Adversity and struggle build character. I have become who I am today because of the challenges I have overcome through my childhood and adult life. These challenges helped shape my morals, goals, aspirations and beliefs.
A personal turning point was my experience immigrating to America. It changed me as a person. As a sixteen year old teenager with no knowledge of the English language, the unfamiliar environment was both a frightening and motivating experience for me. Without any similarly situated peers or any formal ESL program, I had to learn English on my own both to succeed in school and to overcome the social ostracism that accompanies difference. Today I am more appreciative of the challenges that our multicultural society presents to those on its fringes. I want to ensure that its virtues are shared by all and I look forward to using my heightened cultural awareness in my chosen career as a physician. Having been born in Iran and visiting a variety of countries, I have experienced the fascinating diversity that is our world. Thus, I have learned how important it is to place one's self in the position of others in order to understand their experiences. This awareness has allowed me to relate to a wide variety of people and to serve my prospective patients more empathetically.
From an early age, I had a passion for the medical profession, a passion for science and preventative care. This passion led me to explore the field of dentistry. I began by interning as a dental assistant at the office of Dr. Abar. Working alongside Dr. Abar further solidified my passion for dental school and familiarized me with the day-to-day work of a dentist. The internship was a great assurance that dentistry would be a great fit for me. I learned that to succeed and be a great dentist and provide the best care for patients, a dentist must truly and genuinely love his/her profession. The internship further helped expose me to the daily job activities of a dentist thus enabling me to further ensure that this was a suitable career for me. I feel privileged and grateful for having had this experience since it allowed me to find out my true calling in life and confirmed for me that dentistry is the best profession in line with my aspirations and interests.
I transferred to SFSU and joined the SFSU pre-dental society. As a member of the pre-dental society, I volunteered as a dental assistant at the Student-Run Free Dental Clinic Project. With the help of volunteer health professionals, the clinics offered services to the underserved and homeless community of San Francisco. Volunteering at the clinics helped me understand clinic operations and raised my awareness of community needs, and the work needed to address those needs.
My experiences have made me certain that dentistry is the best choice for me. From moving to a foreign country by myself to my fortunate professional and volunteering work that instilled and reinforced my caring and compassion for others what I learned was that I have what it takes to succeed in being a great dentist. My experiences and exposure to different cultures from around the world have prepared me to be more than just a dentist that treats dental decay, but one that cares for the well-being of everyone regardless of socio-economic or ethnic backgrounds. I strive to give back to those around me and to be a servant of my community. Every door I have opened in my life so far has led me to the conclusion that I want to become a dentist. I feel that a career in dentistry would allow me to combine my interests in healthcare with my passion to be a compassionate caregiver. Now, as I stand poised to open the next door, I am eagerly anticipating what is on the other side. I am certain that I can bring promise and perseverance, a commitment to serving those in need of my care and an unrelenting passion for learning, and that these characteristics will lead me to my goal of being a successful professional, and more importantly, a passionate member of the professional community as well as the society as a whole.