“Ok tilt a little towards me, and open just a bit wider,” I heard my father say to his patient as I peered behind the corner of the operating room. To the soft hum of a high-speed drill, I scanned the room looking at X-Rays depicting luminescent teeth, and watched as the assistant handed my dad instruments repeatedly like a well-oiled machine. My daze was interrupted by the cool splash of a water syringe on my face telling me it was time to leave. When I was five, this antic was cute to the patients sitting in the dental chair and my father as well. As my age increased, my cuteness declined, however, my intrigue did not. Throughout my childhood, I continued to sneak into dental appointments, fantasizing that one day I would also have a career in healthcare.
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There was something special to me about watching someone save up their “smile money,” as one person phrased it, and noticing them walk out with a brighter smile. During this time, many of the patients that I had grown close with asked about my future plans for dentistry, and were surprised to hear me explain that I wanted to go to medical school. When asked, “Why not dentistry?” I could not really piece together a good answer.
To prepare for medical school, I began volunteering at Sparrow Hospital during my first year of college. Watching the doctors hand out prescription after prescription, I began to miss the idea of actively treating patients. Although I enjoyed the exposure to medicine and its therapeutic applications, I could not help but feel disconnected. At the end of the day, I realized that I missed the routine patient base I saw at the dental office and the interpersonal connections that I had
There was something special to me about watching someone save up their “smile money,” as one person phrased it, and noticing them walk out with a brighter smile. During this time, many of the patients that I had grown close with asked about my future plans for dentistry, and were surprised to hear me explain that I wanted to go to medical school. When asked, “Why not dentistry?” I could not really piece together a good answer.
To prepare for medical school, I began volunteering at Sparrow Hospital during my first year of college. Watching the doctors hand out prescription after prescription, I began to miss the idea of actively treating patients. Although I enjoyed the exposure to medicine and its therapeutic applications, I could not help but feel disconnected. At the end of the day, I realized that I missed the routine patient base I saw at the dental office and the interpersonal connections that I had