The youngest of eight children, I am the first to attend college because my parents developed such high hopes for me and worked so hard that we might have at least one professional in our family. I studied biology at a university in my home country of Vietnam for three years until we immigrated to the United States when I was 21. Here in the USA, I completed a BS Degree in Dental Hygiene in preparation for my dream of going to dental school.
I worked especially hard to improve my English so that I would be accepted by and do well in the Dental Hygiene Program. I worked as a Dental Hygienist Assistant at the same time that I studied full time for four and a half years. I have seen many teeth, and I have learned things from my job. I was determined to become a caring, compassionate dental hygienist, and I am pleased with what I have accomplished professionally in preparation for dental school, and I am proud of the Clinical Achievement Certificate that was awarded to me by the Dental Hygiene Program at the University of New Haven, CT.
Since 2009, I have been employed as a Dental Hygienist and can’t wait to start work each day; I genuinely love my work. I relate well to my patients and receive excellent feedback from them. I have undertaken the whole range of work that my qualification permits and have assisted in all kinds of procedures and treatments undertaken by dentists. I regard my work as a vocation rather than a job, and I find it enormously fulfilling on a human level.
In 2005 and 2008, I returned to Vietnam as a volunteer and worked with several organizations. I spent time in remote, rural communities teaching children to read, repairing houses, and providing general assistance. I also worked, for a time, in the Hospital for Tropical diseases as a patient representative, amongst other duties.
Earlier this year, I volunteered to work with ‘XXXX, a ‘flying doctor’ service to the poor in Mexico, Central America, and areas of southeastern California with high numbers of migrant workers. In March of this year, I was part of a team treating 1,500 patients seeking free medical, dental, and optometric care as well as, physical therapy, acupuncture, and other health services in Desert Mirage High School near Indio, CA. I have also worked in highly challenging and essential conditions in various locations in Huachinera, in Mexico, last May 2011, also with LMV, where I had the privilege of personally attending to 40 patients, all with deplorable oral hygiene.
One day at the XXXX High School, I treated approximately 36 patients in one day alone; and I have never felt so satisfied at any other time in my life. The only regret that I have for that hectic day was that I was unable to do any more than cleaning; there was a desperate need for filling and extraction, and I desperately wanted to be able to do this as well, and I thought about it for the entire 8-hour drive back to my home. I mark that drive home in my mind as the moment of no return: I would become a dentist and give my all to helping care for underprivileged populations.
I find that when I help those who are in most desperate need of my help, I can sleep better; I feel better about myself and am revitalized. I hope to spend a lot of time in the future helping to develop programs in the Developing World, especially in my native Vietnam. I hope to serve as an essential role model, as a dentist, to young Vietnamese girls and to continuously work to convince them of the importance of professional service, for women as well as men, recent immigrants included.
Cultural awareness and sensitivity are critical in health care provision. I have personally experienced the challenges involved in adjusting to a new cultural environment, and so I can empathize with others in this situation. I have happily studied, worked, and socialized with people from many different cultural and social backgrounds and look forward to extending these experiences in your program.
I know there will be many well-qualified applicants for the program, but I genuinely regard myself as an excellent candidate. I am a hard-working person, very dedicated, driven, passionate, and caring. I have significant and relevant experience, and I am dedicated to improving dental health, especially among those who most need education and treatment. I think that my experience, coupled with my determination and dedication, gives me a chance to excel in your program, and I want to thank you for considering me for that privilege.
