Bittersweet ?

I can't decide if I'm happy or sad about leaving Pennsylvania. Some days, hours, minutes I am liking it here. And others, I just don't. I absolutely love our ward and friends out here. The weather???....well, at least it's green out here right? The staff at my school???...well, some are bipolar or something and are your best friend one day, and then are mad at the world the next. Let's just say it's been a rough time trying to drop patients and get cleared for graduation. And all of the construction workers are parking in my dirt lot across from the dental school, making me have to park several blocks away...I guess I need the exercise though. We just saw some of our friends for the last time while we are here and I'm a little sad to leave the awesome people we've met out here. So I decided to make a facebook account today so I can keep up with everyone. I tried to hold out for a long time, but gave in. I just know I am going to be super addicted though.


So I took the big clinical boards a week ago!
I wish I could describe the experiences my patients had the day of clinical boards with this picture, but It was just a tiny bit more stressful.



Patient #1 (cleaning): promised me the night before he'd be there, but slept in. Luckily his mother-in-law (who works at my school) called him in the morning and reminded him to come in. He was just a little late. No problems, except he kept falling asleep and closing his mouth while I was working.

Patient #2 (root canals): Mr. Mannequin head was the most cooperative of my patients. I think I was hovering over his head the whole time! No talking, falling asleep...he was perfect. I was even able to sit in my pre-clinic operatory with the Mannequin head I started with as a freshman in dental school. I think my root canals went well. I barely finished on time though.

I would have not passed my boards without Greg Carr (my assistant). He was so helpful and even spotted something I missed!
He was Dave Arthur's patient the day before so he had some tips he learned from the grading examiners that he shared with me and others.

Patient #3 (composite (white) filling): We started a little late, but everything went pretty well. It was a little large so it took a while. One grader said I missed a little white area (decalcification) on the tooth, but luckily it was one person, so no points were docked.

Patient #4 (Amalgam (silver) filling): This patient told me she wasn't going to come because her husband had to work and she had no one to watch her kids, but she gave me her word so she found someone to watch her kids for $100! I felt so bad so I payed her $200 for coming! There were missing instruments in the packets I borrowed from friends so i freaked out asking around for extra instruments. Luckily, Lee Chaffee came to the rescue and I borrowed some of his stuff.
Greg and I could not get a rubber dam over a tooth in the back because it was so broken down. We ended up putting all four hands in this pour patient's mouth and putting floss on each side of the tooth to get it to stay down. After that, it was smooth sailing. I had 30 minutes to put the filling in or else I would have to come back on Sunday. This was the case for many other people. They all were going to wait until the morning, but I told them we could do it! So we all tried. Greg had left to pick up his wife from the airport, so I was by myself, but everything went well. Other people came in when there was one minute left to help me get my stuff together to turn in. My patient and I ran to the graders. We were about 30 seconds late, but they said we were clear and let my patient go back to get graded. My patient said she told jokes while back there, and had the graders rolling with laughter. She told me that she was sure I passed because she helped me.

So after my most stressful day I've ever had (Sat.) I finished my boards! I know I was blessed to have things work out the way they did. We don't find out our results for 4 weeks! I think everything went pretty well though...hopefully. I am finished with patients at school and cleaned out my locker yesterday. So just a few more things to do... I'm packing every day now which is really...really....really...fun.