I First Became A Lifelong Career

The Journey to me starts just like any other, with a step. In my case it was a step into the doors that enclosed my Info Literacy classroom. In this class I was pushed, at some times forced, to attempt to figure out who I am and where I am going. This was done through a few different sources: S.H.A.P.E., Purpose Driven Life, Self-Directed Search, and through personal research and investigation. Laura Leona Lopez is more than just name to a random person, it is the name that encases who I am and will encase my future self and accomplishments.

To start, I have always had an interest in the health field and knew it was where I saw my future. I came across dental hygiene and quickly became fascinated. I learned just how important it can be and how many tend to overlook it. Given the opportunity, I would like to make sure my patients understand the importance of dental hygiene and share my knowledge. I feel because I have been given an opportunity that others weren’t so fortunate to receive; it is my responsibility to give back. I come from a small community in Northern New Mexico in which I plan to return and offer my knowledge and skills. I also have plans of doing missionary work for those who are unable to afford dental care. To be accepted into the prestigious Division of Dental

However it was not until my mission in Guatemala that I got a sense of the impact I could potentially make globally as a dentist. While there, I shadowed my father where he performed dental procedures on roughly 200 people. Although I was only able to provide supporting efforts for my father, I gained experience that was invaluable. I carried a portable backpack chair into the villages. The chair was both solar and electric with basic built in tools. Once the patients were seated, I provided emotional encouragement through smiles, hugs, and interpreted language. I was rewarded in that every patient that we treated showed his or her utmost gratitude. Working and observing alongside my father, we were a team, doing something that was life changing for countless individuals. A fire was ignited inside of me that will never be extinguished. A fire that is fueled by passion for helping people close to home as well as those in remote countries where very few are willing to

Growing up in Nepal, I had to face the adversity of being a female in a community where women are expected to get an arranged marriage at the age of 19, surrender any dreams of education and dedicate their lives to bearing children, preferably boys. However, my family was progressive and fostered in me that scholastic pursuits should always be a priority. So, I immigrated to America by myself with a profound tenacity, in hopes to achieve a college degree in public health. Overcoming all financial hurdles, I was finally able to pursue a college degree successfully. I aspire to be that healthcare professional who yearns to live in the service of others, which for me would be a public health dentist. I am now on my path to achieving a master’s

While shadowing physician assistants, I volunteered at The Mustard Seed Medical Missions, a nonprofit organization that provides medical care to those with financial hardships. My first day there I got to meet the staff who made it all happen – the two women who worked the front desk who answered phones and organized patient files, the nurse who manually took blood pressure and did a review of why the patient was attending, the phlebotomist who took blood in even the smallest of veins to run labs, the translator

As a child, I loved going to work with my mother during my days off from school. She worked at a nursing home, and I was amazed by all of the health care employees I was surrounded by every day. I watched, in admiration, as the nurses gave the elderly their medications, while the nursing assistants made sure they were comfortable and healthy, and while the doctors checked in from time to time to give routine check-ups. As soon as I turned 12 and was old enough to start volunteering at this nursing home, I signed up to do so with excitement pouring out of me. To this very day, I am still active in volunteering at the same nursing home that prompted me to pursue a career in medicine in the first place.

Volunteering at Kaiser Permanente played a significant role in my decision to pursue a career in healthcare as a physician. When I was observing a physician repair a head laceration, there was a disjunct communication between the patient and physician. Because I am fluent in Vietnamese, I understood the patient’s fears as she muttered words in her native language that expressed her confusion and fear while the physician attempted to console her in English. When I explained the doctor’s processes in her native language, Vietnamese, she was elated someone could reassure her worries, especially when family members do not understand enough English to comprehend the situation. Through various observations of nurses, physicians, and Emergency Department

The valuable experience I have gained in the mission field has prepared me to work in underserved populations. I had the opportunity to travel to Haiti twice, both of which were during a devastating public health care strike that left the Haitian people without medical care. While in Haiti, I experienced events that average Americans will never witness. Upon my arrival the people of the small village learned that I was a nursing student and began approaching me with requests for medical care. With no experience and limited supplies I did my best to improvise. I encountered scared parents with children that had superficial wounds and children with rashes that covered their heads. Thankfully, I was able to offer some assistance and comfort to

I volunteer at two agencies that serve the most vulnerable populations in DC in health related capacities. My experiences have caused me to made me consider a career in non profit dentistry that serves the poor. I have served as a Community Service chair of an organization called 1867 at Howard University; coordinating community service activities for our members. I currently intern working with kids under 5 in nutrition and health where I do nutrition evaluations and lessons. It is so important to use your skills to help others. After a year of working with vulnerable populations of children and young adults in my home state I think will know for sure if this what I want to do for this full time for my whole career in healthcare.

My volunteer work involved serving as a liaison between the surgery department and the families of patients. I saw my work, however, as much more—as a means of creating a comfortable environment to ease the anxieties and frustrations of people whose family members were seriously ill. Serving in Chula Vista, my bilingual skills came in handy, as well as my compassion to help those in need.

Since starting college in 2014 I have changed my major three times. I started out knowing exactly what I wanted to do as a career. I never wanted to merely work or have a job, I’ve always been someone who wanted to enjoy what I do regardless of the challenges or level of difficulty. I started out as a Biology major hoping to go into medical school, everything was set and I enjoyed all the classes I was taking until my second semester when I started chemistry. Technically I did fine, but the class was heavily curved which discouraged me. I also wanted a way to incorporate a degree in Spanish with my medical degree but I was also always interested in political science. So, that next term, because I was so discouraged, I switched majoring in both Political Science and Spanish. I was extremely excited about that choice however I never took any courses in Political Science because that brings us to this current semester when I came to UTC switching again to Psychology.

After exiting the serene precincts of the ancient temple of Angkor Wat in Cambodia, I trudged through the thick jungle heat to an ice cream parlor in the distance. As I ate my cone, I felt the weight of a small hand tug on my dress, and a tiny voice piped “Money for ice cream, please?" I immediately noticed that this young girl was barefoot and hungry. Eager to help, I rushed inside and gave her a new ice cream. Her brown eyes beamed with delight; however, the moment was short-lived. I noticed a swarm of hungry children running straight towards us. Unsure of what to do, I rushed back to the safety of our van. The glaring poverty became more evident as we made our way out of the city. I continued to see straw huts and children with distended bellies. As a fourteen-year-old, I struggled with my desire and lack of ability to help these people in a meaningful way. As I contemplated their desperation, a thought for finding a capacity to contribute to the well- being of a community that lacks necessities began to take hold. Through my experiences abroad and shadowing medical professionals, I have found that dentistry would enable me to combine my compassion for others, my artistic abilities, my curiosity for the sciences, and my communication skills to better the lives of people around me.

When it comes to thinking about my future and the different careers I would like to be in, I have a very difficult time deciding. It’s not like picking a place to eat when I am hungry, it’s an important decision for me and my future.

Therefore, I joined an expedition with Camps International to Cambodia to gain some experience in community service. Working alongside with local people to build a teacher’s accommodation was a fruitful experience as I learnt the value of teamwork. Although it was a tedious process passing the bricks and buckets of cement, the sweat shed was worthy because the teachers no longer need to travel long distances to teach the children. Teamwork is crucial for a dental team as it correlates with the standard of service the team provides. A dentist alone cannot operate the clinic, hence dentists have to co-operate with other team members like dental assistants by communicating effectively. So, communication skill is one of the most fundamental skills required in this career. The application of this skill is not only within the dental team, but also necessary when interacting with patients as this engenders confidence in patients towards treatment

I never saw myself as a teacher. My first degree was in Chemistry, and I always thought that I would be working in a lab or something along those lines. After graduating, I had the chance to work at the City of Red Deer wastewater treatment plant as a Lab Technician. While working this job, I found that being a lab tech was not something that I wanted to spend my life doing as it was kind of boring. The first month was exciting but as time went on and I found myself getting bored of doing the same test everyday day after day. I knew that this was not the job for me, so I went back to being a lifeguard/swim instructor, and had to think about what I wanted to do with my life.