The Life of a Dental Student

Growing up, I have always wanted to pursue a career involving science, largely due to the fact it has always been my favourite and strongest subject. I wanted a career where I could help others with my own ability and skill, as opposed to relying on the use of prescription.

In addition, there are massive rewards associated with Dentistry as opposed to other medical careers; mainly being able to see the results of your own work from diagnosis until the end of treatment and beyond. This will allow me to see how my work improves the life of a patient, whilst being able to share that experience with them, creating a strong rapport in the process.

My first thoughts about pursuing a career in Dentistry stem back to my early teens, after having my braces removed. Having such a positive experience throughout this time made me wish I could experience the same happiness I felt, with my own patients, on a daily basis.

As a patient at The Dental Clinic Radlett ever since I can remember, I have had no major dental treatment. Nonetheless, I have always found attending my appointments with Stuart extremely comfortable and actually relaxing. I am almost certain that my entirely positive experience with the clinic is the core to where my passion to succeed as a Dentist stems from. After all, would you go into a challenging career if you had nothing but hate or fear for it?

Having previously had no major dental treatment, it was vital to gain a wider overview of what the day-to-day life of a Dentist consisted of. I am very grateful to Stuart who gave me work experience for a full week. During this time, everyone at the clinic was very accommodating, supportive and most notably diligent. It is these types of experiences that shape my future hopes and aspirations, to be able to create a successful team of people, with a similar authenticity, which in turn creates an ideal environment to work in.

I have now been at Dental School at the University Of Leeds for over 6 months. My favourite thing about the Dental School is the support, encouragement and integration of the older years. On the first day, we were paired with a third year dental parent. As a result, we are integrated with the older years right from the start. This support and encouragement I receive, is similar to that of what I receive of Stuart, who also studied at Leeds.

Furthermore, the course itself is great. No more boring Biology lessons on the diversity of plants in The Galapagos Islands. I am studying what I enjoy, making the 8.30am lectures on a Monday morning that much easier. Leeds are the earliest starters in terms of clinical work; having already done plaque free scores, and scaling and polishing on phantom heads. Further to this, I will be giving my first anaesthetic after the Easter holidays.

The social side of things is also unbelievable. The DentsSoc run a number of socials every term, with participation from all 5 years, including the tutors. I will let you imagine the rest.

My enthusiasm and integration extends to my recent appointment as Leeds’ delegate for the European Dental Student Association. As a result, I am attending a 5 day conference in Slovakia on Sunday, with delegates attending from all across Europe. Exciting times!

Overall, I could not be happier. I love the city, the university and the course itself.