First year is over. How surreal.

To be honest with you. I haven't had a spare moment to blog since my last post. Although there might have been times when I wasn't doing anything - resting/vegging seemed more important. This last trimester was the most challenging semester so far and really gave me a sense of what dental school is suppose to be like. I never imagined that there could be (or even SHOULD be) that much difference in difficulty from one semester to another. I can understand that in the infant stages of our schools new curriculum (Problem Based Learning), that substance is weighted more heavily than structure, but it sure would be nice if a few of the courses we took this trimester were instead incorporated in earlier trimesters. In this summer session alone we studied amalgam, occlusion, perio, and head and neck anatomy - along with PBL case and regular resource sessions. I've never been so tired in all my life. I may not have got the best grades, but I challenged myself and have begun to hone my skills as a dental professional. In 3 months I have learned how to prepare and fill all types of cavities, learned all the basics of occlusion including the preparation of a diagnostic casts, bite adjustment, and the fabrication of protective devices such as biteguards and occlusal splints. I now know how to properly take and record probing depths, and am proficient in scaling and root planing. As a matter of fact, my first REAL patient, other than my perio partner Troy, is scheduled for Sept. 9th. But all that is last trimester, time to look forward. As of yet, I still have no real knowledge of what classes I will be taking in the fall; All I know is that there will be new faces on campus - just as lost and wonderfully overwhelmed as I was the first few days I spent at USC. I feel more blessed and grateful now, one year into my journey, than I did on August 21st 2007 the day I found out I was accepted. My hope is that this next year will be full of fun and plenty of challenges that will stretch the limits of patience and strength in order to make me the best dentist possible. To get away from the hub-bub of LA and rest and relax a bit, Cheryl and I took a road trip up to Red Bluff, 8 hour drive, to spend some much needed time with the family. I went golfing yesterday with my brother-in-law's Chris Swain and Tyler Wess, and got to spend some quality time with my nephew Tayden and beautiful niece Alise. The big family reunion was a great time to just enjoy family and eat some delicious barbecue. I am feeling much more relaxed and am thoroughly excited that I have another week of this blissful existence. Thank God. I'll post more about our break later in the week but until then, have a wonderful day.