Impressions
Well in May 2015 I was officially hired and began spending my Wednesday mornings teaching in the clinic . One of the first things that had to be done was filling out volumes of “ onboarding ” documents , including criminal background checks for both the Commonwealth of PA and the FBI , even fingerprints ! There was also the process of calibration of the instructors to make sure we were all doing our jobs grading and teaching the LECOM way . Because let ’ s be honest , we all have developed our own way of doing dentistry that gets to the same result .
I was assigned to a “ pod ,” or group practice that had eight students . These would be my “ kids ” for the next year . It was interesting to meet each one , learn where they were from and about them , and also see the different skill levels and comfort levels doing dentistry on their patients . It was truly no different than it was for each of us in our classes . The true pleasure was seeing them grow week after week and get more and more proficient at doing dentistry and becoming a dentist .
One of the added job responsibilities given to me and two other CDCA examiners was to do the competencies for both Class II and III restorations and get the students prepared for the CDCA exam in March 2016 . We also gave the mock board exams at both the Erie and DeFuniak Springs clinics to try and get the students ready for what was to come . I can tell you that the entire faculty felt a true sense of accomplishment once the examining season concluded and 99 percent of the class had passed the licensing exam . Very impressive to all of us for this first class .
Once that milestone was passed , it was time to get the students busy completing all their clinical competencies and finishing up the treatment on their patients . It was also time for me to write my first letters of recommendations to state licensing boards and clinics where jobs were being sought . And then it was May and time for them to all to head back to Florida to graduate and then scatter in the wind . I had two go to GPRs , one to orthodontic residency , one go work for his father-in-law and then a clinic , two go to associateships , one go to corporate dentistry and one buy a private practice from a retiring dentist right here in my Ninth District . All through the year I spoke to the students about organized dentistry ( what else would one expect from a former PDA president ?), welcomed them at an event the district put on and then helped get 90 + percent of them to sign at ADA signing day .
And then they were all gone , and on Memorial Day weekend 2016 a brand new group of 50 students arrived from Bradenton ready to start the same clinical experience . It was eight new students with the same varying degree of skill and level of comfort and a chance to teach them and watch them grow and become dentists . By the time this issue gets in your hand the Class of 2017 will be graduated and the next group will be in Erie .
I can tell you that it has been a true pleasure teaching these last two years . It is one of the most rewarding parts of my dental career and I would encourage anyone who is considering it to “ just do it .” This was no more evident than the pride I felt when I randomly ran into some of my former students and now colleagues at the Hinman Dental Meeting in Atlanta in March . Seeing them and finding out how life and how the profession of dentistry is treating them was awesome ! They were all doing just fine , thank you .
— STR3
6 MAY / JUNE 2017 | PENNSYLVANIA DENTAL JOURNAL