Individual professional development plan

S-What do you want to do?

I want to be successful in school, and be proficient in time management in order to obtain my specific goals of becoming a dentist and doing well in dentist school so that I open doors for various opportunities for advancement within my career. I want to help my community wherever it may be, preferably living right outside a bigger city on the south end of the east coast not too far from my immediate family. I want to research within my field new technologies of development towards the goal of painless dentistry and how to make dentistry more personable instead of commercialized. I want to educate myself on the necessary skills I need in order to help others gain more confidence in themselves and their smile, while also focusing on pain prevention. 

M-How will you know when you’ve reached it? 

I will know that I have reached this goal when I am sitting in my very own office in my very own practice drinking my very own tea in my very own cup with the words “World’s Best Dentist” on the side. I hope to have obtained my undergraduate degree as well as my certification of Doctor of Dental Surgery. I also hope to have obtained a working knowledge of how to be a well-rounded physician with all the roles controlled and prioritized, from businesswoman to a shoulder to lean on for my employees and patients. The overwhelming feeling of accomplishing everything that I have and will continue to work so hard for but also a drive for more knowledge and exploration. 

A-Is it in your power to accomplish it?

My power is whatever I want it to be. I have the power to quit now and never look back but also have the power to persevere through the hardships in my path to continue toward my lifetime goal of becoming a dentist. I will not avoid doing what is best for myself and my well-being. Things change, and life gets complicated faster than the flick of a switch. I will never deny myself feeling my emotions and reflect truly on what is best for myself at any point in time. However, I am 99.98% sure I will be a dentist. 

R-Can you realistically achieve it?

Yes, I can realistically achieve this goal. I spend hours of work, research, and networking to build myself up towards this overall goal. I continue to gain hands-on experience by working at dental practices and with those hours my love for dentistry grows. 

T-When exactly do you want to achieve it?

This may be the hardest question to answer. I hope to achieve these goals by the time I am 28. This gives me time to still be young and decide where I want to settle down as a practicing dentist. I would love to travel and using this time before I hopefully have children would be the perfect opportunity to practice dentistry for those who are in need of medical assistance. So many third-world countries have little to no access to dental care and most of the time those who are sent to perform dental procedures are highly uncertified. I hope to change this trend and help those around the world.