My father has been a practicing dentist in Rhode Island for the past 28 years, since the year I was born. I have had constant exposure to the practice of dentistry throughout my life. I am especially proud of the fact that he has always provided care for people irrespective of their economic status. The profession of dentistry has given so much to me and my family and I realize, by obtaining a degree in dentistry, that I will be able to give something back to the community.
It took me a long time, however, to understand and embrace my calling. As with many young people, I did not know early on what I wanted to do, and I sometimes resented my parents' direction. I did enjoy working at my father's office during the summers of my high school days, but I did not want others making a career choice for me and I wanted to see what else was out there. This youthful passion and lack of maturity resulted in many disagreements with my parents and my grades suffered during my undergraduate years. It was not until my graduation day at XXX University that my life came full circle, and I decided that other paths were not for me, and that dentistry was my calling. Since then, my focus, dedication, and commitment have been focused on becoming a dentist.
Throughout the course of my undergraduate years, I came to understand more about life and achieved greater focus on what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Even though my academic performance was just average, growing from a young man to a mature adult was invaluable. I began to see my compassion and empathy as my greatest gifts and helping people my greatest joy in life. I especially enjoyed my psychology classes in college because of my inquisitiveness about human nature, learning how to become an excellent listener, and the importance of being mindful of and attentive to others. I am very thankful to my parents for giving me the opportunity to learn through my mistakes, finish my degree in psychology at Boston University, and press on with full determination and perseverance to accomplish the task at hand. During my final year, I began to manage my time more effectively as well as improve my study habits as I continued to learn and mature as a person. But I knew that after graduation I still faced an arduous task in accomplishing my dream of becoming a dentist.
Painfully aware of the inadequacy of my grades at XXX University, especially in my science courses, I labored to redeem myself by making up these courses at Providence College in Rhode Island. I wanted to prove to dental schools that I have the work ethic and intellect to handle the courses at dental school. At PC, I have taken all my required classes for Dental School and finished them with a science grade point average of 3.23, as well as having the invaluable experience of assisting with cancer research in the lab of Dr. ____. Furthermore, I have been shadowing at a dental laboratory, seeing how dentures and crowns are made. At the same time, I have also been working as a dental assistant and preparing myself for the DAT through a Kaplan review class, and very much looking forward to improving my scores when I re-take the test. Most recently, I have taken over the business side of my father's dental practice, assisting the office manager with the accounting and continuing to bolster my science background by taking additional courses in microbiology and human physiology. Simultaneously working and going to school has been difficult, but I believe that I have now achieved a solid preparation that will serve me well in Dental School.
I have matured a great deal over the last several years and I have the necessary tools to succeed in dental school. I am full of energy and highly motivated with a steady focus. I ask for the privilege of giving my all towards the noble goal of becoming an extraordinarily successful student of dentistry and, in this way, prove and establish myself as a public servant. I also feel that my psychology degree has helped prepare me to become an excellent dentist, someone who understands the difficulties in life that people face, especially those members of our community with few economic resources. My father is one of a handful of dentists in Rhode Island who accept patients on public assistance. Like him, I wish to devote my professional life to caring for the most underserved members of our society. I want to thank you for your consideration of my application to join your program.
Dental School Personal Statement Psychology
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