Clinical Boards...yicks

Today was my clinical board. I was nervous that my patient wouldn't show up in enough time and I wanted to recheck the quad and extra teeth that I was planning on submitting. My patient was late but he showed in enough time to do all the paperwork and check the teeth. Then I got to anxiously wait with everyone else as the examiners determined if our submissions qualified. That was one of the longest hours of my life. My first submission passed and I got to work. My ultrasonic wasn't working very well the water was not consistently spraying and the tip was getting hot so I got the floor assistant and she changed it out for me and that was the only little glitch I had. I don't know how it went because by the end of 2 1/2 stressful hours I was so exhausted I just pray that I passed. It is going to nearly kill me waiting for my results. I really really hope I passed.

Slam Dunk!!!

Today I took my local anesthetic boards (Written and clinical). I was so nervous that I wouldn't pass that I couldn't sleep all night. After the written I wasn't sure if I had passed or not. I felt totally sick to my stomach. But have no fear I totally passed. I then was able to take my clinical and I was like one of the very first people. My dear sweet sister agreed to be my patient. I was nervous when they were checking her sites becuase she bites her check and I thought they might disqualify her but they didn't. Then I was putting on the topical and I was nervous becuase I couldn't really determine her landmarks on the IA but I was determined just to do what I had learned and as I took my syringe in my hand and pulled back her check the landmarks totally opened up and it went beautifully. Then I moved on to the right PSA. It was going great til I aspirated. And yep you guessed it Positive....first one ever of course it would happen on the board. It was just the tiniest little wisp of light pink. My heart stopped and my breath caught. We talked in clinic about if you get a positive aspiration you should just get a new set up and do it again but I felt really good about my position and everything so I annonced I had a positive aspiration and the Cheif examiner ask how I would like to handle it and my actual words were since it's just a little wisp i'm going to redirect and aspirate again. I did and I was able to see a negative aspiration. When they left I was convinced I had just failed. I cleaned up and waited for my score. When I picked up my envelope I could see a purple paper and my brain was so stressed I couldn't remember what that ment I ripped it open and it was a success memo I was so excited I ran down to tell my sis I had passed and we jumped around and screamed cause I was so excited. I hope all the rest of my boards go so well

Big day!

Today I was suppose to have my 1st mockboard patient comeback however, I have a ton of class II/V quads so my good buddy char agreed to see her and I scheduled my class IV to come. I he came and I was able to clean two quads I felt like it went really well instructor Perry was really helpful. He showed me some different chair positions and using different instruments in different places. I need to remember to use just the very end of my instrument and ultrasonic I tend to use the middle. In the afternoon I had my last class III coming back in and he no showed me this would be the second time he has left me high and dry at the last second so I don't think I'll be seeing him again I don't have time to keep scheduling someone that isn't consistent. So it turns out that my good buddy Char happened to have two patients show and she was kind enough to let me see one of them and as luck would have it he was a class III so I was able to finish up my class III requirements. Now I just have to find another 4 quads of a class IV and see one more child and I'm done with my requirements:)

LA mockboards

Time for another mockboard! I'm so glad we do these I think it helps with some of the nerves. Today was Local Anesthetic mockboards and I had my peer pal come in and be my patient. I was super nervous mostly because I want to do really well so that I'm not as nervous for the real board. I performed the left IA and the right PSA becuase I like those ones the best. I started with the left IA and I forgot to wait for them to say proceed before I annonced aspiration and I knew I had screwed up the second i did it. That is a good lesson to learn before the real board. Anyway I failed the IA becuase of that but I passed the PSA. I have a few things to work on but I think the real board will go ok. I also passed the written but I don't think that will be like the real board so I am still kind of nervous about that one. I had a crazy busy afternoon. I had my class II that Hailey used as a mockboard coming back to get finished. Then I had a screening and then a 1A. It was incredibly busy but, I was able to find a Class IV which I am in despirate need of and I was able to complete other requiremnts as well. It was a busy day but ended up being a good one. Now I just need to find another class IV and have all my patients show up and I'm set!

Mockboard #2

Today was our second mockboard and I was probably more nervous for this one because my patient is the same patient I'm using for the real board. I wanted to do well so that I would feel confident going into the real board. Everything was going along great and then I realized I only had like 15 minutes left to do head & neck and probing and all of that I started to panic. I can't believe how fast the time past. For the real board I need to be sure I watch my time better. I walked my patient to the desk right at the check-out time so I was fine but I don't want to cut it that close on the real board. I felt really nervous about my score and I was please to know that I only missed thress spots one of which wasn't a test site and that was good becuase it was actually just tooth anatomy but on the real board if they determined it was calculus they would still count it as an error because I don't get to check the spot and have discussion like with mockboards. I also missed to probing spots but, my instructor said he's not worried about that if I just take my time and double check them. I passed and I feel really good now about the real board. Still nervous cause it's kind of a big deal but I think I can do it!

Patients supplying you replacements...Awesome!

This morning I was suppose to see a patient that someone else couldn't see and his friend I've had him scheduled for like 2 weeks. He said they both get regular cleanings and it has been about six months since their last cleanings. I was figuring they were both 1B's and I could get them done in one appointment. However, Shalyce's patient didn't show so I told her she could see one of them if both of them showed up. They were late so I called and my first patient said that he wasn't able to get off work but his friend was still coming and he was sending someone in his place and he hoped that was ok....A Hello of course that's ok. How great is that? Usually your patients don't show, don't answer their phone and you are left calling eveyone you can think of to come in on short notice. Both patients ended up being a Class II so it was good Shalyce needed a patient. Also, my patient was a good mockboard so Hailey was able to take x-rays and have him come for her mockboard. I was able to clean 1 quad and do some injections it was a good morning. Then in the afternoon my patient that was suppose to be my first semester mockboard that cancelled on me the night before came back in. Shalyce's patient cancelled on her again and so she was able to she my patients daughter. He ended up being a class three so I declared him as an exam and was able to clean 2 quads and do more injections it was awesome.

1st MOCKBOARD

I am glad that I called to confirm my patient because she thought her appointment was at 10am not 8am. I absolutely love that usually without fail if you ask your patient to arrive 10 minutes early they arrive ten minutes late. However, at least she arrived. It was so hard to give injections on her becuase her mouth was so tiny and she didn't open very wide. But, I finally did them and she said she was numb and I just went to work. It was difficult to get her to put her head in the correct position for me so my posture was terrible and at the end of the day my back and neck were killing me but I managed. This mockboard went way better then the last one. I missed one spot of calculus and I had one area of tissue trauma but other then that I did awesome. I am so glad we do these mockboards so I will feel prepared for the real boards.