My name is Divya Kannappan and I’m a recent graduate from the University of Washington School of Dentistry. Welcome to my journey, where passion for dentistry meets a commitment to global health.
“You become who you believe you are” has been the most inspirational quote which carved my life and led me to become a dentist. As a classical dancer from the age of five, I stumbled into a world which emphasized symmetrical facial features and a beautiful smile to keep the audience enticed with multitudes of expressions and graceful movements. There were days I stood before the mirror, diligently pushing my permanent front teeth back into alignment. It is a belief passed down by our ancestors that if I were to push my teeth in the early morning hours, it would move to the desired position. As silly as it sounds, thankfully my parents abandoned these popular beliefs and took me to my uncle, an established orthodontist. He handed me over to one of his residents and after a series of case history questions, they named me the “Twin Block” case. There began my destiny, to the dentist and towards dentistry. My monthly visits to the dentist and the transformation I witnessed in my facial profile and smile fascinated me and it instilled a deep urge in me to become a dentist and to help spread beautiful smiles, sound in esthetics and function.
“Everything we have ever wanted is on the other side of fear”. During my first lap of dental school in India, my inquisitive nature nurtured me to expand my knowledge by presenting posters at national conferences, which served as a platform that opened my mind to a diverse set of new ideas in dentistry. Having organized and led many urban and rural oral health camps, I encountered patients who declined dental treatment due to fear and anxiety from painful past experiences. I can vividly recall one such incident involving a female patient, who presented with severe pain originating from a dento-alveolar abscess in her mandible and she firmly refused treatment and demanded a pain-relieving injection even after we explained to her the potential complications from the abscess. This event seeded in me the idea of conducting a door-to-door campaign in the rural posting to raise oral health awareness. Our efforts were successful when more patients from the rural area approached us for dental treatment in the following months. This campaign was recognized as a valuable tool in the internship years that followed, and I felt elated at creating an impact that helped society. As an advocate of oral health awareness and maintenance, the “One day Denture camps” granted me the experience to make swift decisions and to develop resilience and dexterity. The look of ecstasy when patients hold a mirror to their face, smiling with happy tears welling up in their eyes is the most content feeling that I have experienced.
“Treat the etiology and not just the symptom” are the words of my professor that I always heard ringing in my ears while treatment planning during the two years of working as an associate dentist in India. In the quest for finding the cause, I found myself providing comprehensive care which translated into positive feedback from satisfied patients. My clinical years equipped me to render compassionate care and in building long term rapport with my patients.
“A ship is always safe at shore but that is not what it is built for.” Uprooting myself from my comfort zone and shifting base to a new country was a daunting process but the faith I had in me and the kind people I met on my way have inspired me to always follow my ambitions and my path to pursue dentistry in the United States has been exhilarating. I ventured out exploring dentistry in the United States by volunteering at the Medical Teams International Mobile Dental Clinic program, helping the underserved population. My interactions with the patients from different cultural and social backgrounds aided me in understanding their perspectives and the ability to cater to a diverse population. I gained deep insight into the day-to-day clinical practice as I started to work as a Dental Assistant at Dr. Fletcher’s dental office. These rewarding experiences made me strongly believe that I will tremendously benefit in learning from the distinguished faculty at the University of Washington International DDS program and to make Washington my new home.
“Dreams are not what we see in sleep, but the ones that do not let us sleep”. From being a dental student inspired by Dr. Ana Lucia Seminario’s Global Oral Health course to travelling to Kenya, Africa to conduct research with the help of Timothy DeRouen Center for Global Oral Health, it was a life-changing experience for me. The main objective of the study was mapping the workflow of medical clinics in Kisumu treating HIV-affected children to determine the feasibility of integration of dental checkups. By evaluating the availability of dental professionals and resources within the medical settings and identifying potential collaborations with local dental organizations or professionals to support the integration, I was humbled and honored to be a part of an independent research study closely aligned with the current National Institutes of Health (NIH) R21 grant led by Dr. Seminario and her team at UW School of Dentistry. Under the guidance of our generous host Dr. Immaculate Opondo and her team, cultural exploration of Kisumu and research blended seamlessly. As I presented my findings to the research team in Kenya, the appreciation and happiness that was shared made me soak in the unparalleled joy of giving back. As my first expedition to Africa, I thought this experience would be impactful, but it led me to discover my life’s true purpose and meaning. I was inspired and motivated to give back to the global community. I want to be good at what I do, be generous with my time and help in any way that I can. This experience helped me realize the route of healthcare that I wish to pursue and solidified my passion for global outreach to promote health. Moving forward, I’m happy to share that I will be travelling to Jamaica this September to provide oral health services to underserved communities.