Sunrise Project: Day 4

It's a rainy day, which I LOVE, but there wasn't a sunrise this morning. Not a colorful one on my drive, at least! Everything is just as sleepy as I feel! I am worried about my patient I have scheduled today- I think something may have happened to him because his mother and I haven't been able to get a hold of him for weeks! (He has a mental disorder and wanders around a lot. I really hope he is okay!) But something positive is today is my last day of school this week! We did it! One more week down! Only 18 days of school left!!! And it's supposed to be 70 degrees this weekend :)

Quote of the Day:

"The path to success is to take massive determined action."

-Tony Robbins

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Sunrise Project: Day 3

All I have to say about this sunrise is wow! So pretty. Wednesdays are my earliest days so seeing this made it a little more worth it! Today I am seeing one of my patients with a mental disorder. She has colorful calculus deposits so I'm excited! I scaled half of her mouth a few weeks ago and get to finish the rest today! I took a before picture and forgot to take an after picture at my halfway point so hopefully I remember today. The calculus deposits are really thick and dense!

Quote of the Day:

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Sunrise Project: Day 2

Today's sunrise isn't as powerful or vibrant. However, the snow on the mountains really is pretty! As ususal, this picture doesn't do the sunrise justice.

I'm actually ditching class today, whoops :) But only because I am doing volunteer work! A few classmates and I are going to a health fair this morning to perform oral cancer screenings. (I'll post about it later!) I am excited. This will be a great way to reach out to those otherwise unable to access care, possibly SAVE LIVES, and a great way to advertise ourselves and find patients! I am hopeful about finding a geriatric patient and an adolescent for requirements, though the latter is unlikely. No patients for me in clinic today- I am a facilitator!

Quote of the day:

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Sunrise Project: Day 1

The sunrise is gorgeous this morning. The picture doesn't do it justice, but pictures rarely do. I am optimistic about today! I am ready for my classes and my teacher is actually going to be my patient this afternoon! Her husband is going to be my patient as well. This should be fun and I really look forward to their input! Bring it on, Monday :)

Quote of the Day:

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The Road to RDH: Day 1 of Efficiency Clinic!

My entire life can be described in one sentence:

It didn't go as planned, and that's okay.

Everything always works out! Both my patients canceled for my first day of efficiency clinic. Can you spell STRESS? I called and called and called everyone I knew in the area, and had managed to get a patient in my chair for the first appointment, but no luck for my second. 

As you can imagine, I was pretty flustered by the time my 1:40 patient showed up. Shortly after his arrival I found out this patient was wayy too difficult for productions clinic so I had to refer him to the other clinic I work in the rest of the week. Our grades are based off of how much we accomplish in productions clinic, so I was getting REALLY nervous at this point! A very low score for just an assessment and referral (and Chlorhexidine prescription) followed by a zero for no patient?! I was getting pretty discouraged. 

Then, miraculously, when I went out to the waiting area I discovered one of my friends had showed up for a 3:00 appointment with me! Thank you thank you thank you! My first day of efficiency clinic wound up being much more stressful than I ever thought it would be, but it all worked out! Despite the stress I actually really enjoyed efficiency clinic. It was really fun to see patients in short appointments back to back and present to the dentist like it was a real office. I look forward to my future in dental hygiene!

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The Road to RDH: My LAST First Day of School! ... EVER!!!

"He who opens a school door closes a prison" 

-Victor Hugo

...Unless they go to my school! I mean seriously, what was my faculty thinking with khaki scrubs? We have to go out and find our own patients, and the poor people get scared that these random girls who escaped from prison are talking to them!

Humor aside, my school feels nothing like a prison. We have fun together, we all enjoy what we do, and our faculty is great. Today was my last first day of school ever! Well, probably not ever. I like school too much. When I was little I went to summer school because I WANTED to. As I got older they made a rule that you could only go to summer school if you were failing or behind, and I was devastated. 

I look forward to this new and final semester with my classmates and friends. The final countdown is on! I am so terrified of everything that is about to happen this semester (BOARDS, efficiency clinic, MORE BOARDS!) but so blessed that my dream is coming true, we are so close to becoming dental hygienists! When people say that you'll make friends and memories that'll last a lifetime at school, they mean it! I am grateful to all of these girls who have been there for me through it all. Here's to an awesome semester!

Inmates or dental hygiene students?

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Back to School! :)

"Education is the most powerful weapon for changing the world" 

-Nelson Mandela

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