The instructions for the statement of purpose tell you to describe your background, your strengths and weaknesses, why you chose the school and the program, and what your goals are/how you want to use your degree to accomplish them.
Without further adieu, I give you Kirsten Lehman's Statement of Purpose:
As a dental hygienist, there are many opportunities to educate patients. These opportunities go beyond the standard lecture of “brush and floss,” and extend to teaching patients how their homecare can, and does, affect the rest of their body. When I started dental hygiene school, I learned how periodontal disease and oral bacteria affect the heart, and the importance of educating patients with heart disease about these risks. As a person with congenital heart disease, I took this message personally. My heart condition helped me to relate to my patients when I spoke with them about their health. What I didn’t realize was my history and my heart would become one of my greatest assets and deepest passions.
In my last year of school, I was required to design and complete a community project. There was a local children’s hospital with a congenital heart disease clinic which served many children. When I contacted the clinic I found there was no dental education or information given to parents or children. I chose to speak with parents of children with congenital heart disease about the importance of good oral hygiene, and the connection between oral and cardiac health. I selected this project because of the personal importance of the topic, and I saw a need within the community. After my presentation, the hospital invited my dental hygiene school to have students speak annually with parents about oral health.
My contact with the children’s hospital presented me with the unique opportunity to be a counselor at a summer camp for children with congenital heart disease. I volunteered for three summers and worked with teenage girls. I saw this as a chance to relate to the girls, and show them by example they could grow up and accomplish many things. I wanted to empower them to feel not only comfortable with their conditions, but to embrace them. It was different from the education I had done with my job, but it was the most rewarding.
When I completed my community project, I realized I had discovered something I enjoyed. I had cherished all parts of my project, from the research and preparation to the presentation. I liked being able to educate people and explain things to them in a way they could understand. I felt by sharing my history of heart disease and passion of dentistry I was able to help others become more informed and empowered to be an advocate for their own health. I wanted to do more of this work.
My first job out of school allowed me to nurture this new passion. The dental office I worked for participated in multiple community health fairs where I spoke with people about their dental health in relation to their overall health. I created two different educational brochures for these events. I also constructed two social media pages for our dental office to inform patients about topics such as oral health, heart disease, diabetes, as well as community events the office was involved in.
As I worked on educational materials for my dental office, I realized a weakness I have is perfectionism. I am a perfectionist, and I always want to put forth my best effort and work. This can be a beneficial quality at times. My stride for perfection led me to produce well-polished products; however, I realized I was not utilizing my time wisely when I agonized about insignificant details instead of focusing on the big picture. I had to learn when to say something was complete instead of forever revising it. Another weakness I fought was accepting criticism. Much of the work I did I was personally connected with, which is a great strength. My history was my driving force, and it caused me to take my work seriously. It was difficult not to take criticism personally when the work I did was extremely important to me. I had to learn to utilize criticism to improve upon the weak parts of something rather than see the criticism as personal.
After a few years of balancing the two positions of dental hygienist and health educator, I realized I liked the educational parts of my job more than the tasks of a dental hygienist. I wanted to do more educational work on a bigger scale than my small dental office could provide. The classes I took in dental hygiene school provided an adequate base, but I needed more education to do the work I aspired to. This spurred me to research graduate school options, which led me to the University of Alabama and the Master of Arts in Health Studies program.
What first drew me to this degree is it is 100% online. My husband is enlisted in the United States Air Force, and we are stationed at Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany. Since I am located in Germany, I need the flexibility of an online school. I am interested in the University of Alabama as it is well-known, well-renowned, and the Health Studies program is accredited. When I read the course descriptions for this program, I felt it would address what I was looking for. I want a master’s program which focuses on the actual creation of health promotion programs rather than the financial or political aspects of it. I also feel the courses of this program would be a great expansion to the coursework I have already taken in community health, research, and health education. Additionally, at the end of the Master of Arts in Health Studies program I can take the examination to become a Certified Health Education Specialist, which fits my professional goals.
I want to transition from clinical dental hygiene into health education and bridge my two interests of dentistry and cardiology. The research I did for my community project during school revealed there is a lack of educational resources for parents, children, and adults with congenital heart disease. I intend to improve the educational materials and programs available to this population. A Master of Arts in Health Studies would give me the necessary background to be able to address these shortcomings. I also aspire to educate dental professionals about risk factors for patients with congenital heart disease, and the link between oral and systemic health. There are two ways in which I plan to accomplish this goal. I intend to speak at dental conferences and present continuing education classes. I also aim to return as an instructor to dental hygiene school. During my senior year of school I worked as a teacher’s assistant and had the opportunity to help instruct students. I believe my clinical experience as a dental hygienist, my history as a cardiac patient, my experience with community health, and an education from University of Alabama would help me to instruct a new generation of health care providers. Finally, completing the Master of Arts in Health Studies would also accomplish my personal goal of furthering my education with a master’s degree.
I have the ambition and the background necessary to work as a Certified Health Education Specialist, but I am lacking the formal education I need to utilize my talents. I believe attaining a Master of Arts in Health Studies and completing the CHES examination will enable me to achieve my professional and educational goals.
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