Hi, this is my first time using this site. I am going to apply for the GKS program next year, and I would like to get advice on my personal statement. this is the prompt that they give us. Thank you.
- motivations with which you apply for this program
- Educational background
- Significant experiences you have had; persons or events that have had a significant influence on you
- Extracurricular activities such as club activities, community service activities or work experiences
- If applicable, describe awards you have received, publications you have made, or skills you have acquired, etc
The first time I truly knew I was meant to be a dentist was the day my patient saw herself in the mirror with her new complete dentures after many years of not having any teeth. The happiness I felt when I saw her smiling is a feeling I want to keep experiencing for as long as I can, in that moment I realized I had a power in me to make great things happen.
I can say everything started when I got my braces taken off at the age of 15. When I walked out of that office, after two whole years of monthly visits, I kept wondering if one day I could become someone like my dentist, someone cool who gave people the confidence to smile again. Years after that, in high school, my teachers advised me to find something to experience before deciding on what career to pursue. Consequently, I decided to give dentistry a try and signed up for volunteering at a local dental office. In my time there I enjoyed seeing patients smile after their pain was managed or when they first saw themselves without braces. As I was doing these service hours, I decided that dentistry was the path I wanted to walk through. As a result of that experience and my hard work, I got into dental school and moved states, which was a very hard decision to make being an only child and because my dad had just passed away. However, I did it in order to become someone in life.
Certainly, dentistry isn't an easy career to pursue but I find it is a very gratifying experience since for me it was very important to pursue a profession geared towards helping people despite their social or economic status. It is a very noble calling in which you get to aid people from all kinds of upbringings and ages, cease their pain, give them back the ability to eat their favorite foods and the confidence to smile again. As a student I enjoyed going to class and laboratories especially oral rehabilitation, I found myself enjoying more learning about how to help total and partial edentulous patients as well as those who needed full mouth rehabilitations. Later, on my 5th and last year of clinics, I got to help my own patients taking an integral approach to their treatments, going through all the dentistry's areas in order of importance. However the rehabilitation treatments were always my favorite to perform since it is usually the last step of the treatment it is the most rewarding for the patient because at the end it is what the patient remembers the most. During these years I encountered all kinds of hardships but the support from my mother kept me going and I finally finished my bachelor's degree.
After graduation, I started one year of social service as an intern in one of my school faculty clinics where I was in charge of doing the first checkup and diagnosis to new patients who attended the clinic, then canalized these patients to the undergraduate students doing their practices. Likewise my coworkers and I were in charge of administrative tasks as well as having our own patients and doing early oral health campaigns in schools in the area, through my work as an intern, I learned the importance of leadership and team work.
To broaden my knowledge, I decided to work with one of my past professors in his private practice to allow myself to explore my interest in prosthodontics. I worked with him for two years as an assistant and a doctor to start my private practice. I gained new skills and reinforced my knowledge on many topics as I got to work with specialists in all dentistry's areas. I learned and practiced about digital dentistry, dental photography, esthetic dentistry, implantology with a focus on full mouth rehabilitation as well as adhesive dentistry, putting special attention to diagnostic and dental materials which I am very interested in. As well as learning the specific workflows and protocols for the different course of treatments. I adventured on the basics of digital smile design on exocad, as well as 3D printing and the use of intraoral scanning for diagnostic and treatment plans. I greatly appreciate my mentor since he inspired me to become a prosthodontist like him. I became very passionate about it and I wanted to learn more, unfortunately my possibilities of getting into a master's program in my country was very unlikely because I didn't want to become a financial burden to my mother, but I didn't let that dishearten me, instead I started to look for countries who offered scholarships. This is how I came across the GKS program. Furthermore, I started to research Korea's education environment and I immediately was fascinated with the quality of education Korea offers as well as in the way of living. Notably my interest in Korea grew very fast. Through my research I found that Korea is one of the leading countries in dentistry studies, with its advanced health-care infrastructure, technology and well-prepared human resources thus their universities being at the top of the world rankings, offering world class education. Hence why many international students like me, are getting interested in Korea, to learn from its highly advanced dental care techniques. As the time passed, I knew that Korea was the only country I am interested in, most importantly for the great educational system and the culture. Moreover, the universities I carefully researched and selected, I found have the most fitting curriculum of courses for me, covering all the areas I am striving for. Having in their course's topics in geriatrics, implant prosthodontics and full mouth rehabilitation as well as advanced ceramics. These are just some of the various courses that will help me develop the skill set needed to be a world class specialist in the area. Furthermore, I read some of the professor's research works, on XXXX University I found professor's XXXX areas of desired research and my desired areas align, I read his case report on an edentulous patient who got implant-supported overdenture, and I found it very interesting because I have worked with my mentor very closely in a similar case with a different system. I would like to write a paper with the guidance of professor XX and learn as much as I can from him. In XXX University professor XXX wrote an article on the influence of the different post curing parameters on mechanical properties and biocompatibility of 3D printed crown and bridge resin for temporary restorations. Which is something I experienced on my previous work, my mentor and I had trouble with 3D printed temporary restorations getting fractured easily, we changed the settings on the printer and we never concluded that it could be the post curing process. I would like to attend Professor's XX class and learn a from him and get his guidance on my thesis research.
I believe pursuing a master's degree in Korea is the right next step in my life.
In my efforts to get involved in Korean culture I started to self-study Korean language through online resources and workbooks from the Talk To Me In Korean curriculum, because there wasn't any presential classes available close to me. As I live very far from the Korean Cultural center in my country, I tried to immerse myself in Korean culture as much as I could, to experience it even from afar. I read about the the relationships my country holds with Korea. Moreover, I got myself into Korean music, I watched Korean movies and dramas, read books by Korean authors, and watched people on YouTube sharing their experiences while traveling or studying in Korea. I found myself very inspired and eager to keep learning the language and culture.
I am certain this scholarship grant will equip me with the knowledge and skills to become the kind of professional I want to be, to keep helping patients, offering them high-quality dental treatment following the ethical principles and values and help the ones who have economic disadvantages. Bring to my country this great professional knowledge obtained while studying in Korea and in this way become a connection to help more students who want to pursue higher education in the different areas of dentistry. To better the exchange of human capital between Korea and Mexico. Additionally, with time I would like to become a professor at my former university back in Mexico to keep spreading the clinical and theorical knowledge to the future generations of dentists and in that way give back to the society a part of what has been given to me therefore strengthening the relationship my country and Korea have not only on academic matters such as participating in educational program exchanges, but also by sharing their cultures amongst young individuals.
GKS program application
- motivations with which you apply for this program
- Educational background
- Significant experiences you have had; persons or events that have had a significant influence on you
- Extracurricular activities such as club activities, community service activities or work experiences
- If applicable, describe awards you have received, publications you have made, or skills you have acquired, etc
The first time I truly knew I was meant to be a dentist was the day my patient saw herself in the mirror with her new complete dentures after many years of not having any teeth. The happiness I felt when I saw her smiling is a feeling I want to keep experiencing for as long as I can, in that moment I realized I had a power in me to make great things happen.
I can say everything started when I got my braces taken off at the age of 15. When I walked out of that office, after two whole years of monthly visits, I kept wondering if one day I could become someone like my dentist, someone cool who gave people the confidence to smile again. Years after that, in high school, my teachers advised me to find something to experience before deciding on what career to pursue. Consequently, I decided to give dentistry a try and signed up for volunteering at a local dental office. In my time there I enjoyed seeing patients smile after their pain was managed or when they first saw themselves without braces. As I was doing these service hours, I decided that dentistry was the path I wanted to walk through. As a result of that experience and my hard work, I got into dental school and moved states, which was a very hard decision to make being an only child and because my dad had just passed away. However, I did it in order to become someone in life.
Certainly, dentistry isn't an easy career to pursue but I find it is a very gratifying experience since for me it was very important to pursue a profession geared towards helping people despite their social or economic status. It is a very noble calling in which you get to aid people from all kinds of upbringings and ages, cease their pain, give them back the ability to eat their favorite foods and the confidence to smile again. As a student I enjoyed going to class and laboratories especially oral rehabilitation, I found myself enjoying more learning about how to help total and partial edentulous patients as well as those who needed full mouth rehabilitations. Later, on my 5th and last year of clinics, I got to help my own patients taking an integral approach to their treatments, going through all the dentistry's areas in order of importance. However the rehabilitation treatments were always my favorite to perform since it is usually the last step of the treatment it is the most rewarding for the patient because at the end it is what the patient remembers the most. During these years I encountered all kinds of hardships but the support from my mother kept me going and I finally finished my bachelor's degree.
After graduation, I started one year of social service as an intern in one of my school faculty clinics where I was in charge of doing the first checkup and diagnosis to new patients who attended the clinic, then canalized these patients to the undergraduate students doing their practices. Likewise my coworkers and I were in charge of administrative tasks as well as having our own patients and doing early oral health campaigns in schools in the area, through my work as an intern, I learned the importance of leadership and team work.
To broaden my knowledge, I decided to work with one of my past professors in his private practice to allow myself to explore my interest in prosthodontics. I worked with him for two years as an assistant and a doctor to start my private practice. I gained new skills and reinforced my knowledge on many topics as I got to work with specialists in all dentistry's areas. I learned and practiced about digital dentistry, dental photography, esthetic dentistry, implantology with a focus on full mouth rehabilitation as well as adhesive dentistry, putting special attention to diagnostic and dental materials which I am very interested in. As well as learning the specific workflows and protocols for the different course of treatments. I adventured on the basics of digital smile design on exocad, as well as 3D printing and the use of intraoral scanning for diagnostic and treatment plans. I greatly appreciate my mentor since he inspired me to become a prosthodontist like him. I became very passionate about it and I wanted to learn more, unfortunately my possibilities of getting into a master's program in my country was very unlikely because I didn't want to become a financial burden to my mother, but I didn't let that dishearten me, instead I started to look for countries who offered scholarships. This is how I came across the GKS program. Furthermore, I started to research Korea's education environment and I immediately was fascinated with the quality of education Korea offers as well as in the way of living. Notably my interest in Korea grew very fast. Through my research I found that Korea is one of the leading countries in dentistry studies, with its advanced health-care infrastructure, technology and well-prepared human resources thus their universities being at the top of the world rankings, offering world class education. Hence why many international students like me, are getting interested in Korea, to learn from its highly advanced dental care techniques. As the time passed, I knew that Korea was the only country I am interested in, most importantly for the great educational system and the culture. Moreover, the universities I carefully researched and selected, I found have the most fitting curriculum of courses for me, covering all the areas I am striving for. Having in their course's topics in geriatrics, implant prosthodontics and full mouth rehabilitation as well as advanced ceramics. These are just some of the various courses that will help me develop the skill set needed to be a world class specialist in the area. Furthermore, I read some of the professor's research works, on XXXX University I found professor's XXXX areas of desired research and my desired areas align, I read his case report on an edentulous patient who got implant-supported overdenture, and I found it very interesting because I have worked with my mentor very closely in a similar case with a different system. I would like to write a paper with the guidance of professor XX and learn as much as I can from him. In XXX University professor XXX wrote an article on the influence of the different post curing parameters on mechanical properties and biocompatibility of 3D printed crown and bridge resin for temporary restorations. Which is something I experienced on my previous work, my mentor and I had trouble with 3D printed temporary restorations getting fractured easily, we changed the settings on the printer and we never concluded that it could be the post curing process. I would like to attend Professor's XX class and learn a from him and get his guidance on my thesis research.
I believe pursuing a master's degree in Korea is the right next step in my life.
In my efforts to get involved in Korean culture I started to self-study Korean language through online resources and workbooks from the Talk To Me In Korean curriculum, because there wasn't any presential classes available close to me. As I live very far from the Korean Cultural center in my country, I tried to immerse myself in Korean culture as much as I could, to experience it even from afar. I read about the the relationships my country holds with Korea. Moreover, I got myself into Korean music, I watched Korean movies and dramas, read books by Korean authors, and watched people on YouTube sharing their experiences while traveling or studying in Korea. I found myself very inspired and eager to keep learning the language and culture.
I am certain this scholarship grant will equip me with the knowledge and skills to become the kind of professional I want to be, to keep helping patients, offering them high-quality dental treatment following the ethical principles and values and help the ones who have economic disadvantages. Bring to my country this great professional knowledge obtained while studying in Korea and in this way become a connection to help more students who want to pursue higher education in the different areas of dentistry. To better the exchange of human capital between Korea and Mexico. Additionally, with time I would like to become a professor at my former university back in Mexico to keep spreading the clinical and theorical knowledge to the future generations of dentists and in that way give back to the society a part of what has been given to me therefore strengthening the relationship my country and Korea have not only on academic matters such as participating in educational program exchanges, but also by sharing their cultures amongst young individuals.