I am writing this essay in order to express my thoughts on the dental profession, as well as the steps that led me to this juncture. I will also delineate the aspects of my own personality that would make me a perfect fit for your graduate school, and my ultimate goals. With the help of your acclaimed and substantive graduate program, I can gain the skills and knowledge required to become an effective and caring dentist to many satisfied patients.
From when I was a child, my parents always wanted me to be an engineer. Not wanting to disappoint them, after high school I attended Texas A&M University, which numbers among the most difficult and challenging engineering universities in both the state and the country. In my continuing education, however, I found I did not like engineering; I never found a distinct passion for it, and as such my grades suffered. It was at that time I realized that engineering wasn’t for me.
In my sophomore year of college, I decided to try knocking out some of my basic Science classes; to my surprise, I found that I had taken to it very well, and became very interested in biological sciences in particular. The physical sciences became very interesting to me, particularly those of the human body. The workings of the mouth and teeth became a topic of unique interest, as I wanted to know how and what kept our teeth going throughout the years, despite an increasingly sugar-based diet that is prevalent in the modern world today.
In the summer of 2010, a friend of mine, who is a dentist, gave me the opportunity to shadow his practice, allowing me to see everything that went on there. What I saw led me to desire a career in the dental arts – I was very much inspired by the quality of work and the dedication that goes into maintaining such a career. By the time my shadowing internship was done, I knew what I wanted to do with my life, and it was work in the dental arts.
Among my greatest interests are working with people and becoming a leader of a group. With the establishment of a dental practice, which is my ultimate aim, I get to fulfill these interests as well as give myself the challenge and privilege of being responsible for all my clients and employees. This is something that I would relish substantially, and very much look forward to in my career. I absolutely love the spirit of cooperation and communication that comes about through a smoothly moving relationship, either between dentist and patient or between coworkers. I would attempt to foster this kind of attitude in my own practice.
While I would love to open a dental practice, I also wish to further medical science through research and studies. In the fall of 2010, I began my own research on the schistosoma vaccine as a part of my studies. This experience allowed me to have a greater level of leadership abilities, as I worked with a group to allocate resources and responsibilities, considering everyone’s strengths as I allotted the work. I can apply this same sense of drive and investigation to my dental practice, figuring out problems and determining the best course of action that is satisfactory to the patient.
In the event I were to become a dentist, my first priority would be to treat each patient with care. The dental industry gets a bad reputation for being something that people fear and find inconvenient; my primary goal would consist of dispelling these thoughts about a dental office by fostering efficiency and friendliness. Each patient I encounter would get a simple, matter-of-fact explanation for what is happening to them, without using scare tactics to push for more profitable procedures. I would act in the best interests of the patient, and make sure they are as comfortable as possible within the world of the practice.
It is with these philosophical and practical goals in mind, as well as my passion for the art and science of dentistry, that I ask you to consider my application for graduate studies at your dental school seriously. If I were to be admitted, I would apply an exceptional level of drive, passion and intelligence to my studies, making sure that I learn the skills I need to become an effective dentist. Anything less would be a betrayal of not only your expectations and hopes, but my own personal principles and standards.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
