DrStudentDentist

While we’re on the subject of personal statements, I might as well include some key points I learned going through the process as well and looking back on it.

1) Quality beats quantity any day
After I had drafted and edited my essay, I was a bit self-conscious that it was hanging onto page 2 by a sliver of 2 sentences. This was my chance to shine and I could only come up with 683 words. What was I to do? Nothing, I copied and pasted that sucker right into AADSAS and sent it off*. I said what I had to say succinctly and to try to puff it up any more would be 1) not my style and 2) looking back, unnecessary. I imagine admission staff are actual living, breathing people and they see the world as you and I see the world so if you’ve finalized your essay and got a second opinion on it, more than likely, it’s good to go.

*Wanna hear something blasphemous? I didn’t even indent!

2) Play up your strengths - If you got it, flaunt it
I didn’t have much under my belt before getting serious. Up to that point, I had zero volunteer hours, was part of zero organizations, and did zero research. Was I going to base my personal statement around those things? No, my personal statement would have been really short. Instead, I talked about what I did do. I did ace my upper division biology courses. I was top of biochemistry class. I was a TA (for 2 classes actually) and I was nominated for an award based on my stellar work as a TA. The fact that I did all that after I had horrible grades need not be mentioned. Having horrible grades prior does not subtract from the fact that I did all those things but writing about them does. In the essay, the goal is to convey what you can bring to the dental school. A spoonful of confidence (based on real results) can go a long way.

Plus, they have a complete record of my grades - A’s and D’s. What they don’t have are letter grades quantifying my drive, dedication to the field of dentistry and unwavering perseverance. Let that stuff shine in your essay - backed by real results, obviously.

So if you’ve worked in a dental office, you can talk about the exposure you got, what you’ve learned about being a team player, how it cemented your desire for dentistry even further. If you have great grades already, you can talk about the extracurricular activities that make you stand out, that round you out as an applicant - from surfing to knitting. It can all be linked back to life experience and in that way, make you a better applicant.

3) If you don’t got it, what can you do to change that?

If you’re like me and had nothing to list under manual dexterity, what can you do to change that? For the summer of 2007, I signed up for ceramics and piano lessons, in addition to yoga. I got into biking and volunteered at a dental office. Since I couldn’t list them under exhibiting manual dexterity or anywhere for that matter, I took the liberty to let the admissions staff know, in my personal statement, that I would be gaining some manual dexterity skills soon enough. I think this lets them know that I’m committed to learning, that I know where I can improve and I’m taking the steps in the right direction, and that I will be a well-rounded applicant. And even if I wasn’t all those things when I wrote the essay, by the time I’m 6 inches from them, I would be.

Remember, your personal statement is unique to you. Aside from accentuating your strengths and being grammatically sound, there is no one recipe for your story.

What does your tale say about you?

Ben, from DMDstudent, commented on my blog! eeek. I’m as giddy as a schoolgirl.

Ben is really amazing. He balances the dental school thing and a family - with kids to boot. Very awesome.

I started reading his blog when I was applying the 1st time, to get an idea of what being a dental student was like. It wasn’t until my 2nd time applying that I began using it as a resource. I was lost trying to come up with another personal statement as my first one wasn’t turning heads. I hadn’t written anything other than biology lab reports. And the history class I took requiring essays, I opted for pass/no credit and walked out of the class with no credit. It was sad times and even sadder thinking I needed some inspiration and there wasn’t any to be had. Then this article, AADSAS Personal Statement Essay, showed up on DMDstudent with links to sample personal statements written by real pre-dents. Reading them showed me that you don’t have to be an English major to write acceptance worthy personal statements.

That’s a good thing. I was freaking out and putting lots of pressure on myself to pump out modern day Shakespeare and since I didn’t fit the mold of I-wanted-to-be-a-dentist-since-conception or I’m-the-Harry-Potter-of-the-dentistry-world-can’t-you-see-the-flowable-composite-coursing-my-veins, coming up with a way to prove myself worthy in my essay seemed a daunting task. In the end, I managed a 683 word piece telling my story in my own way. You can read it below:

“Dentistry is a multifaceted profession that includes being a businessman, a manager, a salesman, an educator, a craftsman, and an artist, in addition to the role as a doctor” — this was the summary of his job a dentist gave me that finally convinced me I wanted to become one, as well. These roles are what I have attempted to incorporate into my life in order to prepare myself to be successful in the profession.

Since the winter of 2003, I have worked at my family’s dental clinic as a receptionist. On slower days, I would observe the dentists working in their operating rooms. I was intensely fascinated with the work the dentists performed — the way they kept a patient calm, even as they cut into their mouths and repaired their damaged teeth. My parents and I worked out a schedule whereby I shadowed a doctor for an hour for every three hours of work at the front desk. By now, I have observed ten dentists for approximately 500 hours in total. I had the opportunity to watch common preventative procedures as well as more serious operations, such as alveoplasty. While working in the Brooklyn-based dental office, I encountered patients from many cultures and backgrounds. Under these circumstances, I developed an understanding of what makes a dental office a welcoming environment for all patients.

After researching the field and conversing with the dentists I was shadowing, I developed a passion for dentistry and decided to commit to the profession. I knew the first step was to turn around my academics. Since I had underperformed in my lower-level science courses, I knew my effort in my upper-level science courses would have to be especially ambitious. For the following semester, I took on an aggressive course load, including Organic Chemistry II and lab, Cell Biology, and Genetics. Despite advice to lighten my schedule, I knew the goal was realistic; I performed well and scored no lower than A- in my science courses. This achievement continued into the next semester as well, where I ranked top of the class in Biochemistry I.

One of the best things that has come out of my success in my upper division biology courses was the option to become a teaching assistant in the courses in which I was most interested. I enjoy being a TA because it allows me be a guide to undergraduates who, like me, only became serious students late in their academic career. I make lecture recordings available to students, make myself available outside my office hours, and hold voluntary question-and-answer sessions before exams. My professor was so impressed with my dedication that he nominated me for a student leadership award, but more important than the recognition I received was the opportunity I had to educate.

This summer, I will be combining the above elements of my life — work, academics, and helping people — by going across the country to be a part of a dentist’s office in Palo Alto, CA. This position will allow me to see the operation and management of a dental office different than that with which I have experience. A new and different patient pool, with a different dentist managing his team, will allow me to get out of my comfort zone of my family’s dental practice and provide further perspective on running a dental clinic. I will also be extending the success I have achieved in my academic life into my personal life by taking on activities for personal enrichment, such as learning Mandarin Chinese and taking up hobbies such as playing piano and sculpting — the latter two of which will also help me develop manual dexterity.

In these ways, I continue to expand my experience in each of the different roles of a dentist. Whether dealing with the day-to-day activities of running a clinic, applying the academic medical knowledge to the treatment of my patients, or educating patients and future dentists about the profession and dental health, I want to be prepared to perform in a way that exemplifies what it is to be a dentist.”

In other news: I will be revisiting Taking the DAT! No worries, kay?