I am a young Canadian-Iranian man who, along with his family, has come a long way, both physically and intellectually. Born in Ahvaz, Iran, and raised in Toronto, I consider myself to be a citizen of the world, an intellectual, and most of all, a public servant. My love for technological advancement and with my deep appreciation for the hope presented by this technology, especially in the areas of health care and communication, resulted in my choice of Computer Science as an undergraduate major. Yet, in the long term, I want to make my mark in life by becoming a dentist. One of my greatest strengths as a candidate for dental school is my passion for making the most of scientific advancement for the ongoing enhancement of dental care, both at home, here in Canada, and by taking advantage of the fact that Canada is rapidly becoming a world leader in terms of both technological advancement and also progressive, humanitarian policies and outreach to less-developed nations.
My long-term goal is to establish my own dental practice here in Canada; closely tied to this desire, however, is my dedication to lifetime learning and humanitarian service. I will always be conscious of the fact that I am Iranian as well as Canadian. I hope to contribute to improved relations between my nation of origin and the West, to become active in promoting advances in oral health care in Iran—on the Internet, for example—as well as democracy and improved relations with the West. I dream of someday establishing a free dental clinic in Iran in the service of Iranians with scarce economic resources who continue to suffer from the isolation and oppressive militarization of our country, which impedes advancement in health care for our people.
I look forward to a lifetime of hard work promoting oral health care in both of my native languages, Farsi, as well as English.
In addition to becoming a dental practitioner, I also have the hope of teaching dentistry at some point in my career. I have established myself as a successful tutor over the years, and I love passing on my knowledge and experience. My most robust personal ability is my manual dexterity, proven as a mechanic, a computer hardware specialist, calligrapher, and drummer. In addition to my love for teaching, my fine manual skill, and my excellent understanding of technology, I also hope to bring to dental school a solid grounding in the importance of social service, especially as a result of my service as a volunteer with XXXX International. I fully intend to make street children a high priority in my own professional service both here in Canada and in Iran, providing them with the unique gift of dental care, fully aware of how it is often such a critical factor in the development of self-esteem and the ability to achieve an education, becoming productive and prosperous members of society.
Shadowing two dentists here in Toronto for over a year has provided me with indispensable first-hand knowledge of the challenges and rewards of the practice of dentistry. As a result, I am most confident that there is no part of dentistry that I will not find enormously fulfilling. I especially love the high-focus, delicate precision tasks performed with one´s hands, the way this requires constantly expanding levels of creativity as well as diagnostic prowess. Patient satisfaction is what I see as the primary and most fundamental reward.
I also feel that I am a strong candidate for the dental program due to having faced and overcome numerous challenges to arrive at this point in life. Having made my own education my most constant companion and priority, I was always fascinated with math and science. Yet, maintaining good grades in school was a continual struggle, since I also had to work to help support myself and my family, as a result of our immigrant, working-class, social, and economic status. I grew up surrounded by the unique challenges of the child of an underprivileged neighborhood. Yet, I am especially thankful for the grace and wisdom that that I have attained, and the fact that I now recognize my background as a spiritual and moral asset, contributing to my seriousness, maturity, and sobriety as a man of only 25, and something that that will enhance my capacity to help other underprivileged children to thrive and to appreciate the beautiful gift of life more fully. For these reasons, coupled with my social consciousness, and my scientific and technological proficiency, I am convinced that I will make a most excellent dentist.