Beginning clinic marked a rite of passage I had been waiting for since I was the ripe age of 13 (and I'm not talking about my Batmitzvah) when I realized I wanted to be a dentist. But beginning clinic also meant leaving the safe quarters of my apartment and venturing out into a COVID world. The transition has certainly been different, especially because of the recent changes to the clinic model. Every day feels like Big Brother where we have to “Expect the unexpected.” New challenges arise every day, each one different from the next. This initially was really difficult to adapt to and navigate. I would run around clinic not knowing what I was looking for, lapping the same fourth years who would raise their eyebrow at this very lost third year. Having just purchased an Apple Watch, it would occasionally buzz, notifying me to “Breathe,” because clearly I was not doing an adequate job, lost to the hustle and bustle of clinic. Adapting was fast, but it still took a bit of time before I was comfortable going into clinic. This came with the first filling I did. It was a class IV, DIFL. I struggled with the prep and at the halfway mark, I wanted to give up. But I couldn’t. And I wouldn’t. I pushed to finish the restoration and the best feeling I’ve felt yet here was when I handed the patient the hand mirror and they exclaimed how happy they were. That day changed me and the way I saw clinic. It’s not a scary place. It’s a place to learn and to push ourselves. It’s a place to try new things and venture out of our comfort zone. When I came to terms with this, clinic felt much less like a monster and much more like a friend. After this, I turned off the “Breathe” reminders on my watch; I knew I’d be just fine without them.
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By: Jerry Huang"The professors were also extremely patient and helpful during the entire session as they provided me with constructive feedback and tips." As part of the first group that returned to campus for simulation lab work, I really enjoyed my first day back. The overall environment felt safe and relaxing as there were just a few students in each row and everyone was social distancing. I was a bit nervous about using my hand piece for the first time after months, but as soon as I started prepping, everything came naturally. The professors were also extremely patient and helpful during the entire session as they provided me with constructive feedback and tips. Overall, I am very glad to be back and look forward to the remaining sessions.
Benjamin Lam '23
Katie Dileo '22"In order to maximize your time in this class, I recommend taking every opportunity to engage with your faculty."
Jamie Chang '23"Live one day at a time. Know that everyone survives and you will too ❤."
Marrina Ran '23
Semira Amirkiai '23
Arielle Miller, D3
ASDA partnered with our local SNDA and ADEA chapters to host SNDA’s Annual
Impression conference. We were in charge of the Simulation Lab portion of the event where we had 130 pre-dental students practice drilling on Learn-a-preps and pour up a model of a typodont tooth. There were dental student volunteers from different classes walking around and talking to the pre-dental students. Several pre-dental students got a chance to have one-on-one conversations with UCSF dental students and exchange experiences. This is the goal of our pre-dental events because we believe that the most valuable advice is usually passed on with personal interactions. We introduced a new part to the simulation lab experience this year by creating a small Dental toolkit exhibit, where we placed our dental kits on display for each specialty. We had a kit for Operative, Crown and Bridge, Prosthodontics, Endodontics, and Periodontics. Pre-dental students were able to see what kind of instruments we use in simlab and ultimately in clinic, this allowed them to gain another perspective on what dental school is about. Photos and videos were encouraged and several predental students enjoyed looking at the kits. We also had a few volunteers stationed here to answer any questions as well as provide a quick overview on how each set of instruments were utilized. |
UCSF ASDA
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