You have a choice. You can throw in the towel, or you can use it to wipe the sweat off of your face.

-Gatorade

I've done my fair share of wanting to throw in the towel, particularly in the last few weeks. When I started Dental School, they told us there would be at least a time or two that we wondered what the heck we were doing there, what we had gotten ourselves into, or whether we had really made the right choice. I swore I would never wonder any of those things and that this was exactly where I was supposed to be and I would be just fine. THEN, 2 weeks ago happened. I failed a practical on account of one DEF on one of 13 criteria for a Gold Onlay Prep. There was an undercut in my box (not gonna lie I still to this day have yet to find where it was...). I was 1 of 44 people that failed so I swallowed my anger and frustration and just said "oh well, it was my time." The prof swears everyone fails at least one in dental school and he's prob right. I needed to pay my dues. So I was doing okay. Frustrated, but not throwing in the towel.

Then Wednesday came. Wednesdays are denture day ALL day and they are always really rough. This one- BEYOND ROUGH. Or patient ended up finally going into a position we had previously registered as something else. While this was not entirely our fault (3 different doctors missed her class II skeletal relationship- NOT just a rookie mistake on our part), it resulted in us essentially starting where we had been 2 weeks prior to that. and doing 3 weeks worth of work in less than 24 hours so that our denture could go to the lab on time (A BIG DEAL). So that was the day I called mom, started crying (I was stressed!) and basically questioned whether or not I could actually be a dentist. Poor Tommy thought someone had died when I walked in the door I think.

The denture went out on time. I did 4 near-perfect preps and passed the practical retake. I'm back on the court and I didn't throw in the towel, I just needed a water break (literally, water-works and all).

I also realize a few things. I learned more in 1 week than I had in probably all of summer semester. I know a handful of denture tricks I never would have learned had a I not had to basically redo the entire thing in a time crunch. I can make some killer gingival rolls in half the time thanks to Dr. Imp. I know how to window a trial base (technically not allowed in the class!) thanks to the maverick Dr. Eicholtz. And, I know I can pull stuff off in a panic. I also know I can fail a practical and be just fine.

I can also run 10 miles at an pace under 10 minutes a mile. Which means I am on target for my half marathon!

AND- Muddy Buddy is this Sunday. Things are looking up and Summer Semester is looking all downhill from here :). Good thing I didn't throw in that towel.

And heck, maybe now I have even more reasons to do pediatric dentistry- no onlays or dentures involved!!!

Next time you hit the rough patch, don't throw in the towel. Wipe that sweat and keep on going.