I will start by saying I am 100% confident and ready to take a clinical board exam. My instructors have more than prepared me over the last two years. The money had been paid and luckily my patient is still up to go as of now (not the case for many students). If I could take it tomorrow, I would. It was devastating to see the rude and nasty commentary by future colleague's on the ADHA social media posts last night. I thought I would use this space to share my thoughts on the current topic.
I appreciate the ADHA and how they are advocating for us right now. A big misconception is that we are asking for a license before we go back and finish clinical hours and that’s not the case. We will be making up all lost clinical hours. They are advocating for there to be an alternative exam to test clinical skills now & would be the new standard moving forward. A national standardized clinical test would solve the issue of reciprocity when you move between states also. I don't agree that there should be NO form of clinical testing, but we have to work on finding a new way. In a profession that revolves around constant new information and being flexible, I was surprised to see so many against change. A common argument has been “what’s the rush? No one is working?” When this is over and everyone can go back to work, we will still be waiting for the board exam date and then another month to receive the license before we can even begin the job search. Another option could be to allow us to work once the exam is passed and not have to wait the extra time for a physical license. My financial aid will run out in may-June and because I have devoted the last two years of my life to school, I cannot file for unemployment. Each month/week that passes this summer or even fall (😭) will be critical financially for my family. (Disclaimer: I’m a blogger and I know I post a lot of products/clothing/amazon items. These are received for free in case there is confusion on why I’m still "buying" things if I’m worried financially. I make income when you guys shop the links that I share.) There has always been a questionable side to the clinical exam. Does a 2 hour performance properly display your competencence after already being evaluated countless clinical hours? In February, I identified two patients that I thought would meet the requirements. Both had heavy subgingival calculus and had not had their teeth cleaned in 5-10 years. Instead of treating the active disease sites in their mouth, I asked them to put off treatment with the incentive of a financial gain as my potential “board patient”. This was February. It’s now April with no foreseeable board exam date in sight. I feel like I have compromised the oral health of two different patients for my benefit. Many students do this with multiple patients because of likeliness that one will cancel. One of my best friends has even felt the pressure to hold off on treatment for her fiance for the past two years because he qualified for boards. Our patient is then asked to drive 1.5 hours to get just a little over a quarter of their mouth cleaned. If they choose not to show the day of or become sick (much more likely these days), our money is GONE and the process is repeated. Our last clinic day was scheduled before our clinical board exam and when asked if we could back to complete treatment on our board patient, we were told no. They are passed off to a student the next class & we are unable to follow up. Most never return to complete treatment after the board exam process. In my opinion, changes were needed and already being discussed long before a pandemic. I hope that we can all come together as a profession instead of tearing each other down over differing views. If you don't agree with anything I've shared, that is okay too; we are all allowed to have a voice. I will continue to advocate for the Class of 2020 and what is best for patients going forward. Sending love and positivity to you all, Callie
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Hi guys, I don't know about you all, but I can be a little extra when it comes to celebrating ANY holiday. So naturally, I'm already planning a couple of Valentine's Day looks! I wanted to share with you all my date night/girls night picks from one of my new favorite shops, My Sister's Closet Boutique. 1. CAMBRIA MIDI DRESS IN CREAM This is my personal favorite. I can't get enough of pinks, neutrals, and reds this time of year! The pleated detail on this dress was so flowy and fun, when I saw it I knew it would make the perfect date night dress. 2. SILVER LAKE VELVET DRESS Have you guys made your Valentines or Galentine's Day plans? It's so much fun getting dressed up for the occasion. The best part is that with my code Callie10, all of my picks are under $40! They also have a great clearance selection that is 30% off with the code Lucky30.
Thanks for reading, Callie Pharmacology is the one class that makes dental hygiene students the most anxious and for good reasons. In my fall semester, I spent four straight months stressing over this class with my nose in the book almost every single day. I ended up with an "A" in the class, but it was HARD WORK. I thought it would be helpful to share how I studied and made it through. If I can do it, so can you.
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