My Motivation Towards Choosing Orthodontics As A Specialty

I can still recall an adolescent version of myself looking at himself in the mirror, timidly concerned about the malocclusion and smile that was reflected. I paid great attention to details of my teeth which resulted in me noticing these problematic factors apparent in my smile. My motivation towards choosing Orthodontics as a specialty in dentistry came from my personal lack of a perfect smile. I was adamant on being the best throughout my dental school to achieve the goal of getting into an unsurpassed training institute of the country.

I was introduced to Orthodontics in the final Professional year of my dental school where our teacher alongside with the theoretical aspect of orthodontics, discussed various case scenarios with us and how to come up with the treatment plan. These interactive sessions struck me the most that led to my unadulterated participation in cast analysis and cephalometric calculations. My favorite part was to sit on the illuminators and trace the facial and cranial features where I found if an abnormality actually lies in jaws, teeth or soft tissues and how it helps creating a pathway towards final treatment plan.

During my one month clinical rotation in ortho dept, I performed outdoor duties and basic clinical procedures but I was not allowed to carry on with treatment plan because I was a house officer and only postgraduate trainees were allowed to take on those cases as they are long term. This situation made feel helpless because I wanted to learn more thus enlightened a spark in me to choose orthodontics as a specialty. I further realized the importance of orthodontics when I saw so many cases of malocclusion Rural Health Centre Sahiwal where I worked as a dental surgeon for 8 months after my clinical rotation. As Treatment planning was something which intrigued me the most, I used to discuss all those cases with one of my experienced teachers in this field. This not only increased my patient exposure but also satisfied my appetite to grow my knowledge base.

To further fuel my curiosity and passion, I stepped into the residency program in Orthodontics in the most prestigious institute of the country. Here, I have been allocated some very interesting cases which enables me to learn more about treatment planning and improve my clinical skills as well. The ambiguity of various cases inspired me to step into the world of Orthodontic research and I found it to be an extremely rewarding experience becoming an author in different research publications. Among the research projects that I have worked on, the most valuable asset is my effort on "Chewing gum for pain control following orthodontic separator placement" published in "Journal of the World Federation of Orthodontists" which is among the top most orthodontic journals of the world. Because Running water is superior to a stagnant pool, so I also attended International Conferences and symposiums to keep myself updated with the latest knowledge and techniques in the field of Orthodontics.

I believe I have a contemplative personality which resonates perfectly with field of Orthodontics. It's an extremely impactful and skilled profession. I would like to learn the best orthodontics, the world has to offer, by being part of your challenging program and vigorous academic environment and what I am bringing to your program is my acknowledgment to hard work and my trial to extract the best out of every situation that can contribute to my career.

The reason I associate my wishes with your program is, I feel it justifying not only the quality education and training I desire, but also some valuable research experience that can help me excel in the field of pathology and eventually fulfill my dream of becoming one of the best orthodontists in the world.