Today, I went through my IDEM essay again. I told myself that if I were to alter it, then it better be my first and last. I read it through and through, and my goodness, it seriously did not sound like me. I think I was just having a bad day when I wrote it. It was so dry and seemingly un-thought of. It didn’t give justice to who I am as a Dentistry student. The only thing about me that it gave justice to was my being a reklamadora, and that, most definitely, is not something I’m proud of.
I did a little reflection while deciding what to write. I had to ask myself the tough questions—What do I care about? Why am I doing this? What are my ambitions in Dentistry? No, really, what are my ambitions in Dentistry (yung totoo)? I gave myself time to breathe, and yes. The answers came out.
I pretty much re-did my IDEM essay, this time, according to what my gut told me. I wanted to add something unique to Dentistry in the Philippines, so I injected a little bit of Dental Jurisprudence, which was no problem at all, because I love Dental Jurisprudence anyway. Major props to soon-to-be Attorney, Dr. Maria Luta Cueto!:)
I had to re-acquaint myself with Community Dentistry, but unlike what I did with the Dental Jurisprudence injection, I didn’t use my school notes. Instead, I relied on DOH downloads for inspiration. I learned a few new things as well, such as the fact that PDA sent out a memo prohibiting extraction during dental missions to avoid cross-contamination and post-op infection. It kind of puzzled me a bit, but I know I can always look for answers.
When people are asked what their ambitions are, it should be easy. In my case, it was really thought-provoking. Truly, I was stumped. A few moments later, I realized that the only reason I was stumped was that I was scared. I started to resent myself because I seemed to have been ready to give up on what my dreams really are because of fear. I wrote away, and realized that no matter how scary the future is, I still have to be my #1 fan.
I gave myself a cold, hard look. I’ve reflected, reflected, and reflect. My essay’s pretty much revised now, and it’s ready to be sent. What’s next to do is to revise my outlook in live, and soon enough, I’ll be ready to win the world over.
Panna Ciorrina 