"This could really be a good life, a good, good life"

Hello Blog !

My apologies for avoiding you for 2 weeks. I promised to write more regularly so I'll continue to work on it. The humor behind this is that so much has happened lately but the more there is to talk about the more reluctant I am to write! On a personal level, I had a ground shaking experience this past week. The last time I saw my mother was when my little sister and I waved goodbye to her in the airport 14 years ago. She went home to her family in the Philippines and we haven't heard from her since. Until last week, I didn't know a thing about that side of my family or whether or not my mother was still alive. Last week I received a friend request from a man with the same last name as my mom and in all honesty I was hesitant to accept the request. I wasn't sure whether or not I was willing to open that door because of the potential flood of emotions that could ensue (and did). Long story short, I accepted the request from the mystery man who turned out to by my mom's youngest brother and have learned so much, whether its for better or worse I'm not sure yet. What I do know for sure is that it's very likely I will never see my mom again because of the present circumstances. All I can do is trust in God's will and pray for her health and well being. There's still a very long, dark path to be traveled. 

On a lighter note, I'm starting to get into a rhythm in school. Classes are manageable and getting more interesting. My irregular class schedule has become routine but 8-5's will never be easy; this might be due to amount of Independent Study time we have... (too much). The curriculum at Case is a hybrid Problem Based Learning (PBL) system. In addition to lecture we have sessions where the class is divided into groups, we are given a case to analyze/investigate/debate and ultimately determine what to learn in order to understand the topic. Each group has a facilitator that keeps them on track. This form of learning is supposed to stimulate critical thinking skills and provide an opportunity to apply recently acquired information in lecture. PBL is a more modern approach to academics and has been implemented in most medical schools' curriculum for a long while. This is one of those topics where "different strokes for different folks" can be applied because everybody learns differently.

This last week we started Preventative Periodontics. It has been SO refreshing learning clinical based information! Its exciting getting familiar with our instruments and most importantly the mouth! So far we are learning about the gingiva (gums, for the lamen), how to diagnose periodontal disease, and how to detect calculus (tartar). One of the things I'm having trouble with is holding my instruments. For some reason, I'm just not comfortable with the "modified pen grasp". My hand cramps when I use my ring finger as an anchor but it won't be long before this is all muscle memory and a thing of the past. Hopefully I pick up on this quickly before I start working on my partner!

Outside of class, Regan and I have been working diligently to put the living room together. For now, we still have a cot for a couch and moving box for a tv stand but we're fishing around for deals. I'm totally comfortable with the set up but she's not :-P ... at least we have a dinette and coffee table! Our current list of things to do include going to the zoo (next weekend hopefully) and driving to New York in the near future. I want to congratulate her on being accepted to another university located in CA! She has a difficult decision to make but I fully support any decision she makes and trust that our relationship can handle it. 

I'm starting to get to know my classmates much better and they are beautiful people! Yesterday a group of us had a bbq, threw a frisbee around while having drinks, watched some football, and went out to the bars! We even kept our discussions about school to a relaxing minimum. It's moments like these that make me appreciate what dental school has to offer. It's approximately one month before winter sets in Cleveland and you can already feel the icy breeze creeping in. A group of us just started intramural flag football and lost our first game to the law students (Booo). At least we can enjoy the weather before were all locked up in doors.

"Ladies and gentleman it's been so lovely" communicating to you how life is on my end but it's time for me to get my head in the books. Have a wonderful week! Oh and PLEASE comment on topics I can provide more content on or things that you'd like me to include. I think you can comment anonymously!

Modified Pen Grasp

 Saturday Night!

 Lingual Aspect

 Facial Aspect

 I got to pick up this lil guy. RIP baby squirrel!

 This is the prep where each wax up begins

 Meet my first patient, Paul

 SIM Clinic

 My first canine wax up

 Mesial cutting arm is facial... =(

 This weeks sleepers!

 Pizza Party at Waldorf Tower!

"The bad news is time flies. The good news is you're the pilot"

I'm beginning to notice the time slipping from underneath me. I liken it to when the table cloth is yanked from underneath set tableware and everything is undisturbed except for the sudden contrast of backgrounds. Its finally starting to hit me that the table cloth I danced around on for so long has disappeared and the "feeling that we're not in Kansas anymore" is upon me. I just started giving serious thought to the fact that I can't just visit my friends and family anymore. This sudden feeling is likely attributable to the fact that most of my classmates went home to visit family or have visitors for Labor Day weekend.  But don't feel bad for me because I don't feel bad for myself, times like these provide me the opportunity to appreciate my support network and force me to call/text/email them!

With every week comes something new and exciting... at least so far, ha! I'm going to start with what I would consider desert before addressing the entree. This week I got my first pair of luopes! For those of you who don't know what those are, they're a set of magnified glasses that dental professionals use in order to preserve posture (which will extend the life of your career) and magnify imperfections/small subtleties. I've always wondered what things looked like through my dentist's lenses when he operated on my mouth and now I finally know =] There are plethora of vendors that offer different variations of luope styles and have their particular niche in the market but for starters there are two types of luopes to consider: through the lens or flip up. Basically, it all comes down to preference but the most important thing is that they are comfortable/fit your face and aren't too heavy for you (strenuous on the neck). The other thing that should be considered is price because they can cost anywhere from $900 - $1500+ for a solid pair. The first thing that attracted me to my brand is that upperclassmen referred to them as the "Rolls Royce" of luopes. So I made it a point to visit the stand and ultimately decided on them because they are fully adjustable and fit me PERFECTLY!

This week we also started a new wax-up project. We received a score for our last tooth and I'm pretty sure that everyone passed but this time around we have to wax up maxillary canine #6 which is your upper right canine or "pointy tooth/fang". This tooth is the hardest to replicate of the anteriors (front teeth excluding molars) but we have about 2 weeks to complete it which gives plenty of time for us to turn in something that looks like a tooth. Some of you might be wondering, "why would you have to create a wax replicate of a tooth??" so I'll clear that up. As a dentist, you are required to know the oral cavity (mouth) inside and out. If there is anything you should learn if you learn nothing in 4 years it's every single tooth's generic characteristic and function. Imagine you have trauma to your face and lose your front teeth; do you want the replacement to be noticeable? or do you expect that you'll walk out of that office looking like nothing happened. Mind you, that's just one obvious application in the future.. there are many more like improving hand skills, and developing an eye for detail.

Also, I got a cleaning and full examination with x-rays on Thursday. I received the whole kit and kabootle, but I'm ashamed to admit that it's been almost 2 years since I last had an appointment....eek! The good news is, they said my teeth were healthy and they were shocked at how minute the build up was for plaque in that time. What can I say? I do what I can :)

With a whole month of school under my belt, I'm starting to develop as a professional student and realizing the responsibilities that I have now. I'm getting even better at time management then I've been before and learning how to properly prioritize my week. Before you start thinking, "Oh..psssh. Looks like I'm already 10 steps ahead of Anthony" really analyze your proactiveness and effectiveness. I thought I had it all right up until now, but the older I grow the more I realize I DON'T know. There will always be room for improvement and I still have so far to go before I can set the world on fire someday. You know... someday I really plan on making big changes overseas and in the US. Providing care to those in dire need and without access. But I can't reveal my plans before their complete... I've already said too much. I have some phone calls to make. Have a great week!

 My luopes, Heine. Pronounced High-na. They're German.

 These carbon fiber frames are an example of fixed luopes. The binoculars are non-movable and come through the lens. My luopes can be flipped up. Again, it's all about preference.