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Hey guys, I'm working on my personal statement for my application and was wondering if it is acceptable to use my dentists' names, or if I should hide their identities? Thanks for the time.
Personal statement - name useage?
- Thread starter Cannonbolt
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It is fine to use them. Plus, many times it makes the PS read easier instead of "Dentist 1" and "Dentist 2". Bonus points if they're connected with one or more of the schools you're looking at.
Good luck applying!
Good luck applying!
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i agree. plus on the off chance that the person reading your PS knows the dentist you name (and hopefully likes him/her a lot!) that'd be pretty awesome.
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It is not so much whether it is acceptable or, for that matter, about hiding their identities. With 150K dentists in the country the chances of adcoms recognizing a name are not particularly high. If the practitioner happens to be in the same location as the ds, it may be equally disadvantageous since there is a possibility that your Dr. X may not be well liked by either his peers or particular members of the committee. If they really care whom you shadowed, then you can assured that it will among the topics of your interview. In most cases where the name is used, the ps reads more like a testimonial for the Dr. rather than a ps about the applicant. If your intention is to shift the focus from you to the Dr. then by all means do include it.
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It's ok to mention the dentist's name just to state that he/she is the dentist you shadowed, but make sure you talk about your own experiences. I've seen personal statements that mention the dentist multiple times (Dr. X does this... Dr. X does that... I want to be like Dr. X because...) and that is when it your personal statement is more about the dentist than about you. You can drop the name (it's in your application anyways... you're not really protecting any identities... you listed him/her as the person you shadowed, right?) but don't KEEP dropping it.
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i worked with two dentists, shadowing one who has been my dentist since i was 6 or 7 years old and assisting the other who was my parents' general dentist. (he has since passed away.) i thought having their names made the statement more personal imo and maybe even a little easier to write. i don't think unless you ramble about how awesome Dr. Smith is for paragraphs the focus will shift from you to him. i think the PS should be about you, your desire to be a dentist, and the path that led you there. if a particular dentist contributed to that, by all means, acknowledge them, especially if it fits into the context of your whole statement. if you feel uncomfortable about it as a privacy issue, ask his/her permission before going ahead. i'm sure they won't mind though.
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What makes it personal is that you have known him since age 6 and had a wonderful relationship with your provider throughout your life, not inclusion of his name. If someone led you down the path, as you say, it may indicate that you are not capable of choosing dentistry on your own and had to be pushed, so to speak, in the right direction whether by a fellow professional or by mom and dad. But, hey to each his own.
