tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86247775359325902792024-02-06T21:04:26.237-08:00A walk through a life of a dental student (well..DDS/PhD)A vivid and sometimes humoristic excuse of one former dental school student and recent PhD student not to workUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624777535932590279.post-27418194719037170862013-06-07T15:10:00.001-07:002013-06-07T15:10:11.799-07:00Back from EuropeOne of the perks of being in academia is a free trip here and there. And so, I return to you, my anxious reader, from the Tooth Development and Morphogenesis (TMD) meeting in Cote d'Azur, France.<br />
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I tried to come up with a list of the pro's of choosing an academic career, while on the airplane. Some are a bit tongue in cheek, so take them lightly. Here goes:<br />
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1. Science is cool! And yes, you get to do it for a living! I get to ask my own questions and use just about any known tools to my disposal. <br />
2. Life of academics is constantly evolving, keeping them on the cutting edge. I study stem cells, and the relevance of my data depends directly on the latest methodology.<br />
3. One is constantly surrounded with young minds and amazing people that enrich one's life immensly. Our lab shares the floor with a Nobel Prize laureate. <br />
4. When in a bar, tell the girl you're working with stem cells...OK, you're right, this won't help you...<br />
5. Free trips!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624777535932590279.post-125075921338081852013-05-17T10:51:00.001-07:002013-05-17T10:51:23.186-07:00If my dashboard is correct, thanks for the 200 or so people visiting this place every day. Hope you like the new background.<br />
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I just realized that I had ever featured the best pre-dent website ever- <a href="http://studentdoctor.net/">SDN</a>.You're welcome ;)<br />
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In other news, these videos are still popular...not sure why though...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624777535932590279.post-72101651633197840392013-05-02T15:26:00.000-07:002013-05-03T16:42:32.373-07:00<b>Let's begin by answering some questions (yeah, a year ago...chill)</b>
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Francis said...
Hi,
I'm in my AS year studying biology, chemistry, psychology, English literature and citizenship A levels and REALLY WANT TO BE A DENTIST !!!
I was wondering whether you could advise me of how to put my self at an advantage when it comes to applying to universities for this course.
I don't have any work experience as of yet but i am getting it soon ... my GCSE's are not brilliant but they are good (3A*,4A, 5B) but i am so determined! How can i stand out from those with strings of A*'s ???
Please please please can you help in anyway possible! Much appreciated. <br />
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<b>@Francis - those grades are pretty decent. You want to shoot for a 3.5+ GPA when applying to dental school. In addition, you'll need a solid DAT score (20+ was good some 8+years ago when I took it...). As for getting the "edge", if my memory serves me correctly, I have written a whole series on this in the previous posts :) Good luck!</b><br />
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March 6, 2012 at 4:38 PM
moosefish16 said...
so what is the most common major for a dental student? biology with what emphasis?
Also, I need an opinion. I'm torn between majoring in ecology and evolutionary biology or microbiology. I like them both for different reasons. Is microbiology too common a major for a dental student and will they think I'm dumb for picking ecology and evolutionary biology? thanks for your answer <br />
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<b>@moosefish16 - in my class, the most common major were Bio and Chem. That said, we also had a Spanish Lit major and a few other odd ones. My PhD work is in Evo, so I'm gonna say do that one :) </b><br />
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March 14, 2012 at 10:57 PM
sam said...
When you applied to UCSF's competitive DDS+PhD program knowing that if they reject you for the dual degre program, they would also reject you for the DDS program, wouldn't it have been more "safer" to apply only to the DDS program, do all the research you want in dental school, and possibly attend a postgraduate PhD program afterwards? When I say "safer" I mean more likely to gain interview and admission?<br />
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<b>@sam - actually, you have to get in to DDS first, before being considered for the PhD. As to doing "all research you want in dental school"...good luck with that one - you'll have 30 hours of lecture a week and will live in preclinic lab the rest of the time in your first two years...You absolutelly can, however, get a PhD after you finish dental school. My program has 1-2 such students every year.</b><br />
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August 23, 2012 at 11:31 PM
Grace M. said...
I read your entries and I am so inspired. If you apply for the DDS-PHD program , is the tuition funded for ?
November 29, 2012 at 8:36 AM <br />
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<b>@Grace - if the school has a training program, like an NIH T32, then yes, most of the school will be funded. This should NOT, however, be a reason for starting the program. In a later post, I'll discuss why it is not economical to do so. Also, you can apply for an individual training grant, such as a F30 through the NIH.</b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624777535932590279.post-50323240705789083462013-05-02T15:01:00.003-07:002013-05-02T15:27:16.417-07:00RevivalFor those of you who know me, it comes as no surprise that a post promising constant updates would be followed by a 2 year hiatus. In the world, where one has to balance several acts at once, as well as several subacts within an act (fleas upon fleas..ad infinitum), some things must go. In this case, however, they seem to have returned. This is, in part, due to a random stroll across the backbone of this blog, with a realization that it still gets views every month.
So, I will do the following 1)Update you on what the hell happened since I was a 2nd year dental student in a 10 part mini-memoir (who would read that??!!) 2)Give you brief musings of a grad student, who ironically already has a Dr title 3)share cool science 4) offer advise at undergrad/predoc/postdoc level to anyone thinking/applying/in/out about/to//of Dental School.
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Let the fun begin.<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624777535932590279.post-44344615951956361152012-01-12T21:52:00.000-08:002012-01-12T21:53:50.797-08:00Hello kids! In my deepest doubts of anyone still reading this, I extend an offer of simply answering questions regarding dental school life and admissions!<br /><br />let the fun begin...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624777535932590279.post-86519769439131463912011-02-26T14:06:00.000-08:002011-02-26T14:07:51.741-08:00Been a long time since I've rock'n'roll'edWell, if it wasn't for a friendly card I got from Google a few days in my mailbox, I probably wouldn't remember about this....hopefully, I will update more these days...more to come later today...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624777535932590279.post-72356762182845886452010-11-07T17:42:00.000-08:002010-11-07T17:59:20.299-08:00Interview EtiquetteI might have misspelled that word - etiquette...But anyway. Here's a topic few people spend time on, but is nonetheless an important one. For me, it was one of those make or break scenarios during my first interview. Call it silly, but I had forgotten my shaving razor when I was at my very first interview, which I didn't realize until the morning of the interview. By the time I found a store that carried one (apparently, Boston encourages people to grow beards by clearly consciously limiting the number of personal hygiene stores) I was almost late for the interview. I arrived a bit late, hurried and long story short it affected my mood the entire day to the point where I wasn't 100%.<br /><br />So, let's get back to theory. You have gotten your interview invite. You're stoked. Now what. Let's assume you've researched the types of questions you are asked and you have done EVERYTHING to the max. All you have to do now is show to the adcoms that you are not a gorilla (although they are very gracious creatures) and you are golden. Easy, right? WRONG. I've seen things, interviewing, that made me cringe. I'm not going to give examples. Rather I'll guide you through a day of the interview. Disclaimer: This is my opinion, as usual. You can take it or think I'm crazy.<br /><br />Dressing up. For girls it's a bit difficult for me to say, because even after living in San Francisco for a couple of years, I'm still not sure as to the standards of women's fashion when it comes to business vs casual vs biz-cas. When it comes to guys, it's simple. Two piece suit and tie. No if's, but's, or anything else. and make sure your tie is the right length. Call me superficial, but when a guy who aspires to be a DDS, where precision of dimensions is everything, comes in a tie which is 5 inches away from the belt, something doesn't sit right with me. <br /><br />Haircut - the only thing I will say on this matter is that I've sacrificed my pony tail a week before interviews to look professional.<br /><br />Great...I just got paged. I'll finish this later...cheersUnknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624777535932590279.post-67524831401868290032010-10-09T00:57:00.001-07:002010-10-09T00:58:28.406-07:00Well folks,<br /><br />I'm back...Boards are done, life sorting out, new projects (both DDS and PhD) in full swing...why not resume the "how to get in series"<br /><br />see you tomorrow, since tonight is already at 1 am mark...<br /><br />cheers<br /><br />yours trulyUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624777535932590279.post-62166034091026265932010-04-27T12:49:00.001-07:002010-04-27T12:49:58.353-07:00Quick words on research and clubsAlright people, time to make yourself even more presentable! Last time I covered basic academics. So let’s talk exracurriculars today. The great thing about college life is that you can be as involved as you want to be, and for the most part students take a pretty good advantage of it. Clearly, the amount of available activities varies campus to campus, so I will cover some basic things that every predent should be involved in.<br /><br />Firstly, join your schools pre-health professions organization and be active – run for an office, organize activities, participate in sponsored outreach programs, etc. I know too many students that simply join and attend meetings. If you come from a big school, simply being a member of a 100-200 member club doesn’t say much. Express your ability to be a leader! The same is to be said about organizations such as your major club or honor society (in my case the Tri Beta Biological Honor Society, for which I was Historian, VP, Pres, and Regional Parlamentarian). The point here for me is not to brag, but to simply show that you want to express commitment year to year – don’t just join your senior year to put that on your application.<br /><br />Next, let’s talk research. You can find people arguing about the importance of research in at least 2 threads on SDN any time you visit both the Predent and Dent sections. The simple answer is this – it’s better to do it than not to. That said, if you know that research is something that you have no affection for, then don’t do it – go shadow some more instead. I would, however, strongly advise you to give it a shot, just because it was a career shifter for me. So, when/where can you do research? There are many summer research programs available at most college campuses across the nation. Those are competitive, however. You can also approach your department faculty and see if any of them take students. Finally, just make things clear – doing a project for a science class is NOT research.<br /><br />Well folks, sorry for a short one today, but I have about a million things going on. <br />Until tomorrow.<br /><br />-Because I can.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624777535932590279.post-22798686373177521512010-04-25T18:51:00.000-07:002010-04-25T19:21:22.173-07:00Academic Course LoadWhen I was in the process of interviewing, I tried to create this image of a perfect applicant. What was it that made the adcoms go “OOOH, We NEED this student.” In retrospect, I realize there is no such thing as a perfect student, nor is there a right type of a student. Thinking of my classmates, I am humbled to realize that there are many ways in which one can be extraordinary. <br /><br />That said, there are a few key features that all adcoms like seeing. Of course, during the process of myself being an interviewer, I realized that even within one school, views vary between members of the admission committee. Now, let’s look at several key things that every student should strive to have in her/his portfolio.<br />Let’s begin with academics. The higher the GPA, the better you look. This is a no brainer. Also, the higher DAT score you get, the better – also not rocket science (for those who are not D-school applicants, the DAT is the Dental Aptitude Test, which is a universal dental school admission test, similar to MCAT). The point that does carry some variation of opinions is course load. I have heard plenty of questions along the lines of what is the right amount of science classes, which electives look better, should I take a given class over the summer or during the main academic year, or how do adcoms look at “fluff” classes. So this looks a good amount of questions to present my opinion on. And yes, it is just my opinion. <br />The right amount of science classes – funny one. First of all, make sure you know in advance which classes your future dental school requires you to have. This way you’ll avoid situations like the one I had, where the last semester of college, the golden time for any student who is already accepted in to D-school, I found out that Harvard required 1 year of calculus (I will need a whole new blog just to begin to surface the depths of my hate towards math). Thus, because I was not prepared, I spent 2 miserable weeks in an accelerated Calc 1&2 course. Then my UCSF acceptance came and I dropped that course in a heart beat. Now that we have required courses dropped, the remainder should be taken based on 3 principles – 1) requirement for graduation, 2) personal interest, and 3) ability to deal with course load. That’s it. Remember, you are getting a degree in this, which means you did enough science to be worthy of that BS!<br /><br />Next, and this one is even funnier, is which science classes look better. The truth is mostly as follows – it doesn’t matter. Yes, it doesn’t matter if you take virology over histology or mycology over microbiology. I mean, clearly if you want to be a doctor and you take 15 botany courses and completely ignore the fact that your school offers human anatomy that might raise an eyebrow. But, like in my case, it mostly doesn’t matter. My degree is officially BS in Biology, but I basically shaped it to be zoology/field bio by taking classes like vertebrate zoology, evolution, marine biology, mammalogy, ecology, etc. <br /><br />Timing of a course - make sure you have taken the majority of your prerequisites by the time you apply. As for summer vs school year – it doesn’t matter. The school gets accredited for every class based on the syllabus, which should have the same amount of taught material regardless of when it’s taught.<br />Finally, a few words on “fluff” classes. Obviously, taking film appreciation or PE for ½ of your electives is absurd. That aside, there are no fluff classes, and you are disrespecting the department and the professors who teach those classes. That’s all I have to say on that matter. <br /><br />This is already a pretty significant post, and I have a huge midterm tomorrow. So, let’s continue this discussion tomorrow.<br /><br />P.S. Someone asked me about the reasons for the people mentioned in the previous post leaving D-school in the first year. All I know is that some had a late realization that this was not their cup of tea, a couple failed out (it's a pass/FAIL school, after all), and one student wanted to finish her/his Master's degree. The latter student did so and is currently a D1.<br /><br /><br />-Because I can.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624777535932590279.post-76214943339846177622010-04-24T13:40:00.000-07:002010-04-24T14:27:50.266-07:00Giving back.While many of my readers are current dental students, a significant portion of you guys are predents or people simply interested in health professions. As I am studying for my national boards exam, I cannot but remember the stressful time of my life when I was just a biology undergraduate student hoping to get into dental school. During that time I lurked websites like SDN as well as local bookstores to find that one holy grail for any Pre- student – HOW TO GET INTO DENTAL SCHOOL? While I vaguely recall scanning through a book on Medical school admission, my sole source of information came from piecing the puzzles of know-how from the aforementioned website. <br /><br />So, as I sit at my office desk on this beautiful San Francisco Saturday, I present you with a series of blog entries on that very subject – what are the steps that I need to take to make sure that dentistry is for me, and if so, how do I get into dental school? I will cover topics such as proper class load in undergrad, preparation for the DAT, how to pick a good research or community service project, and how to ace your interview. The target audience for this is entry to mid level college students.<br /><br />Before I begin, I think a little more proper introduction is in order. I am a second (almost third) year DDS/PhD student at UCSF. I have interviewed dental school applicants for my school. I come from the University of Central Oklahoma, where I graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in Biology. The latter part of the information hopefully will make you see that it is possible to end up in a top notch school even if you are from a less than prestigious undergrad, assuming you apply yourself well and maybe use some of my advice.<br /><br />Now let’s dive in to today’s topic.<br /><br />How do I know if being a dentist is right for me? This be the most overlooked and undervalued question, while being perhaps the most important one. In my case, I somehow knew I wanted to drill people’s teeth since I was 5. Clearly, my case cannot be taken seriously since up until about the age of 18, I had no real clue of what that profession entails. The danger of not understand what dentistry and dental school is like is real. In my class of 88 alone, we had 5 people drop the program after the first year (2 after orientation!). That’s years of stress and preparation as well as thousands of dollars down the drain because they didn’t do proper research on what it’s like to be a dental professional.<br /><br />So, back the question then – how do I know? Go shadow a dentist. Seriously. I know this may sound primitive but you’d be surprised how many people I know that haven’t shadowed an hour up until after taking the DAT! As you shadow, ask questions ranging to the scope of practice to lifestyle outside work. Try to see what the whole life of a dentist is like, not just the 8-5 part. Also, visit your local dental school and talk to the students. Trust me, professional students love to pet their egos in front of you guys, and will spill all kinds of helpful information. Another great way to get familiar with your future profession (and dental school admissions LOVE this bit) is to shadow other professions. Imagine being asked at the interview:<br />– Well, Timmy, what other profession have you looked at. <br />–None, just shadowed a dentist.<br />– So, then you don’t really know if you would like medicine or research any better or worse, can you?<br />Sure, if you are half-intelligent, you can wiggle out that one. But wouldn’t it be able to say that you explored other professions and came to the conclusion that Dentistry is truly your thing?<br /><br />I encourage you to think of additional ways to get closer to the profession of your choice. The aforementioned, however, should get your pretty comfortable with what Dental school is all about. Finally, I’ll add that no matter how much you research, the best way to know is to be a dental student. ;) <br /><br />Next, I’ll cover the basic features that admission committees look for in students. So stay tuned and feel free to ask questions.<br /><br />-Because I can.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624777535932590279.post-86159484124874966472010-03-14T12:13:00.001-07:002010-03-14T12:18:58.253-07:00Perspective<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLC-ztoepw47cIG39XN0xQSBDyvNUJEmmEzPWKeOF5EvgSoNsXirLlf7OwsTz7Eef2p3loUfERw3H3_Uv6C6tR7jI_PGzx5mHmg6tE6Yvg8cZzOcvFzV2oY7MmP_q2BsPeOitPU2s_mnE/s1600-h/IMG00105-20100314-1210.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLC-ztoepw47cIG39XN0xQSBDyvNUJEmmEzPWKeOF5EvgSoNsXirLlf7OwsTz7Eef2p3loUfERw3H3_Uv6C6tR7jI_PGzx5mHmg6tE6Yvg8cZzOcvFzV2oY7MmP_q2BsPeOitPU2s_mnE/s400/IMG00105-20100314-1210.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448571161573563442" /></a><br /><br /><br />View from the UCSF library.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624777535932590279.post-14837524018782764852010-03-14T01:09:00.001-08:002010-03-14T01:21:51.675-08:00Orange-ya glad...Of all the times to restart a blog, finals week amidst studying for National Boards Exam is probably the worst. Then gain, stress tends to boost my creativity. For those select few reading this, you will notice that the layout is a bit of an orange disaster. I owe this in part to my good friends at <a href="http://www.chethstudios.net">Cheth Studios</a>. If any of you are on the lookout for something outrageous,these guys are it! To relieve you, I will say that I am still modifying things to make it less carroty. Is that a word? According to Microsoft, it is...<br />Well, might as well mention finals week as a D2. In comparison with the D1 year, this is, as they say, chill. Perhaps the school realizes that people have more important things to do than memorize 30 lectures on Evidence-based Dentistry, courtesy of certain DentSci instructors, or re-learn dental ergonomics (only to fail them during the remediation for crown-and-bridge test case). Then there are courses which are mathematically impossible to fail: cough-BMS-cough. <br /><br />- Because I can.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624777535932590279.post-56190132010700342332010-01-19T13:06:00.000-08:002010-01-19T13:07:34.412-08:00It seems that the more free time I get, the least productive I get. <br /><br />Just a quick post to signify my ability to still be breathing. <br /><br />More on this post later.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624777535932590279.post-60396690522115454102010-01-07T22:30:00.000-08:002010-01-07T22:48:28.120-08:00End-o-the day<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq_HOAmdAZpCqg4oFyT05tX3IVUi8Unlb13MTEM4lNVj1LHmnoRtwZGbqTcLU1kKW1qK86QVh8ltKNheiDdFnus09S9sp0rIVPjJ72cA7TKfbuwROWiWUhG5qlgc4BlWpWceCp_jHJH1U/s1600-h/IMG00026-20100107-1529.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 324px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq_HOAmdAZpCqg4oFyT05tX3IVUi8Unlb13MTEM4lNVj1LHmnoRtwZGbqTcLU1kKW1qK86QVh8ltKNheiDdFnus09S9sp0rIVPjJ72cA7TKfbuwROWiWUhG5qlgc4BlWpWceCp_jHJH1U/s400/IMG00026-20100107-1529.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424257185671187218" /></a><br />Arguably the best day of the week. <br />Reason 1: Oral pathology, albeit carrying the infamous brand of the BMS clan, is a surprisingly cool and, gasp, applicable, course! It could be the charm of Canadian and British accents, with which the material is transcribed into my memory, but even the diabolically annoying stream of interrupting questions from the IDP peanut gallery doesn't seem to spoil it. I do, however, have a slight fascination with the fact that we are REQUIRED to purchase the book for the class, which so happens to be the best resource for the subject and coincidentally written by the instructor. <br />The afternoon of endodontic adventures, was, well, stupefyingly boring. Sure, the right-after-lunch lecture wasn't that bad. In fact, most of that stuff was actually applicable...somewhere...in the future...Finally, nothing stimulated me more than yet another inventory check progressing at a glacial pace. Apparently, after 6 years of higher education, graduating Summa Cum Laude and being admitted to the Advancing Health Worldwide place, I still need to be walked through plugging in an electrical appliance step by step...tricky...<br />Anyway, now I'm on to packing for the Psi O Tahoe trip. Going to learn how to snowboard. And not die. Yep, good plan.<br /><br />-Because I can.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624777535932590279.post-62323989289412326672010-01-05T22:11:00.000-08:002010-01-05T22:24:42.011-08:00Ready, Steady, GoAfter a month long vacation, I am back in the usual grind. Ever more confusing, the schedule of UCSF Dental School presented itself with a maze of PCC rotations. Tuesdays will probably be the most difficult of days. <br />Take this one, for example: a total of 7 hours of denture work. I might not mind the fact that we get 1.5 hours of lectures over something that we will never need to consider until we see a patient (which, by the way, may be a YEAR from now). I might not mind that we get the most confusing directions, which are augmented by conflicting statements in the syllabus. What I do mind, is being number 1254. That dreaded number means I am either first or last to be given the attention of my row instructor (let that mustached person be left nameless). If I go first, I have nothing to show for my work, because I haven't done anything yet; ergo, I can't discuss any problems with the given task. If I am last, like today, I am not going to have my turn due to time constraints. Lovely number - 1254.<br />This may be day two of the winter quarter, but I feel like I've been procrastinating for 2 weeks. Things to do by tomorrow: Register for AADR, pay for Frat trip to Tahoe, figure out my winter PhD journal club series schedule, organize a newsletter meeting, and move my stuff in my research lab. <br /><br />-Because I can.<br /><br />P.S. Appologies for no cartoon today, not in the mood for "artistic" creativity.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624777535932590279.post-43133377980981889552009-12-05T22:52:00.000-08:002009-12-05T22:58:56.699-08:0023...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs060.snc3/14761_595001700101_44001730_34406920_4091407_n.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 604px; height: 426px;" src="http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs060.snc3/14761_595001700101_44001730_34406920_4091407_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />CLICK ON THE CARTOON TO SEE FULL<br /><br />Too many finals. Too little time. Terrible time to have a birthday. I hope each and one of you find time for yourselves, no matter how busy you are. Just stop whatever you are doing, stretch, take a deep breath, and tell yourself that you've done this many times before. And just as all those times, you will be just fine.<br /><br />On a personal note, thank you everyone that came out for my short birthday get together. Means the world to me. Ok! Enough slacking! Get back to work! You don't wanna fail, do you??!!!<br /><br />-Because I can.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624777535932590279.post-10216312238489686252009-12-04T22:44:00.000-08:002009-12-04T22:59:37.878-08:00Fighting virtual windmills...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs060.snc3/14761_594880028931_44001730_34403161_1189159_n.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 604px; height: 402px;" src="http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs060.snc3/14761_594880028931_44001730_34403161_1189159_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />CLICK ON THE CARTOON TO SEE FULL<br /><br />What makes you stay afloat and energized? What drives you to be who you are and to stay the course? Often we become so involved in simply staying afloat that we forget to see where the currents take us. One of the advantages and disadvantages of UCSF is its wide diversity within the student body. Albeit receiving a highly beneficial life experience, we, as a class, still stratify ourselves into "Clicks". Be it by background, location, ethnicity, or all of the above, we are drawn into groups of people we associate with and become friends within those groups. Such social inbreeding is far from unique and is inherent to life in general. Perhaps the point I am trying to make is a bit far fetched, but while I consider myself extremely lucky to be friends with the people that I am friends with, I wonder if I limit my understanding of people with other opinions and outlooks on the world. Something to think about. <br /><br />Short post today, as the Finals season is upon us. As you noticed, the daily cartoon is above. This time an inside joke to the UCSF class of 2012.<br /><br />-Because I can.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624777535932590279.post-58087659497065341862009-12-03T21:04:00.000-08:002009-12-03T21:32:34.055-08:00UC light at the end of the tunnel?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs080.snc3/14761_594740443661_44001730_34399479_3350406_n.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 604px; height: 362px;" src="http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs080.snc3/14761_594740443661_44001730_34399479_3350406_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />CLICK ON THE PICTURE TO SEE FULL<br /><br />Education at a public institution can be like driving a pre-owned Geo Metro - great ride for how much you spend, but you really don't know if you will make it home from the dealership. <br />I found out today that someone I admired greatly, who, in part, drew me to this school, and who, to my great joy, was going to take over my PhD program, is in fact leaving for NYU. Yes, ladies and gents, according to several highly informed classmates of mine, Dr. Brian Schmidt DDS MD PhD FACS will most likely leave UCSF for NYU, where he will take over the OMFS program. Although not officially confirmed by any of the faculty or staff, my sources are "solid".<br />While saddened, I understand this choice made. Heading a whole residency program is a big step in one's academic carrier. If unmatched, I would take this opportunity as well. My sources further state that Dr. Schmidt was recruited by none other than Dr. Bertolami, the past Dean for SOD. A great loss to UCSF and a tremendous gain to NYU. As for the PhD program, I am staying the course no matter the weather.<br /><br />Another great thing that disturbs me about some of the universities policies is the presence of homeless people in the library. Studying on the 3rd floor of the Kalmanovitz Library today, I witnessed at least 7 of such individuals snoring with their shoes off and pungent socks exposed for our pleasure; pushing strollers (yes!) full of their lively belongings; talking to themselves; walking aimlessly around the study tables; and coughing profusely, roaring up the entire floor. I understand that it's cold out, but the Kalmanovitz library is not a shelter for the homeless, it is an educational medical library for future health care professionals. It makes no sense to me to read signs like "No Food Allowed" or "Due to recent laptop and purse thefts..." when those people are allowed to do for what in other university libraries one would be thrown out of. And don't get me started on the needles I found in the bathrooms. I had to leave the library because I didn't want to catch the flu and couldn't concentrate on my notes due to the snoring and coughing all around me. These should not be the reasons to leave the school library for a stressed doctoral student.<br /><br />Perhaps instead of implementing such genius ideas as closing the library on a Saturday, UCSF will actually implement something conducive to an education?<br /><br />-Because I can.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624777535932590279.post-87338943900107500202009-12-02T23:45:00.000-08:002009-12-03T00:04:03.837-08:00Remember that one time in high school....UCSF being a professional school, I expect a certain level of maturity from my classmates. Granted, I don't always act my own age, but it's usually limited to "what she said" jokes and occasional G-rated prank. However, what happened today made me question the professionalism of several of my classmates. <br />As a preface in a nutshell, we had an operative test case today and one of the students allegedly started a very basic procedure ahead of time, thus gaining an unfair advantage (placed the rubber dam before hand). Then, about 5 hours after, an anonymous post was made on the E-commons of our school website. The post accused the student of the aforementioned and proceeded to bash that student in front of the entire school. Some other people joined, also anonymously, and used the opportunity to tell the world how much they dislike the student in question. All of this prompted me to write a post defending the student. In my opinion, the situation could be handled in a private manner and in much better taste. After hanging to dry for about 3 hrs, the thread was removed by an instructor.<br />But then the student in question wrote an email back to the class and instructors. I wish he/she hadn't. Not only was that email not needed, but it was some of the most incoherent and unpleasant collections of words I've ever read. Some of the "defenses" used by the student were that he/she "only hangs out with the Mormons and two other girls". If this smells offensive, it's because it is. Then, after about 7 paragraphs of babble about how he/she is so much better than the rest of the class in everything and use of some offensive language, I began to wonder if I jumped the gun about my defense. Obviously, no, I still stand by my opinion. But the student in question definitely dug him/herself deep with that email. <br />This is dental school right? Not high school, not The Real World San Francisco. About time people act like it.<br /><br />-Because I can.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624777535932590279.post-70844496998878910622009-12-01T22:04:00.000-08:002009-12-01T22:23:30.397-08:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs060.snc3/14761_594458842991_44001730_34393036_6171510_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 604px; height: 453px;" src="http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs060.snc3/14761_594458842991_44001730_34393036_6171510_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Hello everyone,<br /><br />I hope everyone's Thanksgiving was outstanding. Every time I fly back home (Oklahoma), it seems I go back in time - to a place of slow and quiet life of a small town. This Thanksgiving was a special one for me. I learned a new value of family and time given to us on this planet. I found out that my little brother is 16 - a whole grown person who is not just my brother, but also my friend. I found out the value of differential diagnosis. Finally, I found out that the emergency seating on the aiplane is the most comfortable seat EVER.<br /><br />Then I get back and face the grind... And what a better way to be thrown back into the grind than a lovely morning to setting teeth in Prostho. An hour and 10 minutes after a "short" lecture, which further confused the hell out of me, I proceeded to set. 15 wax burns later I was told to redo half of it, due to something I missed the previous lecture. Lovely. The time on the clock was 11:40, and I went to find the professor who critiqued my work. To my dismay he/she had already left for lunch. I can be very understanding and lenient when it comes to many things. One thing I DO NOT take well, is people cutting corners at my expense. If we (the students) are expected to be in the class until 12, then I expect the instructors to be there as well!<br /><br />The afternoon was spent on a fishing expedition to find a cool case to assist. After a classmate beat me to an extraction, I settled on assisting an Endo case. Turns out, I lucked out big time, as the D4 I assisted was very helpful and informative. the whole case was exceptionally educational and I'm actually looking forward to Endo next quarter.<br /><br />Alright, I kinda have finals next week, so I guess I'll get to studying.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624777535932590279.post-24547756074242001832009-11-27T23:24:00.000-08:002009-11-27T23:28:05.925-08:00Full of turkey and all Xbox'ed out with my brother - it's good to be home. Finally was able to submit the Eportfolio (read earlier posts about my woes with it).<br /><br />Now I'm bored, laying in bed thinking of class II preps. So I found this video. I have a couple of problems with the lingual and facial extensions of the box prep, as later resulted in a weird restorative techniques...I bet that composite is all kinda bulky towards the gingival interproximal.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/7tTz1veoiyM&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/7tTz1veoiyM&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624777535932590279.post-84422155981143093032009-11-25T23:16:00.000-08:002009-11-25T23:33:43.217-08:00Pre-turkey pokeyNothing builds comradeship like local anesthesia. Truly, there is nothing that can describe a feeling, when you lie in that chair with a gaping mouth as your friend (who you owe money) stares at you with a shining 25 gauge needle. Today the feelings were even stronger, as we were graded for our competency exam (CE). The task was actually quite simple - IA, Lingual, and LB blocks. Easy as pie. You'd think. But then you factor in hitting the bone prematurely and positive aspirations, and Axium, which crashed on me, as usual, and the CE turned out to be quite a labor intensive hustle. Ultimate outcome of this ordeal - I can now perform local anesth on patients in the clinic - scary thought.<br />The afternoon was as mellow as a pre-holiday afternoon can be. After yet another before-after clinical scenario from what I call "true life series" by the instructor, we were told to make a direct composite restoration on #8...or was it #9... Here's where i began to wonder. We are taught that composite restorations are easy to place/adjust, require less time (single appointment) but are less durable and stain resistant than porcelain veneers. But how much so? Believe it or not, I actually liked the look of the composite over the veneer. Plus, factoring in overhead and chair time, composites are a LOT more profitable. In my opinion, when restoring a single anterior tooth, it's much more efficient to do a composite. <br />Anyway, I'd love to rant more, but it's close to midnight, I have a flight home tomorrow, and I haven't even begun considering packing.<br /><br />-Because I can.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624777535932590279.post-63566798009057641872009-11-25T14:03:00.001-08:002009-11-25T21:46:49.396-08:00As I took my Anesthesia CE, a classic by Cosby came to mind.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/XBqY6cJD3CE&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/XBqY6cJD3CE&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624777535932590279.post-48137771073112262532009-11-24T23:03:00.000-08:002009-11-24T23:22:50.176-08:00To be a dentist, one has to pay dues along the path towards those three capital letters. One form in which these dues come is full removable prosthodontics, more specifically full dentures. There are lots of things, which I enjoy in life (great sunrise, ice cream, FVC prep on # 3, etc. However, setting teeth is NOT one of them. Thus, my Tuesday mornings are not the best of times.<br />To aid the already wonderful day, which thus far consisted of waking up 15 min before class starts (also known as afro day, referring to my cranial pelage), forgetting to mount my mandibular model cast, only 3 instructors were present, instead of the usual 7. To put this into perspective, there are 85 of us, and none know what the heck we are doing. The scenery reminded me of a bird mating ritual, as 30 some students attempted to gather attention of a row instructor to review their work. <br />Finally getting through a half-assed job of setting a full Max arch, I packed my things and headed to the end-of-the-quarter PhD journal club meeting, which was more of a "how you doing" meeting. As the current program director is retiring and passing on the torch to someone else, the T32 NIH grant expiring at the end of year, and a major revamping of the curriculum, I stand with little more than a somewhat clear idea what my research project will be. I still have no idea how I am going to fit in my 3rd and final lab rotation while basically working full time in the clinic, not to mention the grad courses, which start next year as well. All I can do now, though, is to keep seeing the big picture - no matter what, I will graduate...eventually.<br /><br />On this note, I bid you adieu until tomorrow.<br /><br />-Because I can.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1