Admission Essay: Oral Surgeon in University of Pennsylvania

Every person has God-given talents that must be discovered throughout life for the benefit of others and themselves. God-given talents are gifts that people are skilled in using to help others. For example, some people are very hospitable and easy to talk to, which can be beneficial for many areas of work. Before people can put their gifts to use they first must discover them, which can just happen sometimes but without people's gifts how will people help others? Having a plan helps a lot once discovering their gift because if people don't do research on what jobs would work best with their skills then it is pointless. After people have made a plan and discovered their gifts, putting them to use is the next stage, and when picking a job to pursue, make sure that they are passionate about it and love it, because if people don't love what they do then why do it. I personally am passionate about helping others and I am a hands-on person, so I need a university that promotes my growth in those areas and offers jobs that I am passionate about. The University of Pennsylvania has a medical program that will allow people to pursue the job of an oral surgeon due to the challenge of classes and the emphasis on enhancing your talents to help others in your career path. 

The type, location, and size of the school along with social life are major deciding factors for students that are planning on attending college.  The University of Pennsylvania is a private institution with a student body consisting of 28,038 students and spans 299 acres. The location of U Penn is in West Philadelphia which is a very large city (“Life at Upenn ''). The data shows how the school itself is not huge but there is a large student population with around 23,000 students attending the school full time and it is located in the city of Philadelphia,  which makes it a prime fit for students who like a medium-sized school in a city location. Furthermore, They have 33 different sports teams called the Penn Quakers, which can range from track to football, there are also over 450 clubs at u Penn, and a whole city in the backyard which means lots of activities for people to do during their time there(“Penn Athletics”). The combination of all clubs and athletic teams shows how Upenn is not just an academic school but also one for people to make friends and have fun doing what they enjoy if that is a club or an athletic team. The size and location along with great social life and extracurriculars allow for a very tight-knit community of students and promotes growth in both academics and social life. 

Two important factors for choosing a college are the admissions criteria and does the student have the academics to even attend the college, and can they afford to attend the school. The University of Pennsylvania is a highly competitive school and is recommended that people should have a GPA of 3.9 or above, SAT score of close to 1570, and an ACT score of 34 or above (“Upenn Acceptance”). The data above exemplifies that the school is highly selective, and not everyone can get into the school, but if they are at or above the recommended criteria then their chances of getting in are much higher. Like other Ivy League schools, Penn undergraduate aid is entirely need-based; the University does not award scholarships based on academic or athletic merit (“Upenn Student registration and financial services”)  and the tuition at Upenn is $54,652 (“About Upenn”). Upenn stated how they do not give any aid to people unless they can't afford the school and need the aid which means most families who don't need aid will pay the full $54,652 tuition which is very expensive for college. Even though the school is highly selective and offers little aid, the school is a great place to enhance their skills and prepare themselves for later careers. 

Figuring out living arrangements and extra expenses are just as important as choosing a major because if people can't afford the housing then picking a major is the least of problems. Housing and extra expenses include boarding which is  $11,358, dining $5,946, and books and supplies  $1,358(“About Upenn”). The information above specifically shows that the school alone is much more expensive than just the tuition because around $19,000 in extra expenses will also be paid, and that plus tuition could cost over $70,000 a year. Also, the data could vary because if people attend certain programs they could require more books which can add cost, and if people choose to live off-campus then the boarding price would be neglected from the early total. The extra expenses that come with living at the University of Pennsylvania may be expensive but are worth it due to the academic challenge that will be applied while attending the school.  

Once accepted into a school people must then choose their major and what program if any they would like to apply for. The most popular majors at the University of Pennsylvania include business, management, marketing, social sciences; biological, and biomedical. Their main programs are Penn Carey Law, School of engineering and applied science, and School of dental medicine (“Upenn minors and majors”). There is a wide range of majors and programs that students can enter, but as a person who wants to be an oral surgeon pursuing biomedical as a major in the School of Dental Medicine would be the best route. Choosing a program and major should be based on interests and what people's God-given talents are.

If people are looking to enter the medical field and be an oral surgeon then there are many skills and talents they should have to be an effective surgeon. Some skills are multi-tasking abilities, patience and a solid work ethic, physical dexterity, intellectual strength, management skills, and performance under pressure (“Oral Surgeon jobs/skills”). Many of those skills would go under the “in surgery” tab such as multi-tasking which is  being able to work on a patient while telling others what to do, management for keeping the assistant working and on task, physical dexterity means people can make the precise movements needed to do surgery, and performance under pressure so that if something goes wrong then the job can still be finished.  Intellectual strength is used in all parts of the job such as being able to learn new techniques to do a surgery, or learning that certain operations will be much more challenging than others. There are many skills needed to be an oral surgeon which is why the job selection is so precise in that field of work. 

Before people can even become an oral surgeon they first need to go through lots of training. The doctor needs at least 2-4 years as an undergraduate, then 4 years of dental study such as going to dental school and working there or a medical program, and after that 4-6 years of a medical residency (“What is an OMS”). From that data, we can conclude that oral surgeons go through lots of training with a total being around 14 years of training, but people do get paid during their time as a resident surgeon. The training is long and hard and that's why most people don’t work as a surgeon because of the long nights and early mornings that most people would rather spend with friends or parting, surgeons are spending that time learning and honing their craft. The job of being an oral surgeon is difficult and that's why there's so much training needed to become one. 

When people look at a job some important factors are the future outlook, and the salary/benefits. The average salary in the U.S. in 2021 was $301,828 and some benefits people can earn if they work for someone as an oral surgeon is healthcare, 401K (“Oral maxillofacial surgeons”). The job itself pays very well being in the top 1% of jobs when it comes to salary, and the combination of many benefits makes the job a very good job that will support anyone's financial needs. Along with a good salary, The dental market is expected to grow from $4.127 billion in 2020 to $4.486 billion in 2021 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.7%. The market is expected to reach $6.603 billion in 2025 at a CAGR of 10% (“Global Dental”). The data demonstrates that the job market is only growing and there is going to be a need for surgeons in the future which makes it even a more viable job when there is a greater need. Also with the market growing the chance of more pay will increase because the more money brought into the business the more surgeons can be paid. The job has very high pay and the market for Oral Surgeons is growing which makes it one of the most viable jobs that a person can obtain. 

God-given gifts are essential for people to determine their future employment or life goals. There is a great process to obtaining and figuring out your gifts but once found people can use them to guide what area of employment they want to pursue. The combination of my God-given talents has pointed me to the job of an Oral Surgeon. The job will allow me to use all of my gifts to help others and will be a viable job to support myself or others in the future. The University of Pennsylvania will allow me to pursue the job of an Oral surgeon and continue to develop my gifts. The programs and majors offered by the school will enhance my usage of my gifts and challenge me to learn more about them. There is also a great social life and community which will make living there much easier and will allow people to open up making them more willing to use their gifts without fear. The education in the medical field and the programs to help me hone my God-given gifts are priceless but attending the University of Pennsylvania is worth every penny.