Dentoform "Pimp" Chain

Goofing around to stay sane!

Watch me make a new fashion statement. Dent-Pimp Chain, 'cause flossin' ain't just for gangstas. 

Coming to a store near you! LOL

Happy Weekend Y'all!

Blessing in disguise

If you know me or have been reading my posts long enough, you know I'm not a fan of the winter. I'm literally freezing at any temperature below 74 degrees, get to 30 degrees and you can just go ahead and label me brain dead. But that was NYC winter. See, DC winter is a lot different.
In NYC there has to be at least 1 1/2 ft of snow for there to be a designated snow day. Unlike DC, NYC knows what a snow plough is, and that it's used to move snow so that people can go on their merry way and carry on with their lives. In DC, it only takes ONE INCH of snow (no joke) before all hell breaks loose. I'm talking about fallen electrical lines, no electricity, no heat, no hot water, fallen trees, motor vehicle accidents, traffic for days and... school delay <--There is a God
For God knows that sometimes we need that extra 2 hrs either to catch up on some sleep or to catch up on studies that the previous day did not humanly allow. I've actually come to kind of sort of like the winter now, except the whole freezing, below 30 degree, long johns, coat, scarf, glove wearing part. Just send on the sleet and snow and we have ourselves a deal. Seriously, as the Gods will have it, they know that sometimes we need that break because of our grueling daily schedule from 8:00am on most days to 5:00pm. At the end of the day, most, if not all of us are toast. It is very difficult to open up a text book or power-point slide right away after spending approximately 8 hours in the classroom on a daily basis. So, when the opportunity arises for a 'mini snow-break,' it's welcomed with opened arms. It serves as an opportunity to rejuvenate. Strangely, but true, a school delay on a snow day makes a big difference between an 8 hour grueling day and a 6 hour day. I prefer the 6 hour days (of course), at the end of it I feel more energized and motivated to work.

Now, how do I get all this snow/ice off my car?... Ugh! I hate snow  >:-[

I know I'm just a freshman but...

I'm thinking about what specialty of Dentistry I should go into, or if I should specialize at all.

For a very long time I have been pretty hooked on Orthodontics (study and treatment of malocclusion aka placement of braces) but recently Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery has peaked my interest. Maybe it's all that Anatomy and dissecting cadavers that I did last semester. Either way it's a very interesting and versatile field where you're constantly tested and it seems like you'd never get bored. Might I add that it's muy muy lucrative! I mean, after 4 yrs of Dental School and 4-6yrs thereafter in residency, I'd say it better be!

See what I'm talking about below. Warning: Graphic Content.

Pretty awesome huh?

Roll with the punches

This is how Dental School is sometimes:

knocks the air out of you

It's the end of a very stressful week but just a few hours shy of another. I must have started writing a post about three times this week. Let's just say other much more important duties called.
This past week left me on an emotional high. My week began with taking 2 examinations and the game plan to use the rest of the week to study for 2 huge ones that I have next week (Histology and Physiology).  A day after taking the 2 exams the results for one came out and, I was not pleased. I tend to set really high standards for myself and it takes a toll on me when the standard isn't met. At the same time, my class received an email about retaking the Dental Materials examination that we had last Friday because the class"supposedly" did not perform well. I was pissed, to say the least. For the moment I was mortified because my game plan approach for preparing for next week's examinations were thrown off.
So mid-week, after catching up with all my Histology lectures, I was able to make the mental adjustment and temporarily shift my mental resources and review for Dental Materials, which by the way is probably just as voluminous as Histo. and Physio. Now, the weekend is upon me and my grind for next week continues. Can I catch a break around here?
But, although I was upset about not getting a particular grade on an exam, the re-take, and though my game plan was thrown off, I learned a valuable lesson: Things aren't always going to go as planned but you must have the mental fortitude to suck it up and press on, or as I've found myself saying quite often these days - just roll with the punches.

It has begun

This week went by too fast! Perhaps that's the effect of  an 8-5 schedule ( I like to call it my full-time job) coupled with many hours of studying for examinations which, by the way, have now begun to snowball - oh joy! (insert sarcasm).  Either way I'm happy to announce that I am thoroughly enjoying Dental School - well maybe not thoroughly...there is this one class that is really grinding my geers (mutters indecencies under my breath) but it's great for the most part.
It's the weekend! yay? not really, mine constitutes studying for two examinations which are on Monday (groans) but at least I don't have to wake up at 6am. Funny how that becomes the highlight of my weekend.

 Happy weekend! Study hard and enjoy for both of us (if u can).