Dentistry Personal Statement

I believe “Healthcare is a right, not a privilege”. It can’t be emphasized enough that healthcare should be accessible to all, irrespective of income status. Growing up in a developing country, I realized that limited access to care, lack of awareness and poverty were the major contributing factors for deteriorating health in people. Dentistry forms a crucial component as oral health is “a window to overall health”. These factors galvanized me to engage in the dental profession.

Dentistry appealed to me because of its essential role in medical conditions that contribute to the overall health. While each day presents its own set of unique challenges, the need to provide pain relief is critical. Additionally, the myriad of dental procedures

Being one of the essential tools in my repertoire, I utilize these strong communication skills to build rapport with patients, and by empathizing and active listening, I am able to earn their trust. While in dental school, I interacted with people struggling with nicotine addiction and counseled them through motivational interviewing techniques, besides educating them about the detrimental consequences which can range from a simple lesion to fatal oral cancer. This approach inspired many of them to try and quit. Coming across a myriad of patients, ranging from potentially uncooperative to the cooperative, from a child to an elderly person, I proved to be highly adaptable and compassionate. As I recall my dental school experience of a young girl who needed a root canal and was stressed when told about it, I was able to use interpersonal skills to educate her and after some hesitation, she agreed to complete the recommended treatment. While working at esteemed organizations, such as the American Red Cross and Rosie’s Place, I learned volunteering could be more than just medical or dental services. Serving food or working in a pantry is not only a great way to give back to the community, but also helps build a relationship with the

The program laid a strong foundation for me and highlighted the challenges in healthcare, along with a growing trend focusing on population health. This academic knowledge, suitably augmented by my internship training at a health center, further signified the importance of addressing social determinants of health to attain favorable outcomes at a population health level. Furthermore, I realized that the separation of oral health and medical care, be it reimbursement models or clinical training, creates artificial barriers and hampers our ability as healthcare professionals to provide 'whole person' care. Through endeavors like Oral Health Integration Project and the NNOHA (National Network for Oral Health Access) Benchmark Project, I came across resources, such as Safety-net oral health programs that provide innovative solutions to help bridge the gap between oral health care and primary care. As part of my job responsibilities, I utilized these resources to improve integration between the Pediatric, Adult Medicine and Dental department, so patients with access to primary care at the health center are able to access dental care as well. Recognizing that one of the crucial issues common to both oral health and primary care is the opioid epidemic in the US, I am currently writing a review article on ‘Importance of Opioids in Dentistry’ under the guidance of Dr.