I am a young black female artist, born and raised in Los Angeles, California, who wants very much to become a dentist. My parents are from Nigeria, and I am very proud of my African heritage. I like very much to contribute to progressive social change in America and become a role model for other members of my family, to set an excellent example as a black female professional for other young black women. When one thinks of dentists in America, the black woman does not immediately come to mind, and I am proud to be one of the black women who are actively working on challenging this type of stereotype.
I earned a BS Degree in Biochemistry from the University of XXXX in 2005. This year, I graduated from XXXX University in Florida with an MS Degree in Biomedical Science. Someday, I would like to have my own dental practice. I especially look forward to having the privilege to serve the dental needs of underprivileged or underserved communities. I am firmly convinced that teaching needy families the importance of good oral hygiene and treating those families based on a sliding fee based on their income would be the most significant contribution that I could possibly make to my society in the future. Many people, especially members of ethnic minorities in poor urban areas, simply don't have the money to visit a dentist. I want to devote my professional life to addressing this problem. Community service has always stood at the forefront of my focus so far in my adult life. As an undergraduate student, I started a reading program for elementary school students, organizing college students and arranging for them to go to local elementary schools and read to the students. I also tutored elementary and junior high school students as both an undergraduate and graduate student. Also, in preparation for my career in dentistry, I have volunteered at various dental practices. Currently, I work for a company that manages laboratory testing for numerous doctors' offices. In this position, I have the opportunity to analyze patients' blood work under the guidance of my medical director. I see dentistry as the perfect fusion of science and art, and I am a very artistic person. I love to draw, paint, and stitch. I feel that the practice of dentistry will suit me very well insofar as it is in line with my high level of motivation, my deep passion for caring for others, my attention to detail, and the physical skill that I have long cultivated as an artist.
My life has not always been easy. As a freshman, I had to endure the death of my grandmother, to who I was very close to. I fell into a severe depression, and my grades sharply declined. Nevertheless, I managed to continue with my studies, remained active in my community, and was accepted into a graduate program in biomedical science. I feel that I have matured enormously and that I have now achieved a solid scientific background that will serve me well in dental school. I firmly believe that I will be an excellent dentist because of my determination, my ability to relate well to people, work well with my hands, and my passion for community service. Someday, I would like to return to Nigeria (where I lived as a child with my grandmother for five years) to help them improve their systems of dental care and education. In time, I hope to become involved with a program such as DentistsWithoutBorders.org and devote much of my time to working in Africa among some of the most desperately poor and needy people on the planet, perhaps, in particular, in my native Nigeria where I can take advantage of my fluency in Igbo. I want to thank you for your consideration of my application.
