Application Essay for Dental School

Why I want to pursue a career in dentistry

I grew up not knowing how important teeth are to a person . As far as I can remember , my mother has always instilled in me the value of having a healthy set of teeth . However , my siblings and I were not impressed Because of this , I grew up with some oral problems . These problems were actually ignorable until I entered the military and was forced to visit a dentist . Until then , I had no idea why dentists are important in our life

I

graduated from high school in 1995 . After that , I served the U .S army for three years and at the same time , attended a University of Maryland University college . However , I must admit that I did poorly here because I found it hard to intermix military work and studies . I had to train in the military frequently , hence my inferior academic standing . But I learned a great deal about responsibility and leadership along the way . To prove this , I received several leadership and work ethics awards for being an outstanding soldier

After serving the military from February 1995 to December 1997 , I enrolled at the Northern Virginia College where I also did very poorly earning a grade point average of only 1 .09 . My only excuse here is that I really had to work full time to financially support myself . Besides I had a hard time cooperating right after military , thus my studies had to take a backseat

After a while , I moved to New York and I am now attending the New York Institute of Technology . Even here , my dream of becoming a dentist has not waned . I am actually taking up some additional credits that are needed so I could enter dental school . At the same time , I am also into distance learning , working my way to get a degree in Criminal Justice

I know that I did very poorly in my previous academic endeavor , but circumstances back then were not favorable to me . I was young , I had to fend for own needs , and along the way I was sidetracked by several obstacles common to young people . However , I have learned my lessons very well

I guess my stint in the military helped me define my own future . It was during my military service that I met the dentist who made me dream the kind of dreams I have today . Since then , my life has gradually changed . Initially , I thought that my passion for dentistry would fade as time goes by . This is the main reason why I allowed myself to be diverted again by other things

Time has proven me wrong , though . Years after my military service , I still want to become a dentist . In fact , I recently worked as a dental assistant at a dental clinic for about six months . There I learned more about dentistry watching and assisting patients with various oral problems actually gave me confidence that now I am sure...