There’s an old saying that goes something like, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” But, what if I told you that we can do more than give fish or teach how to fish? What if, we changed the fishing industry?

There are a number of key issues facing the field of dentistry, and meeting with your legislators is one of the most powerful way to bring about change. For that reason, I am attending the Colorado Dental Association’s 2018 Dentists at the Capitol Lobby Day.

On Friday, February 16th, dentists across the state will meet legislators to advocate for dentistry – and we need dental students to be involved. Find out more information about Lobby Day below:

Lobby Day Details

Who

Members of the CDA and ASDA

What

2018 CDA Dentists at the Capitol Lobby Day

Where

Colorado State Capitol

200 E. Colfax Ave., Denver, CO 80203

(Carpooling from CDA headquarters in Greenwood Village/DTC is available.)

When

 Friday, Feb. 16, from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Why

To talk with legislators about important dental issues, helping set the stage for dentistry's success during this and future legislative sessions. 

How

No experience is necessary! The CDA will offer training

via a webinar the week before lobby day.

Registration

Make your voice heard. Join the CDA at the Colorado State Capitol for 2018 lobby day. 

Register now!

This past weekend I had the privilege of attending ASDA’s National Leadership Conference in Chicago. There were hundreds of attendees, a few predentals,  and lots of great speakers. The weekend started with Kevin Brown talking about The Hero Effect, teaching us about being our best when it matters the most.

Although I’d participated in a large number in ASDA events in my first year, I felt like I didn’t quite understand why this organization just kept feeding me at lunch and learns. However, as I started documenting as the Social Media Manager I’ve come to realize the wide breadth of benefits ASDA brings to the school. This conference furthered that understanding and makes me appreciate the efforts of those involved in organized dentistry.

The single greatest takeaway from this weekend can be summed up in one word though. “Relationships.” The way you interact with everyone, your patients, your employees, your peers, and your friends can have a profound impact on your day to day life. For example, people take criticisms and compliments differently, taking the time to learn and understand how to best communicate with your employees can help make a stress-free workplace. In addition, meeting peers at conferences like NLC can open doors into future residencies, referrals, or even jobs.

Although I have a million things to do before the end of the semester that should’ve taken precedence over traveling to Chicago, this experience reminded me of why I wanted to become a dentist. The people. I’m not certain that in 20 years I’ll still enjoy designing RPDs or drilling a PFM on 13, but I’m confident I’ll still enjoy working with people, especially if I get to work with people like the ones I met this weekend.

Fun fact: Every other school hates AXIUM just as much as we do

Jeff grew up in Loveland, went to undergrad right up the road at Colorado State University and is the current Social Media Manager for the chapter. His favorite part about his position in ASDA is “the ability to take pictures of people and have it not be weird.”  Jeff enjoys sitting next to Kate, telling Dr. Sutton that CR is a myth, and participating in well thought out discussion in IPE.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving this month of November I thought it would be fitting to write about what I’m thankful for in dental school.  And what I’m most thankful for and what has struck me the most since I started school, is the community here at CU. 

Starting school last year was a bit intimidating, trying to get in the flow of an unfamiliar school and routine.  I still remember the upperclassmen those first few weeks who went out of their way to introduce themselves, make us feel welcome, and show us the ropes.

As school has gone on, I continue to be really inspired by the generosity of people here.  Some students are amazing in the organizations that they’re involved in, how they give their time even with an extremely busy school schedule, to set up events for other students and the community.  Others are amazing in how they help in less noticed ways, like taking an extra moment to ask how you’re doing or being there to help if you need it. 

I can’t count the number of times over the past year that someone in school has seen me fumbling with a waxing or lab project, and have sat down with me, even if it’s 10pm on a Friday night, to give me some tips (or to just sit with me and laugh about how frustrating school can be).  There’s the many lunch and learns and mock practicals put on by upperclassmen and classmates in their spare time to help others with school.  There’s the faculty who spend their lunch break or after school tutoring, and those people in class who never forget to buy everyone Valentines or Halloween candy. There’s the numerous times someone has offered me their last fresh plastic tooth or #330 burr to practice with in Sim Lab.

There have been a lot of really cool experiences in dental school so far, from Anatomy Cadaver Lab to learning how to drill an ideal Class V preparation.  But really when I go home and people ask me how I like dental school, I end up telling them I love the community at school.  It’s what’s made dental school so fun, and what’s helped to keep my head above water during the challenging times.  I truly have been touched and inspired by the generosity here.

Mallory Mayeda is a second year dental student at the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine.  She grew up in Golden, Colorado and went to college at the University of Denver.  She enjoys most things including musicals, Italian food, and traveling, but most of all being outside.

Meet Sybil Hill! This interview took about an hour and a half because her jokes and sense of humor had me laughing throughout, and we kept getting distracted watching music videos and Googling our celebrity crushes. Read on to see how funny and awesome our new tech and sim lab coordinator is.

Kimberly: So where are you from originally?

Sybil: I was born in Albuquerque, NM and moved to Colorado when I was one. I basically grew up in Thornton.

K: So, does that mean you’re a big skier?

S: Oh no. I’ve tried but I get going and going too fast, get freaked out, and end up on the ground every time.

K: Are you married or have any kids?

S: I am married and have one daughter and two grandsons. They all live with me and my husband. One is 9 and one is 3. They call me Gram Hammy!

K: What are some of your hobbies?

S: I like reading scary, mystery type books. Not horror. And I like Stephen King. I also love to camp. We have some property on the western slope that we usually go to during the summer. It’s at about 8,500 feet, so you never know what you’re going to get in the winter. We have a house on the property, but we usually stay outside and sleep in the camper whenever we go up there.

K: Any pets?

S: I have a mini-Jack. That’s a miniature pincher mixed with a jack Russel. His name is Opie. Like Opie Taylor.

K: Who’s Opie Taylor?

S: Oh geeeeeeeez. He was on the old show Maybeurry RFD. The continuation of the Andy Griffith Show....

K: Oh….

K: What’s your ideal way to spend the weekend?

S:  Because of the fact that my grandchildren live with me but go to their Dad’s on the weekend, I do a lot of holding down of the couch. Someone’s got to hold down the couch! It may float away.

K: What do you do while you’re holding down that couch?

S: Usually watching live PD. I love that show.

K: What is your go-to kind of music?

S: Oh, I like all kinds of music. I think I was either a singer or DJ in my other life. I’d be lost without music.

We proceeded to watch a 10-minute video of a competition of “elders” trying not to sing along, dance, head-bob or lip sync to iconic songs of the 60s, 70s, and 80s. It had us laughing out loud and embarrassing ourselves in the tech lab. Both of us totally lost the competition once Simon and Garfunkel and Aretha Franklin came on.

K: Is there anything you wish you knew more about?

S: I just love learning in general. I’m full of a bunch of trivial knowledge that no one cares about.

[Should we add her to our trivia teams?] Do you know why someone gives you a cold shoulder? It was a British thing way back in the 1700s or 1800s. Apparently, they partied for days on end, and when the party was over, the host would come and put a piece of cold meat on your shoulder, and that meant it was time for you to leave. Isn’t that the creepiest thing you’ve ever heard? I learn a lot of my trivia watching CBS Sunday Morning with Jane Pauley.

K: What are you addicted to? What life luxury could you not live without?

S: Live PD and coffee. My email address is “queenacafina!”

K: And most importantly… do you have a celebrity crush?

S: YES, I DO. Richard Rawlings. That’s it.

When I asked Sybil if there is anything else she wants students to know about her, she said it would be her depth of dental knowledge. Sybil has worked in the dental industry for over 30 years as an Expanded Duties Skills for Dental Assistants (EDDA) and lab tech. Most students do not realize that she is a great resource to go to when issues in lab arise. If you haven’t already, introduce yourself to this awesome woman dressed in vibrant scrubs breaking up our monotony of navy blue. You won’t regret it!

Kimberly is a second-year dental student at the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine. She grew up on the east coast and graduated with a degree in biology from James Madison University. Kim enjoys exploring the mountains, running, and reading.

At the beginning of last winter break, I was relishing in the fact that I had just completed my first semester of dental school and was looking forward to three weeks of school-free bliss. My sister Erin, a pharmacy student at the University of Colorado, was busy studying for her finals, which overlapped with my first week of break. I remember going into her room giddy to be done with school, and her playfully telling me to “Get out of my room with your break-y self!” Once she was done, we had plans to head out to Mexico for a couple weeks of sun bathing and relaxation with our parents.

A week later, my entire life had been turned upside down. My little sister, lifelong roommate, and best friend was gone. She had Cystic Fibrosis. The number 37 was burned into my memory. That is the average life span of a person with CF today. I had always tried to push that number out of my head, but how can you forget something like that? She was only 25.

It all happened so suddenly. It didn’t feel real. She was just here. After the shock came the realization that school would be starting again in a week and a half. I knew I didn’t want to put my education on hold, but I wasn’t sure how I would be able to focus when she was all I could think of. Before school had even started again, I felt overwhelming support from my classmates. They messaged, texted, sent flowers, and some came over to see how I was doing. It was amazing to me how the love and support from people I didn’t know six months before gave me such assurance that I wasn’t alone going forward. Her memorial was held at the school, and people from my class filled the back of the room. Some of my classmates had met her, and some had not, but so many of them were there. It meant a lot to me and my family, and I will always remember it.

Before I started dental school, I had been out of college for three years and didn’t see friends on a regular basis. Erin and I had moved to Denver the year before when she started pharmacy school, and she joked that she was excited for me to start school so “she wouldn’t have to be the center of my social life.” It was true. I often think about how much harder losing her would have been without these friends. I would have felt so alone. It is by far the hardest thing I have ever faced, and continue to face, but having so much support during the most difficult days of my life helped me adjust to my new reality.

When classes started up again, the school was very accommodating and ensured me that if I ever needed more time or to take a day off, to just let them know. But dental school doesn’t slow down for you. You have to take every test and complete every assignment at some point, so pushing things back is just using borrowed time. With this must-keep-going mentality, it’s hard to know whether you are hurting yourself by not taking enough time to process, or if the busy schedule helps alleviate the sadness by retaining your focus. I think it’s some of both. Although dental school seems like our entire lives sometimes, many of us have real life struggles we must face during an already stressful time.

Finding positivity and motivation after such a life changing event requires not only support from others but strength within yourself. One of the most amazing things about Erin was that despite the fact that she had a chronic and sometimes debilitating disease, she never complained and never used it as an excuse. She went to doctor’s appointments regularly, had cabinets full of medications, and spent time every day managing her health. She was also forced to face the reality of what living with a chronic and fatal disease meant for her future. While dealing with all of this, she continued to pursue her education and excelled in pharmacy school. She was witty, insightful, and incredibly smart. Only those who knew her well were aware she had Cystic Fibrosis. She is the one who gives me my inner strength and reminds me that even the most difficult challenges do not justify self-pity and stagnation.

Jennifer Terrio is a second year dental student at the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine. She graduated from Colorado State University where she majored in Nutrition and Food Science. She enjoys skiing, eating at Torchy’s Tacos, and flossing twice a day.

1. It’s okay to take time for yourself

Going in to dental school we all are warned of the horrors of how difficult it is. How going to dental school is life encompassing. While these statements were not untrue. I felt that they were warnings that I should do nothing but school. My first semester I got groceries once a month, if I was lucky. I had a next to impossible time allowing myself to do anything but study. Looking back, spending that time on myself would not have only improved my grades but my overall health. As I progressed through school I started focusing on myself more. I tried kickboxing which to no surprise I was horrible at. I also started eating more than Chick-Fil-A daily.

1. Don’t Panic if you have no idea what you are doing

Starting off in sim clinic, taking your first impressions, dissecting a cadaver, these tasks can make it seem like you are learning in a different language. It is perfectly normal to not know what you are doing. If you are lucky enough to know what you are doing then good luck knowing if you are performing the lab work correctly. The Sunday night before Sim Clinic started I went in to sim clinic to practice placing rubber dams. It took 25 minutes to finally place an acceptable rubber dam. Looking back, I wish I had not panicked because of my lack of knowledge of all things dental. You will get there, at least that’s what I hear. You will learn and understand the information. Who knows you may even be the winner of the “rubber dam rodeo” in transition clinic.

1. Dental school is humbling

You will not do well on everything. We all got in to dental school because we care about our grades, our school work, and we may be slight perfectionists. In dental school, you must remember you cannot always be perfect, whether it’s a test or a lab assignment. There will be something you just aren’t good at the first, second, or maybe thirtieth time. While we are all accustomed to being top of the class and the best at everything you won’t be. Use this humbling experience to motivate you. Do not let a failure in dental school stop you. Use it to try twice as hard the next time, because you will be humbled. It’s part of the process. Learn from it.

Last weekend I flew from Denver to Albuquerque to visit my brother, Zach. He had just moved to Albuquerque to be with his finance. Zach is two years older than me and next October, I am honored to be able to stand shoulder to shoulder as he marries the woman of his dreams. I saw my brother just two months ago when we both happened to be passing through my hometown of Fountain, CO, but we had yet to do our annual brother’s only trip. In 2015, a family friend told us that her two sons, would meet once a year without the parents present. They started when they were both single and over the course of their lives, the meeting grew to incorporate new girlfriends, wives, and then kids. Today, the brother’s and their new families continue to meet up once a year, saving Thanksgiving and Christmas for larger family gatherings.

Zach and I grew up and have remained close over the last 24 years, when he initially welcomed me into his family. For our inaugural start in 2016, we backpacked in Lost Creek Wilderness, CO. We had an incredible experience and further bonded over the course of hiking 33 miles in two days. It was one of the first times that we had spent time together since we had finished college and although we both grew throughout our educations, we did not grow apart. We still knew the foundations that shaped each of us. No one else in this world can share in experiences like stealing a box of Oreos from the pantry and sitting in our dog’s house to indulge in those heavenly delights. I think subconsciously we knew the repercussion of our decision and started to make ourselves feel at home.

This year, with a busier schedule for both of us, we decided to play it a little more low-key and stick around Albuquerque. Zach had not spent more than a week in his new house and I was looking to escape the drama of my Denver house. Zach let me practice my dusty skill of driving stick, we picked some New Mexico peppers, which were roasted on the farm, and we ventured over to the Sandia Mountains to do what we are most passionate about. We laced up shoes, ditched the shirts and hit the dirt trails. Over the course of a few miles, we caught up on new jobs, semesters, girls, friends, homes and how our parents just got back from three weeks in Ireland and France. We also mentioned that because we both have interests in investment, it wouldn’t be long before the Brother’s Trip took us to a castle in Ireland. Between trying to match pitch to Josh Turner while cooking dinner and reading each other’s minds about splitting plates at restaurants, the best part about our weekend was simply being in the same room.

Zach with a pepper pail.

Dental school can be taxing on students and loved ones, but I implore everyone to take a moment to think about how they got into dental school. It is through the support of family and friends that we have made it this far and it is with their help that we will make it through. No matter how busy we might think we are, there is always time to appreciate and continue to enrich the relationships that are most meaningful to us. I value hanging out with friends, I rely on my parent’s advice for problems, but I look forward to my Annual Brother’s Trip the most.

Gabe and Zach.

In 2010 my friend Jordan bet me $43 that I couldn’t finish the mega-stack meal from the Coach House Restaurant in Coos Bay, Oregon. Two full racks of spicy ribs and a side of mashed potatoes later I was victorious, but also in the men’s room regretting my decision. In dental school, pride can be dangerous.  If achieving an ends causes you to become physically sick, maybe you should re-evaluate your goal of getting an A on the Radiology final.

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As a youngster, I didn’t know the difference between an alpaca and a llama.  Eventually I learned that llamas are much bigger and can be characterized by their long banana shaped ears.

In dental school, just because something looks the same, doesn’t mean it is the same.  The mandibular lateral incisors have incisal edges with banana shaped distolingual twists when compared to their mandibular central counterparts. The details are important, pay attention to them, especially if they are banana shaped.

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In elementary school, my favorite class was recess.

In dental school, my favorite class is playing Spike Ball at lunch. It’s important to find a balance between acing tests and acing your classmates with a rubber ball and net.

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In 8^th grade my middle school hosted a pig scramble in November. Nothing quite says Thanksgiving like running after a greased pig. I ran that unfortunate hog down, clutched it tight, and held on to receive my blue ribbon. Somehow still, this triumph didn’t land me a date to the 8^th grade graduation dance.

In dental school, your goals may be slippery and illusive, but if you hold on tight to them, you will eventually get a stable job in a respected profession. This however does not guarantee you will find a spouse. That takes actual charisma and a personality.

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One summer day, I was biking around town with a couple older grade-schoolers. After landing the jump successfully himself, one of the 5^th graders convinced me to try to jump a creek on my bike by saying “it will be fun and you’ll be cool”. With that compelling argument and a head full of steam, I soared directly into creek.

In dental school, upperclassmen provide you with lots of good advice. Listen to that advice. They also have some bad advice. Don’t listen to that advice. If you do, you may very will wind up in the middle of a creek.  Just because one person had success with a particular method doesn’t mean that it will work for you.  

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In high school, I wrote for the school newspaper.  There was one occasion where I was having serious writers block the night before a print deadline. I ended up writing a story about how my childhood experiences had helped me get through high school.  The article was mediocre but the art departments papier-mache masterpieces it contributed to were outstanding.

In dental school, when you have a print deadline for an ASDA blog and you have serious writers block, just go ahead and write an article about how your childhood experiences have helped you survive dental school.  Likely your blog will be a flop, but regardless, thank your readers for making it to the very end and just be internally thankful this blog is digital and your hard work won’t wind up a papier-mache parrot.

Sam doing cool stuff as a kid.