes very much to resume her career here in the USA, my new permanent home. As a devoted Hindu, my calling as a professional is inseparable from my religious sense of duty to others, my communities. I see all of us as manifestations in physical form of a purpose in life; and I see my own purpose to be alleviating human suffering. Early on, for this reason, I focused on dentistry as my calling and the underserved as my principal focus. Since my arrival in America 4 years ago, I have completed several online courses in Continuing Dental Education including CAMBRA (Caries and Management by Risk Assessment) and Clinical Encounters in Pediatric Dentistry. Your program at XXXX is my first choice due to both its excellent reputation and the fact that it is close to where I now live in the Bay Area.  Even though I love California and I am profoundly pleased to make this my permanent home, still, much of my heart is back in India. And I want very much to stay in contact with those who are suffering back home in India and those who are doing as much as they can with extremely limited resources to help them. I hope to make my principal contribution for the long term by engaging in extensive research on behalf of the underserved, particularly with respect to the great scourge of oral cancer that is especially prevalent in India. My primary inspiration is Mother Teresa. Like her. I cannot tolerate seeing people suffering pain. This is why I became a dentist and I now wish to give my all for the rest of my life to alleviating the pain and suffering of as many people as I can. I hope to contribute to the practice of dentistry and the improvement of oral health in India as well as here in America, especially because of the great need for dental care for the poor in my home country. I already have a well-developed, personal special interest in the fight against oral cancer and have been engaged in research in this area for years. India has the highest rates of oral cancer in the world, particularly among the poorest sectors of society, and I hope to publish precisely in this area, after completing your program and resuming my practice. I find myself most intrigued by the significant differences found in the incidence of oral cancer in different regions of the world, with the rate of oral cancer ten times as high in India, for example, then in the Middle East. Where oral cavity cancer represents only about 3% of malignancies in the US, it accounts for over 30% of all cancers in India. Most of all, I want to become an expert concerning risk factors and hope for primary prevention. I wanted to be a dentist from the time that I was in middle school. My home was across the street from a dental college, and I would watch the students entering early each morning in their white aprons. I was a good student and studied hard all through my school years so that I would be accepted to a highly competitive BDS Program, and I was. The best three years of my life so far have been 2006-2009 when I had the opportunity to work as a full-time dentist and I miss it terribly. I am thankful that my daughter is now approaching school age and that I will very soon be able to throw myself fully back into dentistry. Volunteer work has always been a pillar of my life, especially as I continued to develop my identity as a dentist, volunteering for numerous camps throughout my college days. We went to remote places like Ullal and other remote villages in Mangalore, establishing community dental clinics to serve the villagers putting a smile back on their faces. The only thing that I have enjoyed as much as my hands-on dental care experience has been my participation in health education initiatives, applying fluorides, teaching brushing techniques and oral hygiene procedures. Since my arrival in California, I have also done volunteer work with CDA (California Dental Association) Cares in Solano, where I was introduced to the underserved in America and able to contribute to helping them with their oral health care needs. I have also engaged as a volunteer with my daughter’s early education. The greatest and most powerful gift that a parent can give to their children is to pass on their language and cultural heritage. Literacy in our native language will strengthen her cultural identity and provide her with a rich intellectual and spiritual heritage. Thus, I volunteer at my daughter’s school. XXXX School is a famous, progressive organization that provides an exceptional learning environment that shares global Indian culture and Language. I enjoy teaching every Friday to a group of children 5-7 years old for 2 hours, about our country, our language, how to write, read and speak Telugu. I teach them about Indian culture, and I take great delight in their rapid developmental progress, morally as well as physically. I like to think that I am teaching them to become noble adults. Thank you for consideration of my application to your competitive program. International Dentist Writing and Editing Service

I am a young woman and a dentist from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. I love my city and I like to think of it as the most beautiful and international city in the Middle East. I adore both physical and spiritual beauty and I find both to be best expressed in the smile, the center of my world. I want to devote the rest of my life to the promotion of beautiful smiles and perfect bites not only in Saudi Arabia, but throughout the Middle East. I feel strongly that our region of the world could benefit by greater levels of international collaboration in health care. I admit that with my goal of someday opening my own practice in a wealthy country, over the long term my efforts will be well rewarded economically. Nevertheless, I keenly look forward to paying my dues to society and my profession by also working at public, government hospitals. In fact, making a “Hollywood Smile” more accessible and affordable in my country is the centerpiece of my long-term aspirations. I like to think of myself as a cosmopolitan Arab woman. I spent an entire year in Boston in an exhaustive but exhilarating, full immersion in English, to assure that I will be able to excel in your program once I am enrolled. I see your Postgraduate Program in Esthetics at XXXX to be the ideal program to prepare me to meet the challenges that I will face building my career back in Saudi Arabia after I complete your program. This is because I see Operative Dentistry at XXXX University as the flagship program in esthetics. I am very much looking forward to direct interaction with most of the dental specialties, to attend to all my client's needs in the most innovative way possible. Your program will provide me with the optimal foundation for the provision of comprehensive dental care the people of Saudi Arabia. I am seeking a full immersion experience in the Science and Art of Esthetic Dentistry at the highest level of rigor and challenge available. This is why Tufts University is my first choice for advanced study. I have my heart set on completing your program because I want to encourage more progressive policies in government hospitals so that our health care system better recognizes the importance of esthetic elements to the overall health of the patient, mentally as well as physically. I want to have the fullest share possible in the introduction of joy into the lives of people who have chronic oral health needs that have a major impact on their sense of self-worth and self-esteem. I want to give them not only a beautiful smile but perfect occlusion as well. I am a hard worker when it comes to what I love most. I have experience as a dentist working in three different government run hospitals in the KSA. Saudi Arabia is home to many foreigners, and I had the privilege of working with patients from a vast array of cultures, speaking dozens of languages, all ages, and types of personalities that one might imagine. This has helped me to become increasingly versatile and understanding, adaptable with an open mind. I thrive most on the cultivation of teamwork, and I am at my highest function as a team member as well as working alone. I also believe that my extra-curricular activities have helped prepare me to excel in esthetic dentistry, particularly my love of design, fashion, and interiors. I thrive on precision and the constant search for higher levels of creativity. I have also learned many valuable lessons, especially about the needs of poor people in my country by working with a nonprofit organization, XXXX, an organization that involves providing food and clothes to the poor in our city. Attending and participating in national and international conferences and workshops has helped me on many levels, helping me to stay current with the latest innovations in my area. Watching all these new techniques has encouraged me more to seek for the Esthetic programs to learn more about them and apply it to my patients in the future. The two best doctors that I have had the opportunity to meet in my career so far both graduated from Tufts. I see them as my role models, and I aspire as well to have the best education possible in my field so that I might make increasingly creative contributions as well in the areas of technique and treatment modalities. I thank you for considering my application to your program. Esthetic Dentistry Certificate Program

The successes I have had in life have come from good relationships.  I cherish developing and nurturing good relationships, making our life worthwhile by contributing to the well-being of others. By helping others, I help myself, and grow, constantly becoming a better dentist, a better colleague, and a better person. One such relationship was with Dr. XXXX, my previous boss and mentor at XXXX Dental Group. He coached and mentored me in clinical skills, patient/staff relationships, as well as managing public relations and the business aspects of Dentistry. In 2006, he asked me to spearhead the opening of a group dental practice in XXXX, CA. It was an opportunity for me to gather a group of dentists, staffing and organizing the dental practice from scratch. I took a deep breath and accepted the mission to meet with other dentists to recruit, organize, and build a dental dream team, unsurpassed in clinical excellence to patients. Within 2 years, the practice had two thousand active patients with a team of eight, including three doctors.  The practice was named “The Best Dental Practice in XXXX” by Central Daily Newspaper. I will never forget that feeling, a tribute to what our team was able to accomplish through our collective efforts. It is remarkable to see how contributing to a patient’s well-being also contributes to raising their self-esteem. I have seen many of my patients transformed by helping them with implant dentistry. I remember with special clarity, a patient in his seventies wanting to get implants before getting re-married. I particularly enjoyed helping to prepare him to reinvent his life with a new marriage. After his treatment was complete, it was like meeting someone for the first time. He walked taller with more eye contact and was more confident. He was without worry and unashamed of his smile. Patients look different and happier with excellent dentistry. I especially appreciate how much digital technology has improved treatment outcomes and predictability. I also find the management of soft tissues with surgery to still be challenging. I want very much to become very well versed in all aspects of oral surgery, so that I can provide the best treatment possible for all my patients. I have been practicing general dentistry for the past 15 years and I have been blessed to meet many great clinicians, colleagues, mentors, and educators who have had a positive influence on me and sparked inspiration about implant dentistry.  Dr. XXXX in Periodontics from UXXX was especially inspiring to me during the earliest stages of my development in Implantology and cheered me up to pursue further education, helping me, for example, to achieve Diplomate status from the International Congress of Oral Implantology. Prof. XXXX, a pioneer in Digital Guided Implantology, helped a great deal to enlighten me with respect to the digitalization of implant surgical phases and the integration of CAD/CAM prosthesis. With the latest technology and techniques learned, I had the opportunity to lecture and teach in multiple meetings and groups. By helping other dentists through sharing my experiences, I have also been honored as a Diplomate by the American Board of Oral Implantology/Implant Dentistry. I look forward to following in the footsteps of my mentors. I am extremely excited for this next chapter in my life. By completing the program in Periodontics, I will be a better clinician, lecturer, and educator. This is my central professional mission in life, to provide state-of-the-art periodontal and implant care to patients and stay very much engaged with my profession, sharing my skills and experience with other dentists, colleagues, and students. I look forward to bringing 15 years of clinical dentistry experience to your program and distinguishing myself as a hard-working team player with a great deal of passion for both Periodontology and Implantology. It is all about growing harmonious and enjoyable relationships with people, especially patients, but also colleagues, team members, referring dentists, and other professionals- I seek the reward of knowing that my life counts for the good of others. Thank you for considering my application. Periodontology & Implantology Residency

I am a dentist from Iran who now is becoming extremely comfortable here in California with my family. I have selected the XXXX School of Dentistry as my first choice for graduate studies that will prepare me to practice dentistry here in America. Since immigrating to America a few years ago, I have kept myself busy doing things that enhance my professional preparation, such as obtaining First Aid and CPR Certifications, Infant and Child CPR Certification, and my Dental Assistant License in 2006. English has been a challenge for me, especially since I am not particularly young anymore at 37. But, as you say here, necessity is the mother of invention. I have been fully immersed in the arduous task of perfecting my English since long before I arrived. And for the past two years, my English classes at XXXX College have been among my highest priorities along with studying for the NBDA. The two obligatory years that I spent in the Iranian Army (1997-1999) provided me with an opportunity to learn a lot of valuable things about life in general, society, the psychology of groups, technology, and global politics. I remain deeply disturbed by the politics of the Middle East in which my native country plays such a significant role. I love California and would feel so very privileged to make my home here. But if the Middle East, especially Iran, should go through a period of social disintegration, mismanagement, corruption, and the people had little to no access to dental care, I might think about returning. After being released from the military, I practiced general dentistry in a private office for six years, 1997-2003; doing both surgical and non-surgical extractions, clinical crown lengthenings, general surgery, fixed/removable prosthodontics, endodontics, anterior and posterior composites, amalgam restoration, dental cleaning, and radiographies. I am presently employed with the XXXX Dental Group here in Los Angeles, CA, where I have been for two years. I manage appointments and treatment schedules in have had the opportunity to develop my teamwork skills. We are like a team of brothers and sisters. Prosthodontics Master's Personal Statement

An accomplished and experienced dentist from Brazil, I have now made my home in the United States primarily because my husband, also Brazilian, practices medicine here. After completing dental school in my home country, I spent 2.5 years working in a private practice that afforded me the opportunity to treat a great diversity of patients and cases. My last 2.5 years in Brazil before immigrating to America were spent in the arena of public health, serving in numerous public dental clinics that assisted underserved communities. I currently live in Tucson, AZ where my husband is almost done with a five-year general surgery residency. We are moving to Houston, Texas in July 2016, because he wants to advance his career and has been selected by the XXXX College of Medicine for a two-year vascular surgery fellowship. The University of XXXX Health Science Center in XXXX is the only DDS program in Texas for International Dentists, and, therefore, as close to Houston as possible. As soon as I start your program in San Antonio, I will already be utilizing the best professional help that I can find to care for my first baby, XXXX, who was born in January this year. In this way, I will be able to give my all to your distinguished program as it is my intention to excel. On his time off, my husband has promised to fly in from Houston and baby sit. XXXX is very well known for providing an array of outreach programs and research experience to students. This serves to confirm my conviction further that I am the best fit for our program. This is particularly true because I noticed that several faculty members are doing enormously important work in Endodontics where my own special passion lies. Of vital importance to my contribution to professional discussions and collaboration at XXXX is my enthusiasm for learning as much as possible concerning the development of new therapies for oral cancer. In this way, I will be able to put my background in cancer biology research in melanoma and the restoration of salivary gland function to work on behalf of a most noble cause in which I plan to continue to develop special expertise. I have been working here in Tucson at XXXX Community Health Center as a volunteer dental assistant. The entire staff is bilingual English/Spanish, and this has helped me to continue to make rapid progress. I am making a special effort at Spanish because this is so frequently the language of the underserved where I now live here in America, and I want very much to be capable of treating them in their first language. Fully dedicated to lifelong learning, after earning my DDS Degree at UXXX I plan to immediately begin specializing in Endodontics and earn a master's degree in this area. I am also experienced in research as part of my clinical background in Brazil and here in the USA I have been serving as a Research Assistant in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Arizona under the tutelage of Dr. XXXX, PhD. for the past two years. I have continued to learn a great deal in this position about everything ranging from cancer therapy side effects to animal experimentation. Putting a priority on volunteer work was inspired early on by a mother who has continued since her retirement to work as a volunteer in HIV/AIDS. Coming from a family of low-income wage earners, and parents that divorced, my academic success came only through a sense of inner strength that always pulled me together and taught me how to look beyond myself to a life of service to the least fortunate. My godmother, a dental hygienist, also inspired me to serve my community as a dentist, improving the quality of life of her patients. I shadowed her on numerous occasions while I was in high school and in college. When I graduated from one of Brazil’s most prestigious dental schools where I mastered a wide range of dental procedures and amassed impressive research experience, I became the first member of my family to not only complete but even attend college. Being dedicated exclusively to handicrafts during my school breaks throughout middle and high school also helped propel me forward to a career in dentistry. I can still recall the excitement of spending most of my afternoons doing arts and crafts in my grandmother’s house. As a single mother of three daughters, my mother needed to work full time in the public health sector to support our family and could not afford childcare. My grandmother was also a great inspiration not only as an expert sewer and crafter, but also as a very brave survivor of nasopharyngeal cancer. Through sewing, crocheting and embroidery, I gained the steady precision and control needed for detailed manual work along with a continuous thirst for self-improvement and a sense of satisfaction for every crafted piece that I completed. For the past month, I have shadowed a dentist in Tucson, Arizona, to acquire a more comprehensive knowledge of the dental environment here in the USA and I will continue to engage daily with dentistry until I begin your program. Advanced Placement Brazilian Woman

I am a candidate for admission to your program since I look forward to studying Dentistry in a department with a high regard for research and state-of-the-art Dental Science. I hope to be offered a position as a student in a program at the forefront of addressing the challenges facing the profession of dentistry today and introducing new dental technologies in our communities. Iraq invaded Iran when I was a child. Subsequently, I grew up to be an earnest young person because of having this first-hand experience of massive pain and suffering so close by and so intense. This caused me to focus on science as an answer to human suffering early on. Those medical professionals who picked up the pieces from this war became my childhood heroes. I looked up to them, and it was they who I most admired and sought to imitate while I was still a teenager, longing and planning for my professional development. My life has long been and always will be dedicated to the service of others in my community. Before attending college in Iran, I volunteered in the Polio Eradication Program. I served as part of a vaccination team that went door to door, vaccinating children under five. In college, my interest in genetics led me to develop and pursue a particular interest in cytogenetic analysis. As a junior, I conducted extensive research on the Carthamus genus's numerical and structural chromosome abnormalities. I performed chromosome pairing and chiasma frequency studies involving two Carthamus species, categorizing the species according to the UPGMA cluster analysis method. Contributing to the publication of a related research paper was one of my most outstanding achievements. I also engaged in extensive research on the microbial degradation of crude oil. In the end, my team converted approximately sixty-five percent of crude oil into a nano-benzene extractable form. To community service combined with an extensive background in the Physical Sciences. I have had numerous classes in Embryology, Applied Genetics, Microbiology, etc., and I spent more than 80 hours shadowing Doctor XXXX in his dental office. I feel very privileged to have had this opportunity to observe Dr. XXXX attending to his patients (which included implants) and my chance to interact with patients as well. As a result of this experience and extensive independent reading, I have become quite familiar with strategies for oral health promotion and disease prevention. What I most look forward to in the future is the opportunity to participate in visiting dentist programs in the Global South, to be able to go to places where people have no access to dental care, serving these people represents for me the most satisfying experience that I could have. I am a cosmopolitan person with diverse interests and a deep love for service to others. I have traveled in Europe and have also visited Turkey and I look forward to a lifetime of service to diverse clients from many ethnic backgrounds and language groups and especially being of service to the medically and dentally underserved. Thank you for considering my application. Dental School Personal Statement Example

I pursue excellence with unrelenting academic fervor. My record of accomplishment since entering university has been near-perfect. Accolades, awards, scholarships, and memberships with professional organizations abound in my academic career. It is this driven need for excellence that I bring to the field of Orthodontics. Throughout my academic career, I have maintained over a decade of conceptual continuity that is pertinent and relevant to my goals of orthodontic practice and research. I especially appreciate how Orthodontics is a rapidly developing field and the way in which recent technologies have helped us to make great advances in the diagnosis and treatment of patients. Over the last eight years, I have watched these developments with keen interest. I find these changing times exciting, and I am keenly looking forward to a full immersion experience in the intellectual and technical challenges of clinical orthodontics, particularly research. I am particularly fascinated with the way in which we can alter the growth of the human face through orthognathic surgery, an area in which I would like to engage in research in the future. Compassionate care, kindness and a gentle hand have not changed, and I constantly strive to further cultivate all three. I look forward with great eagerness to beginning my career in the most rewarding and enjoyable profession I can imagine. I chose Orthodontists because I enjoy improving the patients' appearance, raising their confidence levels, helping them to feel more comfortable with who they are. There is nothing I enjoy as much as correcting malocclusions because of how it vastly improves a patient's quality of life. While volunteering in the more socio-economically depressed communities in my homeland of Uzbekistan, I saw firsthand the material benefit of the care, especially preventative care which our teams were able to provide. In my volunteer work, I have reached out to socio-economically depressed communities and the underprivileged, educating children concerning the benefits and rewards of good oral hygiene. Any doctor knows that prevention is better than cure, and what better way than starting with children? With my unique background, having been born and raised in Uzbekistan, I have traveled to some of the most remote area in my homeland and provided dental services in a local hospital. Upon graduating with the MDS Degree, I intend to share the experiences and knowledge I will have gained by going on missions to developing countries. I have seen first-hand the difficulties that poor countries have in establishing modern oral health care systems. To keep my education well-practiced, I have tutored math, physics, chemistry, and ballet, just for fun. I've found there's no better way to educate oneself than to teach. By completing your distinguished program, I hope to be so much more than just a student, but an important asset to society. This is my life and chosen field. My upbringing, the pride I have for my family, have all taught me to never squander the talents that God has given us. Truly, I am humbled by the thought that my talents will soon benefit those who need me most and that through our research we will continue to bring smiles to those who suffer from a lack of access to oral health care resources. MDS Orthodontics Immigrant Personal Statement

I visited my father's dental clinic every Friday after school as I grew up in Korea. I would often go to see my aunt and uncle, who also ran a dental clinic. I feel as if the practice of dentistry is in my blood, part of my heritage. I am privileged to have grown up in a family of professionals dedicated to delivering compassionate care, and I am thankful that they taught me to treasure the ideal of making significant, daily contributions to improving the lives of others, especially helping them to have greater confidence and self-esteem. Thus, I seek to carry on the family tradition here in North America, where we have lived for the last 13 years and contribute to our community. For over a decade, I have maintained a conceptual continuity in my academic, professional, and volunteer activities, all geared to the lifelong investigation of Biomedical Engineering and the practice of Dentistry with a humanitarian emphasis. I have made great strides in developing my manual dexterity, analytical thinking skills, and empathy, coupled with my compassion for others. Earning my DDS will enable me to realize my lifelong dream of serving our community. I see myself as developing a solid academic foundation for a lifetime of research and contributing to dentistry's innovation. I seek to combine innovative research with the study and implementation of philanthropic initiatives. I hope to open a Dental clinic that specializes in providing care to members of immigrant and minority communities and helping them to finance their care, as well as educating them about the importance of preventative measures and community awareness of the importance of dental hygiene. I think that my own immigrant experiences have made me especially sensitive to the unique needs of immigrant and minority families and neighborhoods. It is also my intention to always maintain an active research regimen in collaboration with other Dentistry and Public Health professionals, and to serve as a role model to other Asians, inspiring them to lifetimes of innovative contribution to their communities. Dental School Personal Statement Korean American

I qualified as a dentist in May 2014 and have worked as a general dentist since October of that year in California. I have long had an interest in orthodontics arising from the experiences of a family member. My brother suffered severe malocclusion as a child and was teased and laughed at as a result. Our family lived in Iran and my father was unable to afford the necessary orthodontic treatment at that time. My brother’s suffering fired an interest in dentistry, and specifically orthodontics, which fit well with the decision I had made already to work in the field of healthcare. I decided to ‘test the water’ while still in high school and was fortunate to obtain vacation work with a dentist in Tehran who was one of the few dentists in the country who had dedicated his life to treating the poor and underserved rural population.  Any doubts about my choice of career quickly disappeared witnessing this kind, skilled and dedicated dentist doing so much good. Seeing grimaces of pain turn into smiles of relief and the gratitude of the patients and their families was sufficient to persuade me that I had found a way to ‘make a difference’ rather than merely ‘make a living’. I have never regretted my choice. I was able to relate to the poor patients that we treated as I was myself subject to a double exclusion in Iran, firstly because I was a member of the Baha’i faith living in a theocratic Islamic state and secondly by the poverty and lack of opportunity that I and my family suffered as a result of our faith. It was not going to be possible for me or my brother to attend university in Iran and so we moved to the US. My brother’s occlusion was slowly corrected here using a brace, and it was a delight to see his confidence and self-esteem grow as the brace began to take effect. A special interest in the treatment of ‘special needs’ child patients developed while undertaking an observer-ship undertaken over a period of 10 months with a dentist specializing in the treatment of such patients, many of whom suffered from autism.  This observer-ship was an excellent introduction to the techniques applied in soothing and reassuring special needs children and in gaining their confidence and cooperation. I have a nephew who was born, five years ago, with a cleft palate and related dental problems and who is also autistic and so I can relate to the feelings of the parents of such children and has a great wish to help them as far as I am able. Once qualified as an orthodontist, it is my intention to treat special needs, particularly autistic children as well as pursuing general practice in an underserved locality. I also hope to treat members of my Baha’i faith who cannot afford orthodontic treatment. I am a grateful beneficiary of the US policy on the admission of refugees and am absolutely determined to be of help to those who are less fortunate than I have been. I moved to the US as a refugee 15 years ago. I did well academically and graduated with a degree in cell biology in 2006, despite the challenge of trying to function in a foreign environment and a new language that I had previously only spoken during my English classes in Iran.  However, during my junior year at UCD my father became seriously ill and had heart surgery. He and my mother do not speak English and they required my constant assistance during medical appointments, translating, and managing the household until my father recovered. This added stress, along with my three-hour commute to class, caused my grades to slip for a time but I can assure the reader that this level of performance is not a true reflection of my academic abilities. My family obligations are now considerably reduced and will not affect my future studies. I am attracted to the specialty because I have personal experience of its potential to dramatically enhance the lives of patients, not only aesthetically but also in providing relief from discomfort and in enabling patients to be able to chew food properly and in providing a wider choice of diet. I am also extremely excited at the prospect of joining a specialty in which so many advances in techniques and materials are made and continue to be made. I want to be a part of future advances and hope to be able to assist in research especially concerning cleft palates and the most effective orthodontic interventions for affected child patients. I have happily studied, worked, socialized with, and treated people of many ethnic and social backgrounds. I am happy to share knowledge of my own culture and to learn about others. I enjoy meeting and engaging with people and am blessed with a well-developed sense of humor. I am fully fluent in English and am a native speaker of Farsi. I believe that my experience to date will enable me to ‘add value’ to the program and I can promise highly committed, enthusiastic, and diligent participation. I look forward to sharing the fruits of my academic and professional life to date and receiving the benefit of those that my fellow students will bring to the program. Thank you for considering my application. Orthodontics Residency Dentist from Iran

A dentist from Egypt, I could not be more engaged with my profession nor more enthused about the prospect of a full immersion in the study of Endodontics in the USA – the forefront of dentistry and the advancement of dental technology. For several years now, I have developed a special passion for Endodontics for a variety of reasons, including my profound respect for all natural things and preservation of life, environment, and one’s teeth as well, when it is possible to do so. Completing dental school with honors in the top 15% of my class at Cairo University in Egypt​in 2013, I began a full-time engagement, serving in several private clinics not only in Egypt but also in Saudi Arabia. Almost immediately, I found myself immersed in RCT and I could not be happier with my calling as I am always excited to learn all that I can related to our field of Endodontics. Already, during my year of internship service, I chose Endodontics for my elective round, treating and managing many cases in this area. This was when I first wrestled with some of the potential challenges of RCT resulting from a broad variety of factors ranging from broken instruments to calcified canals. One of the singular highlights of my career so far was attending a workshop by Professor Alaa Diab on the “Principles and Techniques of Using Rotary Instrument Systems.” I am thankful that I have been nominated for a scholarship that will make it possible for me to study in the United States and further advance my career in dentistry by earning my master's degree in Endodontics in your distinguished residency program. This new journey will boost my professional skills and help me to continue to grow throughout my professional lifetime as an Endodontist and a human being as well. As my career progresses, I hope to give increasing amounts of my time to attention to Egypt’s large numbers of underserved, the poor, refugees from other countries such as Syria and Iraq, and my advanced training in Endodontics will help me to make major contributions in this regard as well. It was love at first sight from the window of my plane as I descended into the Chicago skyline at night, the lights, beautiful and limitless like my dreams. I have a student visa for the USA, and I am now in Chicago preparing for the NBDE Part 2. In addition to extensive visits to the United States, I also visited London every summer vacation during high school for a full 3-month immersion in English. This helped to bring my English language and conversation ability up to an extremely elevated level early on, and I have worked hard to become fully professional in this language as well. While practicing dentistry in Egypt, I worked long hours and attended to a constant, heavy flow of patients, and I am extremely grateful for this opportunity as it helped me to develop ever-more-skillful hands and the ability to think on my feet, often dealing with complicated cases. The workload was extremely rigorous, and I hope to have the opportunity to also give my all to Endodontics in the USA. In Saudi Arabia, I volunteered to treat children in rural areas, using a low- speed contra- angle hand piece while they were sitting in their school chairs. This opportunity helped me to envision the basic means used hundreds of years ago to manage dental cases, which helped me to appreciate the technological advancement of our own times even more fully. My volunteer efforts in Egypt as well have helped me to advance in the development of my problem solving and communicating skills with my patients, especially those with low levels of oral health awareness. Thank you for considering my application to your distinguished program in Endodontics. Endodontics Residency Program Writing Service