Since I graduated first in my high school class with a GPA of 99.7%, many career paths have been open to me. However, my plan since childhood had been to become a dentist and then an orthodontist. I pursued the continuity of my dreams and now serve as a Demonstrator in the Department of Orthodontics at King Abdulaziz University in Saudi Arabia, where I completed dental school. However, throughout the last several years, as my career in dentistry has progressed, I have become increasingly engaged with global oral health issues, especially concerning Saudi Arabia and the Middle East. My independent research into oral public health in Saudi Arabia has resulted in my thinking increasingly in statistical terms about oral health on a national and local level in assessing oral health care issues.
It is my sincere hope to be accepted to your distinguished Master’s Degree Program in Public Health so that I can make professional progress in this area and become an advocate for improved oral health care access, structures, and outcomes in Saudi Arabia - making dental care more affordable and focusing primarily on measures that prevent oral health decay from occurring in the first place. Completing your MPH program will empower and inspire me to a lifetime of public service and contribution to my community as a public health professional and advocate, especially in terms of providing oral health care service for Saudi Arabia’s underserved, many of whom are guest workers that often neglect oral health care, particularly on a preventive level.
After finishing dental school second in my class at King Abdulaziz University, I enjoyed the diversity and intensity of the following internships. I am very loyal to and passionate about the university where I have been educated and where I now serve. Earning the MPH Degree will enable me to maximize my contribution to my university as well as the surrounding community as a dedicated researcher, a kind and caring teacher who makes herself available to her students, and a role model, particularly for other female dentists in my country who seek broader participation in oral health care policy decisions and their implementation.
I have lived, studied, and worked only in Saudi Arabia but have traveled as a tourist in Europe and the Middle East. I enjoy being exposed to new cultures and sharing insights into the rich heritage of the societies I am fortunate enough to know. I am most pleased with how English serves as an international language for oral health care professionals as our global communication vehicle. As a team player, I always stay conscious of the common goals I share with those I work with. Some of my fondest activities include volunteering to serve on our mobile clinic, educating the community about oral health, and attending to children in our university hospital.
Thank you for considering my application.
MPH Oral Public Health Personal Purpose Statement