Orientation Week

By no insane stretch of the imagination could I have foreseen the beginnings of dental school being what this week has been.  From the formal and professional welcome breakfast, to open bar parties reminiscent of undergrad, orientation here is said to be the best week of first year.

Today we finally picked up what seems to be the last of our supplies for the first year courses. In what felt like an early Christmas (that we paid for dearly in advance), Henry Schein and Brasseler reps gave out boxes filled with models, instruments, and a ton of other stuff I'm yet to figure out what it is. Getting the scrubs I think was just icing on the cake, but to me felt unreal. Looking back to the interview when I met and spoke with the current 2nd year students, I remember them wearing their anatomy scrubs, and how much I wanted to be in their shoes. Now finally, I am :D.

The coolest thing thus far though had to have been the lecture on IT in Dentistry. A professor whose name totally escapes me talked about all the awesome new technology that's coming up, and things that we'll be working with by our 3rd year. Digital x-rays are a common change, but the use of Cone beam CT scans in dentistry is something that was new to me. Oral surgeons for instance can use them to get much, much better view of where nerves are and how to go about placing implant, or removing third molars for instance. He also presented a video about Invisalign and how the devices are made and all which was crazy cool.

Today was the white coat ceremony and family day picnic which was again unlike anything I could have imagined. Sure, being cloaked in a white coat feels great but it's much more than the act, the feelings and thoughts about the future, and how fortunate I am to be here made me almost teary eyed. I definitely cannot complain and as second year students have said, our lives won't ever be the same. At the picnic I spoke with a few friends' parents and got a lot of insight as to how different all our lives are, and had a ton of fun listening to older dentists' stories of celebrities, quirky patients and tales of dental school in years past.  The entire experience was nothing short of honorable. When people talk about feeling honored, and or an individual or institution having prestige, I always thought of the high-nosed professional, looking down on the world. Buffalo has redefined those words for me today, with emotions of trust, character and wholeheartedly lust for life. Prestige being the characteristic that sets one apart from the crowd and honor being the pride and exaltation that comes with achievement. 

UBSDM C/O 2015 White Coat Ceremony - 08.12.11