Today marks the last day of my first year of dental school. I'm wiped out mentally and physically, but I'm happy to report that I survived. Along the way I was even voted president of my class, which seems kind of high school-ish but is an honor nonetheless. Already I've had to deal with a cheating scandal and some financial issues, but I think it's going to be a fun position to hold next year.
Having spent the last few weeks staying up late to study and working over-time in the pre-clinic making a gold crown (we had to do everything, from prepping the tooth to carving the shape of the new crown out of wax to melting the gold with an acetylene torch and then injecting it into the casting), I'm definitely ready for some time off. My first order of business: tune up the bike and go for a long ride. Then I'm going to make some reservations for our upcoming trip to Costa Rica or else we'll be sleeping on the beach every night.
It's a little daunting to think that this time next year I will be working on my first patients. Plastic mannequins don't have nerve endings or blood vessels. They don't care if my elbow smashes into their eye or my bur accidentally digs into their lip. They also don't have high blood pressure or diabetes, and they aren't taking any medications that react adversely to anesthesia. But even though I have a long way to go and a lot to learn, this person's story helps remind me why I'm so excited to be in dental school, and why ultimately I want to go into oral surgery:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zollo/2460682776/
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