The proof of using music therapy to stimulate feelings of calmness lies in how I sat down to write this article. It was finals week, and I needed to focus so I put on John Mayer radio on Pandora and got to writing. Whether I am getting ready for a long day of seeing patients, a fun night out on the town or a coffee-filled morning of studying, I tune in to different music stations. Music can impact our mood.
There’s no punchline here. When my patient care coordinator Kenna invited me to attend the 100th anniversary of her church, I didn’t know what to say. Should I tell her that I was raised as an atheist? Maybe explain the whole Irish-grandpa-rebelling thing? I decided to spare her the details and accepted the invitation with a smile and an assuring, “I’ll be there!”
Dentistry is an evolving field and new technology seems to be developing more rapidly each year. How have these innovations affected the dental school experience in the last half century? As a third-generation future dentist, I did some research by interviewing my father, Dr. Dennis Wong. I wanted to see how his experience at school was different from mine. My father attended dental school from 1975-1979 at University of California, San Francisco. He is exactly forty years ahead of me in his dental career. He has been a solo practitioner in the Bay Area since graduation.
Being a dentist seems glamorous, fun and exciting. There is always a new challenge around the corner with every patient. However, the process of becoming a dentist is not always glamorous and fun. A significant number of hours are spent behind a laptop studying for exams and quizzes. What’s more, there are assignments, simlab requirements, patients to treat and board materials to study. The rigors of dental school can cause you to sleep less and abandon socializing, ultimately increasing mental fatigue and stress.
The “Renaissance Men” were sublime combinations of artist, engineer, and scientist. They were masters of each discipline, and are considered the most well-rounded talents to ever draw breath. Truth be told, owning a practice is more like being a “Renaissance (Wo)Man” than you might think. In contrast to the masters, though, we receive highly specialized training in treating dental disease and very little about the “other stuff.” Every dental office is full of protocols and contraptions that are not covered in school. That is not a reason to exclude owning from the menu of options open to you after graduation! Here are five keys to unlocking the mysteries of the non-clinical aspects of private practice.
The start of my third year of dental school also marked the start of our transition into clinic. My first rotation was in Emergency Care and despite the fact that I had no previous experience seeing patients up until that point, I felt confident. Assisting and observing my classmates in preparation for my rotation only confirmed this self-assurance. All I had to do was take the patient’s medical history and perhaps arrange for an oral surgery consult. It all seemed simple enough.
Seeing your first patient, especially as an emergency case, is an exciting milestone that can quickly turn into an emotional and stressful experience.
Each year, ASDA members publish more than 100 articles in ASDA News, more than 50 articles in Mouth and at least 156 posts to this blog. That’s a lot of content. Behind the scenes of these publications is ASDA’s Editorial Board–eight dental students who dedicate their time to planning, writing and editing your ASDA publications. It’s thanks to them that you read about millennials, creative diagnosis, and lasers this past year. They are also the folks that bring you Life Hacks Week and “just for fun” posts here on the blog.
ASDA’s Editorial Board sifted through all the articles and blog posts of 2015 to narrow down nominees for three Gold Crown Awards: Best News Article, Best Feature Article and Best Blog Post. Criteria included relevance, originality, research and presentation. For blog posts, number of visits, social shares and Facebook likes were also weighed in the decision. Here are the nominees for the 2016 Gold Crown Awards for best articles and blog post…
