Application Essay: A Career As A Dental Assistant

The domino effect was at its best today. One six year old patient started crying after the injection. The five year old patient in the room next to him started crying when I walked over to the chair. The 9 year old patient getting walked back by the assistant started walking with hesitation and the hygiene patient started crying right before fluoride application. This was just another wonderful day in the pedo clinic in dental school over eight years ago. As crazy as that day sounds, I remember going home at the end of the day of a pedo rotation smiling, laughing and in a good mood. I recall my husband telling me that I was my happiest at school during my pedo rotations.
Dentistry found me in early 1994 when I was afforded an opportunity to work as a dental assistant. This opportunity started a different type of domino effect for me. This is when and where my passion for dentistry began.
In this short time I have owned my own private practice with two other partners, I have worked as an associate dentist for a company in private practice, provided treatment to thousands of American soldiers and hundreds of foreign soldiers and local nationals in Afghanistan. The most rewarding time in my career thus far was being a lead managing doctor in a general dentistry practice focusing on treatment for children in underserved areas. I was also lucky enough to practice under a great pediatric dentist which increased my interest for pediatrics. While I have enjoyed every aspect of dentistry that I have had the opportunity to experience, the time I have spent working with children gives me the most joy. Things like having a scared five year old give you a hug after the treatment and tell you that she is not scared anymore are so rewarding. So when I made the discussion to apply to the Pediatric Residency Program it was like I had found a shoe with the perfect comfortable