Don't let the title fool you, this isn't an Apple product launch. But luckily, I do have lots of new and exciting things to discuss and cover. Here we go!
First off, the shutdown. It sucked for sure and I'm glad it ended relatively quickly. Yes, stipends were frozen and did not come in on Oct 15. But they will be getting refunded soon and pay should be normal on Nov 1. I was actually on my ADT starting Sept 1 so I was technically on active duty once the shutdown hit and my pay was actually not frozen and I got my normal pay on October 15. The government has gotten their act to together temporarily and hopefully we don't go through all of this again in January! It was a bit frightening and somewhat of a wake up call. It certainly had me second guessing a possible future in the Air Force because it's not fun imagining a future where I don't control my own destiny. Having said that, being on active duty seems to be a trump card in these government shutdown and budget issues so maybe the fear will be gone once I'm on active duty for good.
The key was that my wife and I have built up a decent emergency fund so realistically we could have survived for several months by just slashing some of the fluff we buy and going bare bones with our necessities using her income. This, my friends, is why you buy an umbrella before it rains.
Second, I was accepted to the 1-year AEGD program! There were almost 80 applicants for about 65 spots so the odds were great to begin with. I will find out my base in December and will certainly let you all know.
All for now! School remodel is in full swing and hopefully all the clinics will be done by January. Things look amazing and the OU College of Dentistry is finally launching into the 21st century!
As always, email me if you have questions.
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Is This Real Life?
I'm sure many of you have seen the YouTube video "David After Dentist". If not, please crawl out from under the rock you've been hiding under for the last 4 years and check it out. The moment of interest in the video is when David, who is delirious from the after effects of the medication he received at a recent dental appointment, yells to his father, "is this real life?".
That's a little bit how I feel right now. It's convenient that the whole dentist theme ties in, but I often wonder to myself these days if this is real life. I'm 2 semesters from graduating and at this moment I have no clue where I will be one year from now. I will find out soon enough, but this is a pretty neat moment in my life. Never before has the future been so unknown yet so exciting!
If you've followed my blog and read every word on every page, you might have pieced together that this Air Force thing was somewhat of a childhood dream of mine. I longed to be an astronaut or a pilot and when I decided to attend Oklahoma instead of the Air Force Academy, I assumed those dreams were behind me, ever fleeting as I moved forward with my life, with more "practical" things.
In a twist that can only be described as incredible, I was introduced to the HPSP program during my sophomore year of undergrad at OU as a means to pay for dental school. I applied and was one of five students in the entire country selected. I was sworn in a few months before dental school began but until this week, neither my Air Force career nor my upcoming DDS degree seemed real. I've been working for so long that it's been easy to say "one day I'll be doing this, or that". But that day is coming. And for some reason, it's starting to sink in now.
I think this is due to a couple of reasons. I recently submitted my base ranking for the AEGD and recently drove down to Barksdale Air Force Base for an interview. I am currently on externship at a community clinic cranking out fillings and extractions like a dental robot. I've shocked myself at how much I've progressed as a dentist and as a person and it finally seems real.
My point in all of this is to say this. Cherish where you are in your life because in reality, no matter what our goals are, everything in life is just a journey. To ignore your everyday life and only focus on what is to come is to miss out on everyday beauty and excitement. Conduct yourself ethically and with integrity and your long term goals will fall in place. But don't forget to have fun! We will be learning our entire lives so enjoy the journey because really, that's all we have.
When my wife and I find out where I'll be going for my AEGD, I'll post again and show what my rankings where in comparison to the base I was given.
As always, email/tweet/comment if you have questions for me.
That's a little bit how I feel right now. It's convenient that the whole dentist theme ties in, but I often wonder to myself these days if this is real life. I'm 2 semesters from graduating and at this moment I have no clue where I will be one year from now. I will find out soon enough, but this is a pretty neat moment in my life. Never before has the future been so unknown yet so exciting!
If you've followed my blog and read every word on every page, you might have pieced together that this Air Force thing was somewhat of a childhood dream of mine. I longed to be an astronaut or a pilot and when I decided to attend Oklahoma instead of the Air Force Academy, I assumed those dreams were behind me, ever fleeting as I moved forward with my life, with more "practical" things.
In a twist that can only be described as incredible, I was introduced to the HPSP program during my sophomore year of undergrad at OU as a means to pay for dental school. I applied and was one of five students in the entire country selected. I was sworn in a few months before dental school began but until this week, neither my Air Force career nor my upcoming DDS degree seemed real. I've been working for so long that it's been easy to say "one day I'll be doing this, or that". But that day is coming. And for some reason, it's starting to sink in now.
I think this is due to a couple of reasons. I recently submitted my base ranking for the AEGD and recently drove down to Barksdale Air Force Base for an interview. I am currently on externship at a community clinic cranking out fillings and extractions like a dental robot. I've shocked myself at how much I've progressed as a dentist and as a person and it finally seems real.
My point in all of this is to say this. Cherish where you are in your life because in reality, no matter what our goals are, everything in life is just a journey. To ignore your everyday life and only focus on what is to come is to miss out on everyday beauty and excitement. Conduct yourself ethically and with integrity and your long term goals will fall in place. But don't forget to have fun! We will be learning our entire lives so enjoy the journey because really, that's all we have.
When my wife and I find out where I'll be going for my AEGD, I'll post again and show what my rankings where in comparison to the base I was given.
As always, email/tweet/comment if you have questions for me.
Sunday, June 30, 2013
The Home Stretch
It's official, my final year of dental school has begun!
Thinking back, it seems like I started dental school forever ago. But going off of feelings alone, it seems like just yesterday that this journey began. I can clearly remember different semesters specifically, but dental school has, overall, been one big massive blob of a journey that seems to alter and change as time goes on.
Looking back, it's almost comical how much I thought I knew and really didn't when I first started dental school. This helps me have that same perspective now when I think "Oh, I know exactly what I'm doing". That isn't to say I don't have full confidence in what I do because I do. But thinking I have it all together would be a terrible mistake to make at this point. This is really the start of a huge journey and the ending of a smaller one. Dental school has taught me a lot but if it's taught me anything above all else, it's taught me that I'm going to be learning for the rest of my life. It's more than just the tooth (and the supporting cortical bone!) but it's a patient. Even more than that, it's a life and a perspective on life that I'm treating each day. Each person comes from a different place in life with a different past, a different life view, a different outlook on the future, a different set of financial circumstances, a different set of wants, and a different set of needs. In the end, I've just got to constantly absorb as much as possible so that I can learn from each person and provide even better care the next time.
Last year, our school started the Comprehensive Care clinic. It's where 4th year students work with a general dentist on all procedures (except root canals and complex extractions) so we can do mulitple disciplines in 1 appointment. It is so awesome.
1 more year!!!
On the Air Force front, I finally have some exciting news! I got my AEGD application via email the other day so it's time to rank bases and get a plan together with my wife. Right now our top 3 are Travis, AF Academy, and Eglin. 4-10 aren't set in stone yet but seeing as we will likely not get a top selection (mostly because a lot of people want those bases) we want to make sure we put the rest in a good solid order that we are happy with. I was also informed that I would need to do an interview, either at an AEGD base or by phone. I want to try to make it out and do mine at the AF Academy (the closest to me) but I'll get in touch with the commander there soon and figure out exactly what I should do.
I hope to post more frequently over the next year because things are REALLY heating up. I should know in a couple months (Oct) where I'm headed, and then it will be time to find a place to live.
Keep reading! It's about to get more exciting than ever!
And don't forget to follow me on twitter (@usafdds)
P.S. I'm thrilled to announce that May was the most successful month in the history of this blog with just under 2,000 hits (about 65-70 per day!). I've had 35,000 hits since this began several years ago and have fielded hundreds of emails. Keep them coming!
Thinking back, it seems like I started dental school forever ago. But going off of feelings alone, it seems like just yesterday that this journey began. I can clearly remember different semesters specifically, but dental school has, overall, been one big massive blob of a journey that seems to alter and change as time goes on.
Looking back, it's almost comical how much I thought I knew and really didn't when I first started dental school. This helps me have that same perspective now when I think "Oh, I know exactly what I'm doing". That isn't to say I don't have full confidence in what I do because I do. But thinking I have it all together would be a terrible mistake to make at this point. This is really the start of a huge journey and the ending of a smaller one. Dental school has taught me a lot but if it's taught me anything above all else, it's taught me that I'm going to be learning for the rest of my life. It's more than just the tooth (and the supporting cortical bone!) but it's a patient. Even more than that, it's a life and a perspective on life that I'm treating each day. Each person comes from a different place in life with a different past, a different life view, a different outlook on the future, a different set of financial circumstances, a different set of wants, and a different set of needs. In the end, I've just got to constantly absorb as much as possible so that I can learn from each person and provide even better care the next time.
Last year, our school started the Comprehensive Care clinic. It's where 4th year students work with a general dentist on all procedures (except root canals and complex extractions) so we can do mulitple disciplines in 1 appointment. It is so awesome.
1 more year!!!
On the Air Force front, I finally have some exciting news! I got my AEGD application via email the other day so it's time to rank bases and get a plan together with my wife. Right now our top 3 are Travis, AF Academy, and Eglin. 4-10 aren't set in stone yet but seeing as we will likely not get a top selection (mostly because a lot of people want those bases) we want to make sure we put the rest in a good solid order that we are happy with. I was also informed that I would need to do an interview, either at an AEGD base or by phone. I want to try to make it out and do mine at the AF Academy (the closest to me) but I'll get in touch with the commander there soon and figure out exactly what I should do.
I hope to post more frequently over the next year because things are REALLY heating up. I should know in a couple months (Oct) where I'm headed, and then it will be time to find a place to live.
Keep reading! It's about to get more exciting than ever!
And don't forget to follow me on twitter (@usafdds)
P.S. I'm thrilled to announce that May was the most successful month in the history of this blog with just under 2,000 hits (about 65-70 per day!). I've had 35,000 hits since this began several years ago and have fielded hundreds of emails. Keep them coming!
Saturday, March 16, 2013
It's Official (almost)
First off, it's that time of year when students are getting their HPSP acceptances to congrats to you out there that got one! For those interested, it's never too early to find a recruiter!!! Check out the top of my blog for info on how to get in touch with a recruiter.
Now to the post...
In approximately 6 weeks, I will officially be a 4th year dental student! That means I will have trudged through 3 grueling years, or 2 grueling years and 1 not-so-grueling year, to make it this far. I can finally have a legitimate excuse not to study (senioritis of course) and I'll start thinking very seriously about life after dental school.
*Clinic slots are 3 hours long. AM = 9am-noon, PM = 1pm-4pm
Now to the post...
In approximately 6 weeks, I will officially be a 4th year dental student! That means I will have trudged through 3 grueling years, or 2 grueling years and 1 not-so-grueling year, to make it this far. I can finally have a legitimate excuse not to study (senioritis of course) and I'll start thinking very seriously about life after dental school.
Of course, my journey is unique, as many of you know. I'm on the HPSP scholarship, which means I have a secure future and a guaranteed income for the next 4 years (5 if you count AEGD) after I graduate in May of 2014. But nevertheless it's an exciting and scary time of transition and change when I slowly morph from a student to a doctor. It truly is a blessing that I've made it this far. Since about 2008, this is what I wanted to do with my life and I'm so fortunate that things have worked out the way they have. I got the AF HPSP, got into dental school on my first try, and here I am. I've "thought" about being a 4th year for so long that it seemed like it would never happen. Well, it is and it's coming very soon. My wife and I are both nervous and excited for what lies ahead!
In a way, my mind is already in the 4th year because yesterday we were sent out summer schedules. Here at OU, the transition between years takes place between spring and summer. Here's the breakdown of my summer schedule:
*Clinic slots are 3 hours long. AM = 9am-noon, PM = 1pm-4pm
Monday AM - Clinic
Monday PM - Clinic
Tuesday AM - Clinic
Tuesday PM - Clinic
Wednesday AM - Clinic
Wednesday PM - Clinic
Thursday 8-10am - Endo III, 10-12am - Restorative III
Thursday PM - Clinic
Friday AM - Clinic
Friday PM - Clinic
So... lots and lots and lots of clinic. Finally! This is what I signed up for! For those keeping score, clinic times are in 3 hour blocks. So that means I have 27 hours of clinic every single week. Not too bad. That's approaching a full time job! I'm very excited about this. I'm sure the Fall and Spring semesters coming up will be equal or greater than that.
If you've been keeping up with my older posts, our school is transitioning right now. Dedicated schedulers, re-imagined clinic structures and physical remodeling are transforming OU. My class is catching the brunt of the changes for better and for worse, but that's life. We are actually pretty far behind right now in general in terms of our clinical experience, but hopefully we can make it up this coming year.
I haven't yet received my AEGD packet to apply for that, but when I do I'll be sure to post about it. No other AF news right now. I am currently in the middle of my 45 day ADT. Pay bump, love it!
Also, I've found out we can take NBDE Part II at the end of our summer session (last week of July) and I'm probably going to take it as soon as I'm allowed. Which means I've already started studying... no!!! It's true, I'm slowly making my way through First Aid right now. A neat side note, I'm attempting to go all digital this time. Basically I won't use any pre-printed notes or books to study. I make jot my own notes down but I'm using digital versions of all textbooks, dental decks, and old exams to prepare. I have an iPad and use Dropbox regularly so that's going to be my main mode of study. It's part convenience and part experiment (and part me not wanting to buy anything). So I'll be posting about that and letting you all know how that goes.
That's all for now, as always, email me if you want to chat about dental school or the Air Force HPSP!
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