MOCKBOARDS!!!

Today was our first mockboard day. I was not very nervous until I got to clinic in the morning and started setting up my stuff and trying to figure out all the paperwork. My brother-in-la called my patient (Cesar) last night and he said he would for sure be there, so I was really confident that he would show up. Cesar was told to be there 10 minutes early so we could get going right at 8:00. Well, 8:05, 8:10, 8:15 and no Cesar. I was starting to panic. We only had until 8:30 to check our patient in until we would get minutes taken off our scale time. So I called him and he said he was almost there and that he lost his keys so he had to borrow someone else's car. Anyway, at 8:20 he finally showed up, we got his parking pass and I told him to run to put it in his car and we finally got started. Luckily I had all the paperwork ready all I needed to do was have him sign them and take his blood pressure. I did all that and I got him checked in at 8:25! So then it was sit and wait until the examiners exam him and record calculus. He finally came back to me and I was able to start scaling. I thought I had plenty of time and I was going to do 2 quads so I would not have to bring him back for a 3rd apppointment. Anyway, I scaled for about and hour and 45 minutes on the two quads, then did the probing and recession. I got him checked out with 5 minutes to spare. Then I had to play the waitng game again, which was torture. it took about 30 minutes for them to bring him back to me and tell me that I missed 2 spots, I was okay with that. I scaled those spots, polished and gave him fluoride and then he was finally done. So, it turned out that I passed my first mockboard with an 87. I missed a few other points on small dumb things like occlusion and the boards dumb classificaiton of perio. I felt like this was a great experience and with every following mockboard I know I will be more confident.
Being a student examiner was also really helpful. I really liked feeling for calculus and then feeling if it got removed. It was an awesome experience and I now know what they are feeling for and what I need to feel for.

I Found a Class 3!!!!!!

Today was a pretty good day. My first patient was the lady that was there the day the power went out, so I didn't even have an OD check to see what she was. So I got her back and I had to take a PA of an area to see if there was an abcess, but there was not. I really need to get cracking on my PA's I think I only have 7, only 63 more to go! Anyway, she ended up being a class 2 which was alright. She was very sesitive to even probing so she definitly needed to be numb. So, I had Prf. Alexander come do the anesthesia and I started. I guess when you do anesthesia you only do one quad at a time. So this process took a lot longer than I thought it would so I was in a tiem crunch but I had just enough time to finish the last quad but Prof Alexander would not let me have her entire mouth(and entire tongue) so I had to reschedule her back for one measly quad. Oh well, I totally can see why we don't want our patients entire mouth numb. It was just frusrating to have to bring her back for a third time. She was very nice though and I think she really appreciated it.
So my afternoon paient came and I took x-rays and did the OD and he was a class 3!! I was so excited. but then he told me he didn't want me to start on the cleaning today because he had a meeting to go to and he was going to speak at it so he did not want to be numb and/or bloody. I was really upset because I had plenty of time to get at least a quad done. So now I am bringing him back for 2 more appointments. Oh well, I found a three and I am not complaining.

I Found My MOCKBOARD!!!!

Today I finally found a mockboard patient. I have been worried sick that I would not find one and today I did. His name is Cesar he is a class 2 and he couldn't be a better patient. He is spanish speaking but is learning how to speak english and speaks it quite well. He was very patient and his schedule is very flexible and he said he could come in anytime. I was able to get the OD done and 2 quads of scaling with zero mistakes!! I was on cloud nine after clinic today. I still have not seen any class 3's so I am still worried about that but I guess I should be happy I have a mockboard. I cannot believe that we are almost halfway through the semester already. It is kind of bitter sweet because I want this all to be over with so I can quit worrying, but I feel like I need more time to get all my requirements done. I just need to take it one day at a time and take deep breaths.

More class 5's

Today in clinic I had 2 more Class 5 patients. My first patient was 20 minutes late and so my heart was just a pumping because I thought she wasn't going to show up. She finally came though and I was able to take x-rays and get 4 quads sclaed. My second patient didn't show up! I was so mad. She was hispanic and only spoke spanish so I had my brother-in-law call her just last night to see if she could come in because my other patient cancelled. Anyway so he talked to her at 5:00 and then she didn't sho up today. So I was way ticked. Luckily, Ashley had double booked patients because her planner got stolen and I was able to see her other patient. So I did get 8 quads of a 5 done today, not a complete loss. The only good thing about that is I am already almost done with my class 2/5 requirements. The bad thing is that I do not have a mockboard patient yet!!!! I am so worried about it. I just can't stop thinking about it. Everyone says it will work out and I will find one but I am not so sure it will. I still feel like I am really slow also. I should be able to get a class 5 done pretty quick but I still take up the whole appointment. I guess both my patients were late today though so I guess I shouldn't be too hard on myself.

Week four is over

At the end of week four I am not feeling any better about my situation. I feel like I suck and am the worst student here. Today in clinic guess what I got another 1B, lucky me. Oh and in the afternoon the power went out and I didn't even get to my OD check so I didn't get any scaling. My instructor made me send my patient away and as soon as she left the power came back on and there were a lot of people that got to continue working but unlucky me my patient was already gone. So she could possibly be a 2 but knowing my luck she will be a 1B, but I guess I won't find out until she comes back on October 8. What a waist of a day.

Worried sick!!

This week has been frustrating. I am feeling like I am never going to get all my requirements done. I feel like it is just the luck of the draw, and I am not lucky. I have had no class 3 or 4 patients and only like 2 quads of a two. I don't know what I am suppose to do, I am doing eveything I can but my patients are just healthy. I am worried about not getting a mockboard patient. I feel like everyone else is having great learning experiences with these class 3 and 4 patients and I do not have any experience like that. Today in clinic I had a class2/5 in the morning and in the afternoon I had the easiest 1B patient ever. She was so healthy there was hardly anything to get off. All I have to say is I hope I start getting better luck or my peers start sharing the wealth!

Two Weeks Down

After the second week and the first day of clinic at WSU I am feeling like I am back in the swing of things already. It actually feels like I never left. We had class on Monday and it was a short day so that was neat, we only had our first class because we went to the library and learned how to use the search engines to find articles for our research class. So that is why we did not have our second class. Tuesday and Wednesday were my favorite days of the week because I did not have VA, clinic, or class so I just stayed home and played. Well I really didn't play I worked a lot but I didn't have to drive to Ogden for school so it was fun, but it was really hard to get ready to go back to school after such a long break during the week. Then on Thursday I was pretty nervous to see my first patients of the year at WSU clinic. I had a class 5 and a class 1B, I was able to get both of them done OD and all. Neither of them needed x-rays though so I didn't get any of those done. I was kind of frustrated at the end of the day though because there were several people that found mock board patients already!! I am already feeling like I am behind!! Oh well, it was a good first clinic and I got 8 quads doen so I guess I can't complain. Oh and Friday was my ultimate favorite day of the week, we got our syringes out for the first time and put them to use. We got to practice on CHICKEN LEGS!!! It was super fun. we practiced aspirating in "bloody water" okay it was just water that was colored red but it was actually really great to be able to see how little we had to pull back to get the positive aspiration. We then stabbed the chicken legs, practiced aspirating on them and then injected them with lidocaine. I'm pretty sure if my chicken were alive his leg would probably still be numb, I think I gave him 4 carps!!!! I had a great time and it was very educational as well, double bonus! Anyway, now I am at the end of week two and this weekend is Labor Day weekend so I am looking forward to a long fun weekend.