I am a 25-year-old Saudi woman who lives in Boston. I was born in Champaign, Illinois, while my parents studied there, so I am American. I have spent half of my life in America and the other half in Jeddah, our liberal Mecca on the Arabian Peninsula, an oasis of tolerance, understanding, and learning in an Arab world that is often most restrictive, especially for women. I love Jeddah dearly and want to practice dentistry in both countries. I first became a dentist in Saudi Arabia for several reasons; now, I want to become one in America. My long-term goal is to become a professor of endodontics at the King Abdulaziz University School of Dentistry in Jeddah, where I went to dental school.
I passionately believe in American ideals, especially pursuing happiness and one’s dreams. Unlike most girls, I was drawn to the physical sciences since childhood. By the time I was in high school, I was incredibly passionate about mathematics and physics, even measuring my sense of self-worth by my level of success at solving math problems. After completing high school in 2004, I toyed with becoming an architect and constructing huge buildings and unique, beautiful houses with my name on them. I had to adjust to the fact that no architecture programs admitted women in the KSA. Now that I am more mature, however, at 25, I am most pleased that I chose to become a dentist. I thrive on the science of dentistry, but I now vastly appreciate the gift of touch, healing and preserving health, and the human intimacy of dentistry.
Almost one in five residents in my city, Jeddah, live in poverty. Awareness of the problem has grown, and plans have been drawn up to reduce the poverty rate to only 2.2% by 2020. If such a transformation were to take place, even on a more modest scale, I am convinced that improved social structures of oral health have an essential role in this war on poverty. Being accepted into your program and completing the finest dentistry training in the world will provide me with consummate credentials as well as a toolkit of ideas and network resources so that I will have the privilege of being at the forefront of developments in the improvement of oral care, at least in Jeddah if not in the KSA as a whole.
While I was in my fourth year of dental school, during our holy vacation (Eid), my mom woke up crying from severe pain in her mouth due to a badly decayed tooth. All clinics were closed because of the holiday. She spent two days and two sleepless nights crying in pain until we could get her to a clinic for treatment. Those two days are etched in my mind forever. I wanted so desperately to help her, and I felt ashamed because I was a fourth-year dental student and could not do anything except comfort her with words that I now think made her cry even more. From that day forward, I have had a singular purpose that improved my grades and enabled me to excel at what I have set my heart on - endodontics.
While I want to be highly competent and certified to practice in all areas of general dentistry, endodontics has a special place in my heart. This is because I live to alleviate pain and suffering. It is here that I find my greatest joy, going to the root of the pain and taking it away. I am meticulous, especially in endodontics, paying attention to minute detail. I also see being both punctual and patient to be of tremendous importance. My other strong points are that I speak English fluently and am physically fit. I love sports, especially badminton, and jogging.
Attending your program at XXXX University is my dream, and I would be incredibly honored to be accepted to your program. This would give me an excellent chance to achieve my goal of becoming an endodontic professor at my dental college in Jeddah. I look forward to many challenging decades teaching Saudi Arabian dental students how to manage pain optimally, providing patients with prompt, highly professional, and pain-free dental treatments.
Thank you for your consideration of my application.
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