Sometimes I dream about getting accepted to dental school - or, more frequently, nightmares about rejection. I have great hope for several reasons. First, I am Hispanic and not just bilingual but also bicultural since I grew up in Colombia. Second, I have distinguished myself in volunteering at a local homeless shelter, in the kitchen, and countless hours invested in Autism consciousness-raising events, primarily setting things up and taking them down. The center of my world is my community involvement and contribution. Dentistry is my chosen path.
Born in Medellin, Colombia, I lived there for ten years before moving to Miami; my family is from Colombia. Graduating from high school in 2009 and earning my college degree in Biology in 2015, I have distinguished myself most of all as a very enthusiastic volunteer, primarily at XXXX House, a community shelter and kitchen for the homeless, along with helping with a wide variety of charity events directed primarily to the Spanish-speaking community. I have many Cuban and Colombian friends in Miami and have learned much about the Caribbean. This is what I love most about Miami, the Hispanic, Spanish-speaking community. In college, I was highly active with the Pre-Dental Club, and I feel strongly that these efforts have enabled me to learn many things that will be of terrific value to my pursuit of a career in dentistry.
I am open to learning new things and take the time to listen to everything people have to say, always keeping an open mind. I have pride but know when to leave it at the door; I am always humble and cheerful; I strive to be gracious and learn from my mistakes. I made the Dean's List for 4 of my eight semesters. However, my greatest weakness as an applicant is still probably my GPA. It would have been much higher if not because a close family member in the fall semester of 2013 was murdered in Colombia. The entire family relied on me for support during this very rough period. That caused my grades to drop to a 2.5 GPA for that semester since I ended up with a D in Organic Chemistry. Nevertheless, I graduated with a 3.45 GPA and earned a DAT of 21, which speaks to my tenacity under pressure.
Since Junior High School, I have been telling everyone that I want to become a dentist, and all my family members and friends have always supported that dream. Ten years from now, I see myself as a hard-working orthodontist who is heavily engaged in caring for disadvantaged youth – constantly giving something back to my community. I look forward to having a family and excelling as a husband, father, and dentist. I want my parents and the rest of our community to be proud of me.
Neither of my parents ever attended college, and I am only the second member of my extended family to do so. I will be the first to pursue a professional degree. My parents were wonderful in many ways, particularly as they showed me much of the world growing up. This has helped me cultivate great multicultural sensitivity and empathy, tending to think of myself as a global citizen. We visited Japan, China, India, Israel, Egypt, Poland, Germany, Italy, France, and Spain as I grew up and stayed in most places for weeks.
I am good at Muay Thai, Jiu-Jitsu, Basketball, and Soccer, and have participated in numerous team tournaments. I go to the gym and run marathons. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, I won first place in a video game fight due to my advanced hand-eye coordination.
My ultimate dream for the long term is to spend my final decades back in Colombia running a mobile dental clinic with a particular orientation toward helping the underserved in remote areas. I am curious what kind of 4-wheel drive vehicles might be available in another 20 to 30 years, solar-powered.
I most love dentistry because of its globalization and sense of humanitarian mission. The fact that the underserved in Colombia matter to the North American dental community makes me feel most happy to be alive at the beginning of the 21st century. My country Colombia is now signing peace accords and working hard to build a civil society that is less violent. Little by little, I want to spend increasing my time in solidarity with the dental profession in Colombia, studying, observing, helping for the long term, and building a peaceful Colombia where all people are cared for regarding their oral health.
Thank you for considering my application to become the finest dentist possible with a big heart and boundless joy.
Colombian to Dental School Multicultural
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