Update: In documenting my shadowing experiences (at Highland Dental of Hayward), I intend to post shadow logs including the general procedures performed as well as notes detailing lessons learned.

Procedures Performed:

• X-Ray and Consultation
• General Cleaning and Polishing
• Scaling and Root Planing (SRP)
• Cavity Fillings
• Crown Lengthening

Notes:

• SRP: In the past, this procedure was performed manually by scraping the plaque deep in the gums. Nowadays, dentists use ultrasonic scrapers which are usually faster and less irritating to patients' gums.
• Business: In order to advertise one's practice in this modern tech-savvy world, it becomes imperative for dental practices to undergo online Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for visibility.

Update: As the first wave of midterms have come to a close, I will be posting additional entries and resources I have gathered within the past month.

Entry: Allow me to preface this post by stating that Academic Excellence should always be your top priority as a postbac and student in general. That aside, playing a role in a student organization is an enriching experience and may enhance your professional school application. Consider these key points concerning student organizations:

1. Relevance: Do the organization's mission and goals align with your own? 
   
2. Network: How will this organization expand or strengthen your connections? 
   
3. Growth: Could this organization assist you in achieving your goals?
   
4. Active: What role will you be able to play in the organization?
   

Be sure to keep your goals in mind while proactively forming a mutual relationship. As a pre-dental student, I relevantly sought out pre-dental clubs/societies. Upon partaking in organization activities, I had to opportunity to network with fellow students and professionals especially. As several in one of my chosen organizations have already gone through what I intend to undergo, I can learn from their experiences. Ultimately, you get as much as you put in.

Update: Happy New Year! As I have firmly settled back into my postbac program, I intend to update this blog once every other week by sharing my experiences and relevant resources.

Should I really have shared that posting goal for this blog? Many of us have set out new goals and resolutions for this new year to better ourselves (e.g. eating healthier, exercising more, etc.). However, entrepreneur Derek Sivers relays that scientific studies show that you should keep your goals to yourself in his short TED talk. As we garner a sense of achievement from merely sharing our intentions, "telling someone your goal makes them less likely to happen."

If so, what then are our options? Sivirs proposes four distinct solutions:

1. Resist the temptation to announce your goal
   
2. Understand that your mind mistakes the talking for the doing
3. Delay the gratification that the social acknowledgement brings
   
4. State your goal in a way that gives you no satisfaction

Although I  publicly sharing my goals and aspirations (this resource blog for example), I do so through inquiry and reflection. Rather than "My goal is to achieve X," I ask others "How can I best achieve X?" This is especially important for those of you choosing a new career path in life. I myself consult with academic advisers, admission officers, and students who have already walked the path I intend on taking myself. Furthermore, reflecting upon my thoughts and experiences allows me to better evaluate my goals and aspirations. (relevant post: Getting SMARTER!)

In conclusion, share your goals with those who can help you achieve them. Once you have started taking actions to achieve those goals, reflect upon them. Share your though and experiences during the process and be open for critique. Otherwise, don't start counting your chickens before they hatch!

Always Make Yourself Presentable. Everyone emphasizes the importance of a first impression. However, consistent academic etiquette are also key to building a foundation of professionalism. I still recall my undergraduate years, often attending class in workout clothing. Sure, I would be exercising my mind per say. However, my attire did not reflect the type of person I was aiming to become - a serious academic.

As I entered my postbac program, I vowed to always dress to impress. Not only will I be easier to distinguish amidst my peers, my professors acknowledge my how seriously I am treating their course and my postbac program in general. Of course, the way you dress is simply one aspect of academic etiquette. The Art of Manliness recently wrote a great article on scholarly etiquette which I think anyone irregardless of gender should definitely check out.

Presence on Paper. In today's society, in-person appearance is not the only limiting presentation factor. Just like when applying to professional schools or even jobs/positions, we are subjected to presenting ourselves on 'paper.' I have listed these alternate forms of presentation below:

• Digital Portfolio: Having this resource available allows you to document your achievements and easily share resources about yourself and your work. [Reference: My Digital Portfolio]
• Résumé: Although this should be tailored to whatever you apply for, having a generic template available allows for easy input and submission.
• Curriculum Vitae (CV): As an academic scholar, it is important to keep track of all your educational coursework and achievements.
• Business Cards: Making deep connections with new people take time but supplying them with your contact information makes future collaborations easier.
• Online Profiles: As social media (i.e. LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) becomes more culturally relevant, it is important to ensure everything published will not impede but contribute to your professional growth.

Truly consider either generating these presentation content or revising them. Not only will they allow you to better network with other people, but these resources allow others to evaluate your professionalism.

As postbac or pre-professional students, it is important to display a manner of professionalism.

If you want to be a healthcare professional, act like one. Just to be clear, I am not telling you to go around performing unqualified differential diagnoses. Rather, I insist you analyze the work ethic and social characteristics of highly esteemed professionals in your field of interest. As a pre-dental student, this may consist of shadowing a dental practice - taking note of the dentist-patient interaction. From personal observations thus far, the following qualities of a dental professional really stood out:

• Welcoming - approachable, friendly, and makes it so patients do not feel uncomfortable or rushed
• Communicable - deep technical knowledge yet capable of explaining in laymans terms
• Passionate - not only are they committed to fixing a patient's problems but educating them on oral health and wellness

As a postbac or pre-professional student, try to incorporate qualities such as the aforementioned into your lifestyle. 

My post-baccalaureate (postbac) program's orientation was earlier today. Time quickly flew by as the advisers and current postbac students informed all the incoming students of what was to come. The biggest thing to take away from initial events like these is to know what your resources are to further your goals and achieve success.

Before beginning to fathom academic success, I find it imperative to plan out the actual pathway to achieving your goals. I am an advocate for the SMARTER criteria for personal development and goal-planning. "SMARTER" is actually a mnemonic to remind ourselves to develop goals which are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound so we could then Evaluate and Reevaluate them. I find this criteria helps me set realistic and achievable goals.

So how can we apply this? Let's take my overarching goal to "get into dental school" for example. This is a very broad goal so in being more Specific and actually Attainable, we should break this down further: "go back to school," "perform well academically," "apply to dental school." These goals could even be broken down further, but you get the point. It is also important to check whether a goal is Relevant to the overarching one - "will taking a review course really help me perform well on the DAT?" Next we should determine if a goal is Time-bound (plausible within the allotted time) and Measurable (able to show progress). Lastly, we revisit and revise by Evaluating and Reevaluating our goals from time to time. I hope this was helpful, just don't forget to think SMARTER!