If You Don't Run, You Rust

I cannot believe that it has been two weeks since my last post. Two long grueling weeks, with less than acceptable hours of sleep and most definitely less than acceptable miles under my belt. Sleep and running just do not fit into a schedule that includes exams in Pathomedicine, Fixed Prosthodontics, and Pharmacology, as well as a nearly impossible full gold crown project, all packed into just seven short days. The good thing is, I more than survived the two longest weeks of dental school thus far, I conquered them. My efforts are positively reflected in the exam grades I have received and I'm confident that my crown will pass the test as well. The last two weeks may not have been sweaty, but they were, without a doubt, successful. 

In the midst of the madness last week, I took most of the day off on Saturday to attend a memorial service for one of my best friends grandmother, Virginia. Anne, "Wools," and I have been close since our cross country days in high school. She was my maid of honor in our wedding and means the world to me. She did everything she could for her grandmother and I always enjoyed visiting Virginia with her. The service was peaceful, sweet, and full of love and appreciation for her. It was a heart warming experience and I'm truly glad I was able to be a part of it. I am thankful for the opportunity to support Wools and for my husband, Cal, for driving me to Indy and back so that I could make the most of my time on the road. 

After seven days of maximum stress and minimal endurance to spare, our class decided to have a party to celebrate the end of the insanity which had consumed us. Thursday afternoon drug itself out as if we were third graders on the last day of school. As if the bell were about to ring and all seventy-nine of us would be free for the summer. Dr. Mattingly was lecturing on treatment planning, but all I could hear were the lyrics to Tom Petty's Big Weekend:

I need a big weekend.
Kick up the dust.
Yeah a big weekend.

If you don't run, you rust.

We ran alight. The class party was Friday night which started with beer pong and Jenga and ended up at Molly Malones, a cute little Irish Pub on Bardstown Road. Saturday, Cal and I literally kicked up the dust at the National Farm Machinery Shows tractor/truck pull where we were very excited to see our friends take first and third place. Congrats Van and Curt and everyone at Haisley Machine! Needless to say, it was a great way to shake off the residual stress from the weeks prior and overall one of the better weekends I've had since I moved here. A good sign that my attitude is in fact changing and that enjoying life as a dental student isn't impossible. I am looking forward to a light week at school and catching up on my mini-marathon training. Looking forward to running to keep from rusting!  

"Attitude is a Choice"

Although I love Dentistry, I can't honestly say that I've loved dental school thus far. Maybe if I were younger, or less influenced by life's experiences this place would be a little more palatable. Or maybe, I should just change my attitude and smile about it.

I applied to dental school for several reasons. The most important one: knowing that if I were successful at accomplishing such a daunting task, I would never have to work another day in my life. It might sound cliche to you, or even unrealistic, but as stressful as practicing Dental Hygiene could be, I never woke up thinking, "I don't want to go to work today." I loved my job. I loved my patients. I loved being trusted, having people depend on me, taking care of others, making people smile. My goal was to never feel comfortable in my work, but to continue to master it everyday and to continue to grow as a person and a clinician. That's how I ended up here. The ladder was only so high and although I knew there was still a lot of ground to cover, I also knew I wouldn't be satisfied. So I wrote this:

     I once read a short story about a man who encountered a young boy while walking on the beach.  The boy was tossing starfish off the beach and back into the ocean.  When the man asked the boy what he was doing, he told him that the tide had gone out and that if he did not get the starfish back into the ocean they would die.  The man responded and asked, "There are hundreds of starfish along the beach, what makes you think you can make a difference?"  As the boy tossed yet another one back he replied, "I made a difference for that one." This story is an example of why I want to be a dentist and why I am applying to dental school.  I am applying because I desire and anticipate the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of the people I encounter throughout my dental career. 

     I began my career in the dental field when I was accepted to the Dental Hygiene Program at Indiana University-Purdue University of Fort Wayne in July of 2003.  After completing the program with a 4.0 GPA and graduating with highest distinction, I obtained my dental hygiene license from the Indiana State Board of Dentistry in June of 2005.  I then began working as a dental hygienist in two general dental practices.  After spending a short period of time in these offices I was fully aware that I was not satisfied with limiting my dental career to hygiene.  It was not long before I began obtaining information on applying to dental school. Today, I am submitting this application for the 2009 admittance cycle with perseverance and great determination.

     As a practicing dental hygienist I find the greatest pleasure in my work comes when I am able to make a profound difference in my patient’s lives, by providing them with care that will last them a lifetime.  I achieve this by educating them on the importance of oral hygiene, changing their outlook on the purpose of dentistry, motivating them to make their oral health a priority, and by providing the best care I am able to provide them every time they are in my chair.  I enjoy establishing personal relationships with my patients, challenging cases and patients of all ages.  I ensure that my patients receive the kind of care that I would expect for myself or my family and I take pride in my work.

     Although I have a great passion for dentistry and for the people I encounter in it, I am also passionate about many other things in life.  For example, I was recently married in May of this year and am excited about my role as a wife and future mother.  My husband and I have two dogs, a yellow lab we call Luke, and a yorkie named Leia.  In the summer I enjoy camping, fishing, riding my LTZ 400 Suzuki ATV, and most of all boating where I enjoy my newest and most challenging summer hobby, wakeboarding.  We take at least two snow skiing trips a year and love to go ice fishing in the winter.  However my favorite activity is one that I enjoy year round.  It is my ongoing training in Brazilian Ju-jitsu.  Training in Ju-Jitsu fighting keeps me in shape, helps me to relax, and provides me with a means of self-defense and self-discipline.

     I am currently a full time hygienist at Lifetime Smiles Dental Care in Marion, Indiana who is eager to continue furthering my dental education.  I will continue to practice dental hygiene with care and concern as I await acceptance into the dental program where my true passion lies.  I will strive to make a difference for each and everyone of the people I encounter in my dental hygiene career.  As a person who is compassionate toward others, I will continue to help those in need whether it be a patient or coworker, a church member or even an elderly person at the grocery store.  As a person who finds self satisfaction in helping others, I will continue to search for satisfaction.  I am submitting this application with great hope and high spirits that I will someday be able to provide the highest quality of lifetime care to all those in need.  Someday I will make a difference in more ways than I can even imagine. 

I submitted this, along with my application, and after nearly a year of anticipation, I recieved the good news. News that I was going to dental school. News that my dream was going to become a reality. News that in four short years, I was going to be back to work, treating people, making a difference everyday and loving every minute of it. The problem: I forgot to consider the time in-between. All that mattered was that I was in and that my hard worked had paid off. However, now that I'm here, I have to admit that the challenges I expected to find, are the smallest hurdles I've had to jump; the dead lines, exams, projects, time constraints, hours and hours of studying. These are the necessary evils I signed up for by coming here. The REAL challenges have be the ones involving my personal life; moving away from my family, quitting my job, moving in with a stranger, abandoning my comfort zone and exploring the zones of learning. The real challenges are the ones that I've let control my attitude for far too long now. I've refused to enjoy this place, to be happy here, to roll with the punches and soak up the experience. Instead, I've chosen to focus on the end, telling myself this is temporary and that it will all be worth it someday. 

Getting into dental school is the kind of good news that changes your future, but I've got good news that is going to change the present. It's changing, because I'm changing my perspective. Training for the mini marathon is reminding me of how much I truly enjoy life.  It is reminding me of why I am here in the first place, how hard I worked to get here, and the fact that I deserve to enjoy it.  After all, it is more than just four temporary years, it's four years of my life.

I've decided that it is time to stop dealing and start living, so today I'm making a choice. A choice to believe that attitude, is in fact, a choice. "Attitude is a choice, and I'm ready to choose the best for myself."

20 Weeks

Twenty weeks to be prepared for what I perceive as the last BIG hurdle between me and my dream. Twenty weeks to master Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry, Histology, and Microbiology all the while juggling Pharmacology, Pathology, and numerous other exams, quizzes, and projects. Twenty weeks until I take the National Board Examination part 1 for Dentistry.

I have taken a National Board before, back when I thought Dental Hygiene was the end of my college career and the beginning of my life outside of school. I keep reminding myself that it wasn't as bad as I had expected it to be, but somehow this doesn't seem the same. I had time, time to focus, time to think, time to breathe, time that I do not have right now. And even though the information was just as dense, I was using it everyday in the clinics. I haven't thought much about Microbiology, hell let's be honest, I haven't thought about it, or any of the other courses, since their respective finals. How could I? It's difficult enough to focus on the current ones; Pathomedicine, Pharmacology and Fixed Prosthodontics to name a few. I just keep hearing this semester repeat itself out loud saying, "Welcome to Dental school Jyme, are you prepared?"

I have been saying for months now that I am going to work out a schedule, make a plan, get on it, start studying, be productive and so on. However, here I sit, writing about how I need to work out a schedule, make a plan, get on it, ok you get the point. I am hoping that taking my daily journal writings, that only I know exist, and putting them out there for someone to read will motivate me. I don't know who reads blogs, or if people even care, but I figure that I type faster than I write anyway and I could obviously benefit from time saved. 

On top of scheduling for boards, I also registered for the Louisville Kentucky Derby MiniMarathon this week. I ran for the first time today since August and any distance really since June. It felt amazing! Just me, all alone on the treadmill, pounding it out. A good sweat never hurt anybody. I think running is my ticket to motivation for a lot of things in life. It's a big part of how I got here in the first place. I've been a runner since I joined the cross country team in the 6th grade. I was faster than anyone expected, even myself, and I ran my way to the top of every school record in both middle and high school. I ran solo at the State Championship my freshman year, wearing a shirt with my favorite quote on it. One by Steve Prefontaine, which most runners will recognize, "To give anything less than your best, is to sacrifice the gift." I have always tried to apply this quote to everything I do in life, including getting into Dental school. In fact, I used it in my entrance essay for admission, but that's a story for later. 

Bottom line, it's time to get serious. Serious about studying, serious about training, serious about giving my best so that my gifts can continue to thrive. The harder I work, the easier it will be and the more I run, the more tickets to motivation I will earn.  

Twenty weeks full of training, studying, and dedication. Twenty weeks full of sweet sweaty success.