Explain Why I Chose Dentistry

One of the biggest challenges I have faced was moving to America from Pakistan. The transition was difficult; I left childhood memories, family, and close friends behind. However, this portion of my life had a strong influence on the impact I want to have on impoverished populations. Seeing a dentist in Pakistan is a privilege that most of the families couldn’t afford. In those 17 years, it was rare for my family and I to have our teeth professionally cleaned or have a regular dental checkup. Dental insurance did not exist, and everything had to be, and still is, paid for in advance prior to seeing the dentist. Consequently, the majority of the Pakistani population have unsanitary dental hygiene. This sparked my interest in pursuing dentistry as a profession where I can help provide dental care to underserved
I had finally been given the opportunity to continue my higher education at an American institution. I knew that this was the chance I had been waiting for: the chance to study dentistry in a country where oral hygiene is incredibly important. However, there were several hurdles along the way I needed to overcome. Initially, I was completely unaware of how the American education system operated. My poor background in the English language made it even harder to overcome this obstacle. To add to this stress, my father was diagnosed with acute arthritis in his neck; a cervical spine fusion in C6 and C7 was pinching the nerve in his right arm, which was causing it to go numb. He wasn’t able to work and went through an extensive amount of painful physical therapy. The circumstances made it harder for me to focus on my dreams. Unfortunately, I had to work fulltime while I was still a fulltime student in college, which was detrimental to my grades. However, I worked even harder and by the time I was a junior in college, I was maintaining dean’s list as a full time student, while working