A walking symbol of diversity in the practice of dentistry, I look at least as much if not more like my Haitian father than my French mother; yet, I have the soul, determination, and grit of my mom, who gave 40 years of her life to the Christian missionary work. My appreciation for the Christian ethos of caring for the poor, particularly concerning their oral health, resulted in my decision to earn my DDS Degree at XXXX University, graduating with my DDS Degree in September of last year, 2012. Since that time, I have been practicing dentistry. I am currently practicing in XXXX, XXXX.
I have my eyes and heart set on making a significant, long-term, sustainable contribution to oral health care in my native Haiti; this is where I was born, grew up, and first became a dentist. As a result, I am not just from Haiti, but I am fully Haitian, and completely bicultural, and this will help me to succeed at the complex tasks that await me for decades to come on the island of my birth and my youth, my home. I sincerely hope to practice dentistry to the fullest extent that I can, both in the USA and on my island home, for many decades to come. In America, I hope to become someday a full partner in a practice with associates who are also dedicated to mission activity so that we can share experiences and strategies and support each other in our efforts to increase the scope and effectiveness of our outreach.
I hope to distinguish myself in your program at the XXXX Center for Dental Health in XXXX, XXXX, because of my profound admiration for the motivation behind your enterprise, advancing your network of XXXX Safety Net Dental Clinics in the Akron area in response to the exceedingly great needs of that community. Speaking and writing not only French, English, and Creole, I am also nearing fluency in Spanish which I see as of particularly critical importance due to the increasingly large numbers of underserved with whom I hope to continue giving my all, in Akron as in other large urban areas across the country. I find that my multicultural ethos, coupled with my versatility in language, helps to open doors for me to gain the confidence of those who most need my help. I am working especially hard on my Spanish regularly to be able to distinguish myself in the professional use of this language by the time that I begin your program.
Participating in your residency program at the Summa Center for Dental Health would serve as the perfect stepping stone for me to get precisely the kind of total immersion experience that I need in the service of large, multi-ethnic populations of the underserved with a focus on recent immigrants, primarily Hispanic. This would dovetail exceptionally nicely with my long-term plans of helping the most underserved of the underserved, my own people, the Haitian people; thinking about the long term, prevention, children in particular. I see my dual efforts to contribute to dentistry both in Haiti and in the USA to be highly complementary, each reinforcing and contributing to the other.
Other, intensive experience in XXXX would enable me to develop an increasingly sophisticated appreciation for how improved access requires working closely with local, state, and federal governments in order be able to open more clinics with incentives for doctors to work there, such as providing scholarships with a 2-year contract to come back and work in the localities, educating more dentists. The many things that I will continue to learn in the USA, hopefully in XXXX, will also serve me well for the many challenges that I will face with my mission efforts.
I discovered that I was most helpful as someone who knew everything about Haiti when I returned with a dental mission group from my University, XXXX. This mission was the high point of my life and helped to define who I am and what my long-term goals are. I am proud to have extensive experience in Haiti. In addition to 4 years of experience practicing dentistry for the some of the neediest people on the island, I also volunteered as a part-time faculty member at our only dental school. Perhaps most importantly, I spent a whole year in the countryside in the north of Haiti developing educational programs in school systems, providing oral health seminars and information concerning the importance of preventative treatment.
My father is a dentist, and he has been my leading role model throughout my life. From 2002-2006, I worked with him in his practice. We share our hopes and dreams together for the advancement of dentistry in Haiti, especially concerning establishing a national caries prevention program in the school system.
My specialty is endodontics, and I eat, sleep, and breathe oral surgery. It is a sublime art, the expression of my most profound humanity, and the vehicle of my service upon which my identity depends. I have a deep passion for bringing about new smiles, and changing people’s lives for the better and I ask for admission to your program to become the finest oral surgeon possible.
I thank you for considering my application.