Mid-Semester Check In!

Clinic is fun.. and STRESSFUL!

So far, the best experience I have had came from one particular student. She has always impressed me with her clinical skills–for being a junior, she has great technical ability. From previous experiences working with her in clinic, I know that she can successfully identify areas of calculus and remove them. However, this was her first day seeing a patient with a lingual retainer. She knew she left some calc in that area, but did not know how to remove it. I was able to pull on my experience and recommended she try a few different instruments. I showed her first, then she sat down and we worked on perfecting her scaling strokes to make them more effective in this area. She was so thankful for the help, and I felt like I actually made a difference–hopefully one she will keep in mind throughout her career.

I think in the beginning I was being too nice 🙂 Now that I am seeing how they learn and how I teach best, I am becoming more comfortable with giving constructive criticism. Sometimes I have to recognize that students don’t just skip things because they forgot, but because they are taking shortcuts. This was difficult for me, but I am getting better at discussing the issues with students, and I learn a lot from the clinical instructors on how to deliver bad news without being harsh.

I am becoming more confident in myself as an instructor, and less afraid to jump in with students. Everyone can learn, and I have knowledge to share, so why not? I am learning how to communicate with students on terms they understand and find helpful.

This internship is aiding in my career goals because it opened my eyes to the challenges of clinical teaching. I know how important clinic is to develop students’ skills and patient management, but I was really interested in teaching in the classroom. Now, I am definitely open to both clinical and didactic teaching. I enjoy working one on one with the students and seeing how each one changes throughout the semester.

The thing that surprises me the most is how much is going on in the clinic at one time. Not only does the instructor have to think about where 5 students are, who they are seeing, what needs done, who needs checked, and who needs a swipe, but they also have to think about things such as possible board patients, helping students meet requirements, and working with the dental faculty.. the last one has been quite the challenge recently. Another surprise–how much I enjoy it!