Sample by My Essay Writer
When my cousin had his college convocation, I was standing beside him under the tent and thought to myself that he’s not a “kid” anymore. The same feeling didn’t strike myself when it was my time to graduate, but a feeling of liberation did. So I packed a knapsack and went abroad to chase the dream of a vagabond. I settled down in Central America and became a math teacher for a bunch of seniors.
The carefree lifestyle made me come to the realization that I was a terrible teacher despite the praises I get for raising test scores- I am stumped at any request for advices on future and career from my students! I couldn’t give a proper answer because I am just as confused as my kids! Then an excellent opportunity came along when a local dental office took me as a volunteer to help out with the increasing Anglophone population in the area. Initially the whole practice seemed mundane to me save for the conversations exchanged with the patients. My fascination began with radiography procedures first when the chief surgeon showed me an x ray of an infected tooth. He then took his time to explain what he’d do next, a root canal treatment. Although I lost track in all the terminologies, I learned that the infection had to be removed and a new post would be inserted. A few days later I was given a new x ray of the same tooth, and the tiny yet significant difference between the two graphs made me jumpy; the tooth was filled with a post that was about a few mms long max! Most importantly, I was touched by the exclamation uttered by the healed patient- I sleep like a baby again! I started to appreciate the work of a dentist, regarding them as miniature artists rather than healthcare workers.
The gradual flourishing of interests in the dental work became the drive for many of my self-explorations. I started viewing more x-ray graphs of various cases, and I would give a little analysis of my own. It wasn’t a successful process as the final diagnosis deviated very much from that of my own. On the other hand, I watched in awe as the dentists swiftly implanted all kinds of prosthetic devices into narrow spaces between the teeth and gums, thinking that it would take me a few decades to profess such technique. I instantly related what I saw to my undergraduate anatomy classes, remembering that classes on bone anatomy were always my favorite. My new interests and understanding taken in the dental industry gave me the idea of studying dentistry, but I faced the fact that I had very little preparation or guidance for the profession. In addition, I had to admit that despite my childhood interests of making handcrafts, I neglected the ability of hands when I’m all grown up.
The doubt of my own suitability for the dental profession and fear for failure led to many talks between me and my students. They were happy to hear from me that everybody can find their true calling in life, and sometimes it takes time and experimenting. They also encouraged me to seek “help” from people who are in the field the same way they looked for advice from me who has gone through 4 years of college. Following their suggestion, I emailed many laboratories in the faculty of dentistry and was given an opportunity to work on a project on bone resorption.
Work at the lab eventually proved to be a crucial step towards my determination to study dentistry. Over the past 8 months, I was trained on several qualities required for professions in dentistry, or even healthcare in general. I was introduced to many concepts in bone formation/resorption and their consequences in human physiology/pathology. As a result, the procedures I observed in the dental clinic started to make sense to me. Several key differences between dental practice in North America and that in Central America also fueled me with questions and ideas. Furthermore to investigate the underlying mechanisms, I narrowed down my focus to cells like osteoclasts and spent months on “wet lab” work to study their interactions. Benchwork was a great chance for me to improve my eye-hand precision and coordination, and long hours of repetitive pipetting helped me achieve endurance in a lab setting. Last but not least, I learned to appreciate the importance of software usage in statistical analysis. Computer systems used in bone histology and radiography opened up my view, and I can see their future applications in dentistry. After talking to several colleagues who are foreign-trained dentists, I also learned the potential in dental research, as it combines the actual practice with basic science.
With the finishing of my DAT exam, now I feel ready and hopeful for this year’s application towards the 4 year DMD degree. It didn’t seem like a dream to be working as a dentist, but more like a process. With steps taken, patience invested and always a mind willing to learn, I believe I can become a qualified dentist!
