An Egyptian woman and an experienced dentist now making a home for myself in the USA, I chose dentistry as my career because I always wanted to be of service, a humanitarian supporting those in need. I graduated from Pharos University of Dentistry in Alexandria, Egypt, in 2013, not at the very top of my class, but near to it. My family taught me to have noble ideals and seek a service life, helping and making the world better, healing the sick, raising people’s self-esteem, etc. Throughout my five years of dental studies, I enjoyed the hands-on practice and the challenges and decisions in developing the perfect treatment protocols and solutions. The complexity of the field, combining intense physical and mental labor and human interaction and social service, makes dentistry my ideal professional choice.
I combine my sense of spiritual mission as a dentist with my love for travel and getting to know other cultures in the Developing World. Some of the fondest moments of my life so far have been spent in a rural mountain village in Pensiangan, Malaysia, serving as part of a medical mission. Since graduating from dental school in Egypt, I have taken a variety of Continuing Education Courses and completed a fellowship program. I am certified by the Middle East Dental Society in Intensive Aesthetic Restoration. From May through December 2016, I met a Fellowship with the Faculty of Dentistry at XXXX University, collaborating with the University of Genoa, Italy.
I have been developing a particular focus on ceramic anterior and posterior composite restorations, veneer lamination, and the restoration of teeth (post and core). I am well-versed in laser applications in cosmetic dentistry and have attended dental bleaching workshops. I also completed an intensive course in Implantology and am accredited by the International Congress of Oral Implantologists and the Alexandria Oral Implantology Association. Finally, I have advanced Dento-Alveolar Surgery, Basic Life Support, and CPR training.
In preparation for entering a DDS/DMD Program and re-training to restart my career here in the USA, I completed an Observership at the UXXX School of Dentistry, shadowing Dr. XXXX, an Endodontist. I hope to be accepted to your distinguished DDS/DMD program based on my record of accomplishment and great enthusiasm, especially concerning my passion for helping the underserved. I seek the noble goal of a lifetime of service and the joyful feeling of giving people back their smiles.
As a Team Leader for World Youth Day 2011 in Spain and France, I have also been a competitive swimmer, winning several medals in Egyptian championships. I have intensive, exceptional clinical experience due to my internship, which lasted an entire year. I rotated in 3 busy hospitals that focused on our community's underserved. Most patients sought treatment when they were in pain or suffering from severe dental diseases. This has opened my eyes to my responsibility as a dentist and motivated me to increase public awareness of the importance of hygiene and preventive oral health measures. After completing my internship, I assisted for six months at the Korayem Dental Center in Egypt, assisting with full mouth rehabilitation. I came to appreciate teamwork greatly and witnessed the enormous power of dentistry to transform lives for the better. I learned much about digital smile designs and veneers, participating in group discussions, and giving presentations.
Traveling to Malaysia with XXXX Medical Services was an extraordinary epiphany. A group of 2 dentists, an internal medicine physician, a pediatrician, and a pharmacist, with local missionaries responsible for providing transportation, cooking, and assisting in translation, we traveled to some of the most rural mountain villages in the country, converting school rooms into dental clinics. I had the most rewarding experiences on my mission to Malaysia and another mission to the Philippines, which focused on restoration. The face of one young Filipino woman about 20 years old will always be with me. After completing her repair, I handed her a mirror. With tears in her eyes, she told me that dentistry is a blessing that made it possible for people who haven’t smiled in a long time to lay a big, healthy grin on the world and be seen as they are—this moment reaffirmed my dedication to the goal of progressively investing my time and energy in the service of the underserved, those who would otherwise not have access to our care.
I look forward to opening my practice at some point, continuing to serve my local community, and spending a professional lifetime on regular, international dental humanitarian missions to the Developing World.
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