3 things you’re taking for granted at dental school (UK)
The expertise
We all know that feeling, it’s been an extremely long day of treating approximately one patient and we feel shattered. Our belly is rumbling and our eyes are drooping. The tutor asks “Any more questions?”. You pretend to think of a question for three seconds then respond “No thank you, enjoy your evening” and you bounce away excited to go home.
Tutors do not normally undertake a job teaching students for the money. Their salary would be far superior working full time in a high-street practice. We would like to think that a passion for teaching drew them towards education. Dental tutors have probably seen thousands of patients, extracted hundreds of teeth, dealt with many more presenting complaints. They’ve invested in further education and learnt from their senior colleagues. This is all before we even discuss those that are registered specialists in their chosen domains. After you leave dental school, you won’t have accessible in-person contact to these top tier clinicians. I don’t think their knowledge, experience and most importantly willingness to share it, is appreciated enough. Go ask them questions, give them hypothetical situations, ask them what they think is important to learn etc. Of course don’t bombard them, but don’t take them for granted either…
2. The practice labs
Dental Foundation Training (DFT) jobs are compulsory following dental school in order to obtain your NHS number. Varying from practice to practice is the level of support and teaching material available to you. Some practices may supply extracted teeth held in putty and allow you to practice. Or even allow you to be in charge of your own books and appointment lengths so that you can have time to practice clinical skills. But what is highly unlikely is that you’ve a phantom head clinic in which you are permitted to use as much material, amalgam, composite, putty and anything else you would like. It’s even more rare that you will have a dentist that will sit down and carefully analyse your work and talk through thorough feedback. In the first blog post, it was mentioned that you shouldn’t be bound by the curriculum (check it out here). By using the clinical skills labs to practice alternative techniques, methods and procedures, you’re undoubtedly increasing your confidence when it comes to patients. It can be a looonely world out there as a dentist. Don’t take these facilities for granted.
3. The relationships and future colleagues
I don’t think it is appreciated enough that in dental school, you are surrounded by, living with, and learning with future dentists. That includes everyone in your year group, and in your entire school. In fact, it includes everyone in dental school at any university. These group of people are your future colleagues, and these people are going to be the heart of dentistry. That means the future orthodontists, the oral medics, the oral surgeons, the cosmetic dentists (yikes) are all going to be in dental school at this same time. Take the time to learn from your peers, build and nurture relationships and stay in contact. You never know who you’ll be referring to in the future, or who you may be looking to team up with. Networking isn’t just for investment bankers. Asides from dentistry, these people can probably relate to you the most, and you’ve been through a tough 5 years together, so don’t take these relationships for granted.
