Trying to Stay Motivated

Tuesday, October 11, 2005

It's been a little bit difficult staying focused on school recently. The classes are interesting, but my mind has been wandering. Sometimes I get a little ahead of myself mentally. I start thinking about how great 4th quarter will be and I stop worrying about how much work there is to do this quarter. Since class started last week, we've already had a major quiz in anatomy, a quiz in dental anatomy, and a carving of tooth #21 (a mandibular 1st premolar).

It's becoming apparent that there are two roads a student can take as he or she moves through dental school. The first way is the most tempting. It's also the way that upperclassmen and professors will persuade students to pursue. The first road involves just learning what you need to know for tests. It's tempting because it's quick. It's frustrating because after you take the test that you studied for, not much information is retained. The second way is to really dig in your heels and learn the material . . . just because. This student's attitude is demonstrated by an anxious desire to want to wrap their heads around the topic/problem being discussed. In the end, this road will turn out the better dentist. However, in the interim, you'll get less sleep.

I think I'm currently running down the first road, but I'm looking over at the second road wondering if I should make the jump. Depending on the time of day, you'd get a different response from me if you asked. In the morning, I'm ready to dive in deep. But, by the evening, I'm happy just skating over the notes before bed.

All I can do is try again tomorrow. Our fixed prosthodontics course is tomorrow. I've put in way too much time on the first part of this project. I should have spent more time reviewing embryology. I'm looking forward to a day of zero didactic course work. I need the break.

Tuesday, October 4, 2005

Yesterday was my first day back in class since first quarter. In essence, it was a mini orientation day for the 2nd quarter. We are going to do even more in OCP (orientation to clinical practice). For example, we will do some cleanings, probings, and hard tissue charting on other students. We will also make diagnostic casts of other students and learn to make them into decent diagnostic models.

I started one of the courses that is new for 2nd quarter--cariology. It looks like it will be an easier course than the other didactic courses we have. Cariology is the study of the disease that leads to cavities.

Today, I had dental anatomy in the morning. We picked up on our diagnostic wax-ups from where we had left off before the end of 1st quarter. It took me a while to remember what I was doing. Dental anatomy is a fun course, but I get frustrated with being unable to create really good finished products. I am able to do about a B job, but I want to do an A job. Trying hard but falling short of my mark is difficult to face.

In the afternoon, we sat through three VERY long hours of embryology--the study of the development of the zygote, fetus, and embryo. This course is part of anatomy, and it looks like its going to be a lot tougher than the first quarter.

Tomorrow, I have my first class of Pacific's infamous Fixed Prosthodontics Class. This class will continue until June of 2006. It combined with our already busy operative class will make our schedules even busier than our 1st quarter schedules.