Dental school admission essay, Dental School Personal Statements Explained (With Examples)

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Let’s look at a quick example of how you can add personalized elements and descriptions to a clichéd statement to transform it into something that is uniquely you. Dental school admission essay

What Makes a Great Personal Statement? (Part 1 of 3)

My name is Dr. Ari Rezaei. My team and I built Bootcamp.com to provide challenging prep material to get you ready to conquer your classes and exams. I graduated from Columbia University College of Dental Medicine.

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What Makes a Great Personal Statement? (Part 1 of 3)

A personal statement can be approached from many different angles. However, all personal statements should answer the basic question of why the applicant is pursuing the profession, while shedding light on their personal qualities that can’t be evaluated from test scores. The best statements concisely answer these questions using specific life experiences that provide insight into the applicant’s background and personality to the admissions committee.

Let’s evaluate a personal statement and show you how to turn an average essay into an excellent one.

Sample Personal Statement:

When you evaluate a personal statement, it can be broken down into ten main components:

We’ll be taking a look at the bolded components for part one.

1. Grammar

We start an evaluation by reviewing grammar. Are there obvious grammar errors such as improper spelling, punctuation usage, or formatting? Multiple grammar errors and typos in a personal statement shows the admissions committee the applicant does not care enough to have their statement reviewed and edited. If the applicant can’t take the time to fix simple errors, how can the admissions committee believe the applicant will put in the time and effort to pursue the dental profession? Correcting grammar errors is an easy fix that every applicant must do.

2. Organization and Flow

We follow grammar review by evaluating the statement’s organization and flow; an incredibly important component of every personal statement. In the sample statement, the applicant follows a logical timeline, referencing life experiences that have led him to dentistry. However, there is no thesis or mission statement that gives the reader a sense of direction. In the context of a personal statement, a thesis statement lets the admissions committee know why and how you have chosen the dental profession. The thesis statement should be written first so that the remaining essay can be written and structured based on it. In the sample statement, the applicant references a mission trip and working at various clinics as how they learned they were interested in using their hands through dentistry to treat underprivileged patients. While mentioned in places throughout the statement, it needs to be stated in the beginning.

I would recommend the following thesis statement for the sample:

"After having gone on a dental mission trip to Mexico and working in various dental clinics, I have learned that dentistry will allow me to combine my manual dexterity with my desire to treat the underprivileged while constantly being challenged to improve myself professionally and as a person."

This sentence encompasses the main idea of the statement, but more importantly, gives the admissions committee a general idea of who the applicant is as a person.

3. Clarity

The clarity of a personal statement is dependent on its organization and thesis statement. One of the most common mistakes made while writing a personal statement is distracting the reader with topics that are not found in the thesis. Unfortunately, this only serves the purpose of "fluff." Keeping your personal statement concise is especially important because of the limited character count. Organization and flow help maintain an easy-to-follow timeline that creates clarity. Each paragraph should have a clear purpose, and should not deviate too far from that purpose.

4. Perception

When reading an article, you sometimes conjure up a mental image of the article author – this is your perception of the author. A statement’s perception is one of the most important components an admissions officer considers. An applicant should ask themselves the following questions when revising their essay:

Does the essay portray a future physician or dentist?

Does the essay portray an intelligent and well-informed medical or dental student?

Does the essay portray the applicant’s true personality while being positive?

Perception can be interpreted differently depending on who is reading the essay. It’s important that the statement portrays the applicant’s personality while maintaining a professional tone. The medical and dental professions are combinations of elements from different professions. There is a balance between multiple different aspects, but a few of the major elements are treating patients, learning the biomedical sciences, and being a leader in the field. It’s important not to overemphasize one component without addressing the others. The statement should not make the reader believe that another profession is more suitable for the applicant. For example, overemphasizing the desire to serve people without mentioning an interest in science and medicine would have the reader believe that ministry or social work is a better professional match.

5. Vocabulary

When you are done writing a draft of your personal statement, one of the most important things you can do is to review the vocabulary you used. You may be tempted to add "big" and "fancy" words to your essay because you want to impress the reader. However, remember that the goal of a personal statement is to "write to express, not to impress". Avoid trying to use words that you would not typically use on a day-to-day basis (for example, don't say "I was zealous to pursue dentistry" when you could just "I was passionate about dentistry"). Part of being a great dentist is to be able to communicate clearly to patients by speaking in a clear, easy-to-understand way.

Dental School Personal Statements Explained (With Examples)

A personal statement is used to supplement an application and introduce yourself in more detail than a resume allows for. When applying to dental school, including a personal statement can help to set you apart from other candidates by highlighting your relevant experiences and passions. A dental school personal statement is also a great place to emphasize what you want to do after entering the dental industry. In this article, we consider what makes an effective dental school personal statement and review a few examples to help you get started on writing your own.

What makes a good dental school personal statement?

A personal statement for buy an essay dental school might look different than a personal statement for general admission to a university. Here are a few key elements of an effective dental school personal statement:

Tell your story: The opening paragraph for a dental school personal statement should discuss an event that inspired you to choose to enter the dental industry.

Explain why you're right for the program: The second section of a dental school personal statement describes why you fit in well with the program you're applying to and why you think you would succeed there, including previous experience.

Express your passion and enthusiasm for dentistry: After highlighting the personal and professional experiences that have influenced you to apply to dental school, your personal statement should emphasize your passion for dentistry and show your enthusiasm for the field.

Describe your goals for working in the dental field: The final section of a dental school personal statement might detail the goals you want to complete once you enter the dental industry after graduation.

Dental school personal statement examples

Here are some examples of personal statements for dental school:

Example of dental school personal statement for general dentistry

The following example might be submitted with an application for a program in general dentistry:

My mother has worked as a dentist for my entire life, and hearing about her work is what inspired my interest in the dental field. Every night, we would sit down for dinner and she would tell me about what she did for her patients that day. Sometimes she would get excited, her eyes bright with good memories, recounting tales about patients who had made her laugh that day. On other days, she would calmly relay the details of the extremely difficult procedure she had performed only hours before.

No matter what the story was, I became captivated by every anecdote, and I wanted nothing more than to be like my mother and learn to do the amazing things she did. I read books about dentistry, I watched internet videos of root canals and I kept asking my mom every night about what she had done at work during the day. When I moved into a dorm for my undergraduate study, I called her each evening so our tradition could continue and so I could hear another tale of heroic dentistry.

Having been around dentistry since I was young, I am very familiar with the goings-on of a dentist's office. I couldn't observe my mother working when I was a child, but I completed my certification to work as a dental assistant as soon as I was old enough to. Once certified, I worked as a dental assistant at Teeth Time Dentistry throughout college until I graduated with my bachelor's degree in biological science.

Through working as a dental assistant, I developed the skills that build a strong foundation for a career in dentistry. Aside from office work such as scheduling appointments and keeping patient records, I learned how to sterilize tools, determine which instruments the dentist needed during procedures and correctly take x-rays for patients. Due to these experiences, I believe I would excel in your program and am excited for the work it entails.

My work at Teeth Time has intensified my desire to join the dental industry as a general dentist. Working as a dental assistant has given me the chance to become a part of the process, and I am grateful to be able to share my own dentistry stories with my mother as she shares her own. Helping people take care of their teeth makes me feel fulfilled and accomplished, especially with patients who I see on multiple occasions.

If I am admitted into your program, I plan to take advantage of every opportunity that I am presented with to gain even more hands-on experience in dentistry. As an extremely hard worker, I am confident that I can keep up with the demanding hours and amount of effort that comes with studying to be a dentist.

Due to my passion for dentistry and lifelong interest in the field, my ultimate goal is to work as a general dentist in my own private practice. I hope to continue to develop more skills and experience in the field and learn as much as I can about the terminology and protocol used in a dentist's office. Becoming a dentist is something I have always wanted to do, and this program would provide me with the circumstances and skills that are necessary to make my dream into reality.

Example of dental school personal statement for pediatric dentistry

The following example might be submitted with an application for a program in pediatric dentistry:

I knew I wanted to be a dentist after my first root canal. When I was 13 and nearing the end of seventh grade, I started to notice an ache in my tooth that persisted throughout the day. I could hardly focus on anything else, only thinking of the pain in my tooth until my mother picked me up from school and told me she was taking me to the dentist. However, my thoughts turned from my tooth to the dentist office, which had always made me nervous.

This time, however, I felt no panic as my dentist Dr. Spencer explained my x-rays in a warm tone. He told me that I would need a root canal and walked me through each step of the procedure. He made me feel comfortable, so I got ready and underwent the procedure, even laughing afterward at the numbness in my mouth. As I thought about how Dr. Spencer had made me feel so calm, I decided that I wanted to do the same thing for other kids when I grew up.

Since making the choice to pursue a career in pediatric dentistry, I have devoted my time to gaining as much experience in the field as possible. During my undergraduate study, essay buy online I completed multiple internships at the local dentist's office, Pierson Pediatric Dentistry, and shadowed the pediatric dentist for a variety of procedures. I was even able to assist during a root canal for a boy who seemed as nervous as I was back in seventh grade, and I helped to keep him calm and relaxed.

My time as an intern at Pierson Pediatric Dentistry involved learning how to be of assistance during any portion of a visit, from welcoming patients and preparing them for examination or cleaning to handing surgical instruments to the practicing dentist. I also learned how to process x-rays and became familiar with dental terminology used in the office.

My experiences at Pierson Pediatric Dentistry have only increased my interest in entering the dental field, and your school's pediatric dentistry program is the perfect place for me to continue my learning, as you offer clinical rotations in a pediatric dentist's office. I believe my ability to work well with children and my knowledge of dental practice operations make me an ideal candidate for your program.

There is still so much I have to learn, and I hope to become a pediatric dentist that children feel comfortable coming to visit. Learning from the dental professionals at your school, especially through field observation, is something that I'm certain will help me improve my abilities as a dentist and further my knowledge of dentistry practices and protocol. I am prepared for the work that completing your program entails and could not be more excited to take the next step toward earning my degree and becoming a pediatric dentist.

Because of my empathetic personality and capacity to remain calm in stressful situations, I have already helped children who visited Pierson Pediatric Dentistry overcome their fear of the dentist, and I hope I can continue to do so by completing your program and opening my own practice. My goal is to show as many children as I can that, while going to the dentist's office can be anxiety-inducing, everyone in the office is there to help.

Since learning how to be comfortable at the dentist's office during my own root canal, I understand the importance of having a capable dentist who can display empathy and care for each patient, especially patients who are younger and outwardly afraid. I hope that, by opening my own practice, I can ensure that every child who comes for any kind of visit from a cleaning to a root canal has the ability to let go of their fear and feel relaxed while I take care of their teeth.

Dental school admission essay, Dental school admission essay