Should I quit my GPR?

[Jeremy1928]

I just started my GPR a few days ago, and I am thinking of throwing in the towel. I was ranked last in my class and although I am average using my hands, book smarts has not been my specialty. I just took a hospital assessment test there and scored 33%. I honestly don't think I can measure up. I am sure I am being too rash, but I kick myself constantly when interacting with the faculty, as I know that they know of my class standing. Can anyone tell me of anybody who quit their GPR or AEGD and what happened? Oh, and does it hurt the program fund-wise? Thanks a lot.

Jeremy

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[gryffindor]

I wouldn't worry too much about the hospital assessment test score. If it's the same test we took (100 questions, multiple choice) - they make you take it when you start and again when you finish. I assure you it will not affect your paycheck or the way the patients treat you.

If you quit, you can start looking for a job in private practice. Depending on which area of the country you are in, it varies. Here in NYC, there are many jobs that only require you to have a license and a pulse. The GPR will be out a resident, which can affect the call schedule if you are in a small program. I don't know about the funding part.

But if you stick it out, I wouldn't worry about your rank from dental school. I've met dentists who were book smart yet complete idiots when it comes to treating patients. If you treat your patients well and they like you, then make the best of the GPR experience by trying to learn as much clinical dentistry as you can. Don't let the attendings bully you. All of the ones I encountered didn't care where I graduated in my class. They just wanted to see me make sound clinical decisions.

The GPR probably needs you there anyways. As long as you are around, that is more patients the clinic can treat. If you think you can get a decent clinical experience out of it, I wouldn't worry about the didactic stuff too much. You obviously learned enough if you were competent enough to graduate.

It takes a while to get used to the whole GPR thing. Unless you think you can't, give it a few more weeks before you truly decide it isn't for you.

Good luck.

 

[Jeremy1928]

Thanks for the sound advice. I have heard there are residencies open to residents even until September. Anyone know if this is true? I am beginning to feel I would greatly miss out on the clinical experience an AEGD would give me...Thanks again.

Jeremy

I wouldn't worry too much about the hospital assessment test score. If it's the same test we took (100 questions, multiple choice) - they make you take it when you start and again when you finish. I assure you it will not affect your paycheck or the way the patients treat you.

If you quit, you can start looking for a job in private practice. Depending on which area of the country you are in, it varies. Here in NYC, there are many jobs that only require you to have a license and a pulse. The GPR will be out a resident, which can affect the call schedule if you are in a small program. I don't know about the funding part.

But if you stick it out, I wouldn't worry about your rank from dental school. I've met dentists who were book smart yet complete idiots when it comes to treating patients. If you treat your patients well and they like you, then make the best of the GPR experience by trying to learn as much clinical dentistry as you can. Don't let the attendings bully you. All of the ones I encountered didn't care where I graduated in my class. They just wanted to see me make sound clinical decisions.

The GPR probably needs you there anyways. As long as you are around, that is more patients the clinic can treat. If you think you can get a decent clinical experience out of it, I wouldn't worry about the didactic stuff too much. You obviously learned enough if you were competent enough to graduate.

It takes a while to get used to the whole GPR thing. Unless you think you can't, give it a few more weeks before you truly decide it isn't for you.

Good luck.

 

[simpledoc]

given your situation,quitting is the last thing I would think of! I would certainly want to overcome all my short comings and would want to end up atleast as the most improved resident of the class! however, if you don't like this particular program as such, you may want to consider an AEGD where you would get a little bit of didactic and private practice setting..good luck!

 

[Jeremy1928]

You have a point. I guess I am overly concerned with what the attendings think and quite frankly have a deep inferiority complex around the other students.....I need to suck it up and move forward. Thanks for your comment.

given your situation,quitting is the last thing I would think of! I would certainly want to overcome all my short comings and would want to end up atleast as the most improved resident of the class! however, if you don't like this particular program as such, you may want to consider an AEGD where you would get a little bit of didactic and private practice setting..good luck!

 

[gumgardener2009]

You have a point. I guess I am overly concerned with what the attendings think and quite frankly have a deep inferiority complex around the other students.....I need to suck it up and move forward. Thanks for your comment.

This situation brings to mind an old question revised: "What do you call the person who finishes last in their dental school class and doesn't get a GPR?...Doctor." How did you get into dental school with such low self-esteem? I bet 4 years ago you were insecure about the start of dental school. You got through that and you'll get through the GPR. Remember, you're already a dentist and the GPR will only make you better.

 

[Jeremy1928]

This situation brings to mind an old question revised: "What do you call the person who finishes last in their dental school class and doesn't get a GPR?...Doctor." How did you get into dental school with such low self-esteem? I bet 4 years ago you were insecure about the start of dental school. You got through that and you'll get through the GPR. Remember, you're already a dentist and the GPR will only make you better.

After the first semester of dental school, my oral anatomy instructor tried to encourage me to quit, as he thought I would struggle too much. Since then it has been an uphill battle. A question for you all-wouldn't you think that most students who graduate last in their class would feel the same way? At all costs, I need to stop feeling sorry for myself.

 

[gumgardener2009]

After the first semester of dental school, my oral anatomy instructor tried to encourage me to quit, as he thought I would struggle too much. Since then it has been an uphill battle. A question for you all-wouldn't you think that most students who graduate last in their class would feel the same way? At all costs, I need to stop feeling sorry for myself.

Depends. If I'm last and I struggled, I'd be discouraged. If I'm last because I don't care, Daddy will still hire me when I graduate, then I'm feeling pretty good about myself.

I'm glad to hear that you battled it through school, but what does your DA instructor know about practicing dentistry? They're teaching that because they probably couldn't. I'd go to one of your clinical instructors instead and see what they have to say. If they think you're hopeless, then apply for the dental anatomy professorship.

 

[ItsGavinC]

A question for you all-wouldn't you think that most students who graduate last in their class would feel the same way?

Not at all. You already stated that you have decent hand skills, so basically you stunk up the didactic stuff which isn't that important (in my book) anyway.

Who cares if you can learn histology or any of the other crap dental school pushes on you? It's a joke and we just have to jump through the hoops.

Here's the real question: what did you patients think of you? Who cares what the docs thought of you, as long as you did good work and treated your patients well.

The only person who will know that you graduated last will be you when you are out in practice. Your patients won't care.

Don't stress it, and remember, you were still way ahead of all those who didn't even get into dental school. You graduated and made it--congrats!

 

[captaintripps]

Not at all. You already stated that you have decent hand skills, so basically you stunk up the didactic stuff which isn't that important (in my book) anyway.

Who cares if you can learn histology or any of the other crap dental school pushes on you? It's a joke and we just have to jump through the hoops.

It amazes me how dental students can take on an omniscient and arrogant attitude all the while minimizing the value of predoctoral academic requirements.

 

[ItsGavinC]

It amazes me how dental students can take on an omniscient and arrogant attitude all the while minimizing the value of predoctoral academic requirements.

You're right! He might as well quit now. Oh wait, he graduated and is a dentist already. In that case, he'll NEVER be competent since he didn't do well in his didactic portion. How will he ever get patients?

Please shed some light on the tremendous value of "predoctoral academic requirements".

I'm in clinic running my own oral path smear while reviewing gallbladder function, so I have plenty of time to wait.

 

[UConn_SDM]

You're right! He might as well quit now. Oh wait, he graduated and is a dentist already. In that case, he'll NEVER be competent since he didn't do well in his didactic portion. How will he ever get patients?

Please shed some light on the tremendous value of "predoctoral academic requirements".

I'm in clinic running my own oral path smear while reviewing gallbladder function, so I have plenty of time to wait.

I do believe in some cases that clinical skills (hand skills + patient management skills + business sense) can have very little to do with didactic performance.

One of the "smartest" people in my class was left back in 3rd year for lack of clinic skills while a person who had to repeat 1st year just graduated. Who was better off? Who would you want to be as a practicing dentist.....the person with clinical skills or book smarts?

Of course we wold all love to be the person who was the smartest and had the best clinical skills.......but that's life.

 

[captaintripps]

You're right! He might as well quit now. Oh wait, he graduated and is a dentist already. In that case, he'll NEVER be competent since he didn't do well in his didactic portion. How will he ever get patients?

Please shed some light on the tremendous value of "predoctoral academic requirements".

I'm in clinic running my own oral path smear while reviewing gallbladder function, so I have plenty of time to wait.

I wasn't commenting on his competence, and I won't shed any light for you. If you can't appreciate the importance of training in the basic medical sciences then that is your problem.

 

[cameltoe]

I wasn't commenting on his competence, and I won't shed any light for you. If you can't appreciate the importance of training in the basic medical sciences then that is your problem.

Another idiot who think the basic medical sciences are crucial into becoming a good dentist. Where is that tin-foil hat of yours?

 

[captaintripps]

Another idiot who think the basic medical sciences are crucial into becoming a good dentist. Where is that tin-foil hat of yours?

go f_ck yourself

 

[BDS-DMD]

I think I can safely say that basic sciences are not handled properly anywhere in the world as faras dental schools are concerned.

Sure you need to know where the Inf Alv N comes out and about the dangerous area of the face. I must have treated over 2500 patients till now(I am a foreign dentist). Never ever did I stop and think"Oh this guys Kreb's cycle is screwed up. May be I shld check it out."

Relax captain. Sure the didactic is necessary. But not as much as clinical skills.

 

[ItsGavinC]

Relax captain. Sure the didactic is necessary. But not as much as clinical skills.

Agreed. Not nearly as much as clinical skills.

 

[aphistis]

go f_ck yourself

Now THAT is a compelling persuasive argument if I've ever read one. Way to represent, sport.

 

[captaintripps]

Now THAT is a compelling persuasive argument if I've ever read one. Way to represent, sport.

No problem dude. Thanks for the recognition.

 

[Jeremy1928]

I am going to stick through it for the long haul, thanks in part to your encouragement. Thanks a lot.

 

[mtheman]

I am going to stick through it for the long haul, thanks in part to your encouragement. Thanks a lot.

good for you man! keep at it and you will surely achieve your goals in dentistry and in life

 

[OMFSCardsFan]

I am going to stick through it for the long haul, thanks in part to your encouragement. Thanks a lot.

Man, the first couple months of any residency is going to be a STEEP learning curve, meaning that you are going to feel up to your eyeballs in things that you have no idea about. Everyone goes through that. I can promise you that the number one in your class would have been feeling overwhelmed, too. Take a deep breath, relax, and pay attention. You'll be amazed at how much you can pick up just keeping your eyes and ears wide open. Don't sweat it. Two months from now, you'll be laughing about posting this.

Regarding basic sciences, I'm amazed that there are so many of you that think they were a total waste. Though it's a lot of work that doesn't pay off as visibly as the clinical skills, I would venture to say that every one of you will be a better dentist after having taken those classes. Having an inkling about the how and the why (biochemically, physiologically, etc) behind certain procedures will take you a long way. Throwing out the basic sciences would put us on the level of being tooth mechanics rather than clinicians. I have to agree with Captaintripps on this one.

Cheers!

 

[Demeter]

I think you should try to stick it out.
My buddy is doing a GPR and he also told me that he gets pimped hard. Some guys are bastards. After this year, you will walk away a better clinician as the guys in the top of the class that did not continue on with furthering their education. I also think you will be hard pressed to find a Good AEGD that will accept a quitter. Don't quit. You are taking up a spot that someone else could have had. You can Do it.

 

[texas_dds]

stick with it!
next year you will be glad you did

 

[DcS]

Hang in there, you'll be fine. It's like everything else in dentistry...your first time doing something you are scared chitless, and then each successive time it gets easier and easier (while your confidence will go up and up). Dentistry is just like that, there is no way around it. That's my advice to any aspiring dentist. It doesn't matter how smart you are or how good with your hands you are. Eventually, there will be days you will feel like a complete ***** and made to look like an ass. You just have to be able to look yourself in the mirror, laugh it off, get up and go back at it.

These 3-6 months will be hard, you know it will. But stay positive and you'll look back at this thread and laugh at it.

As far as the importance of didactics....IMO in dental school it really isn't that important. Basically, in all the didactic courses you will take there is *some* very important information. But like everything else, you will most likely forget it until it becomes a factor in clinic while treating patients. Then you will never forget it. For example, I can't regurgitate everything in pharm I learned, all the meds etc. There is no need to. Once you start to see patients, you will then remember those meds that are most common. I could probably tell you what meds all 20 of my patients are on, what are the dental implications, etc etc. I definitely would not have been able to do that 6 months after taking pharm. The important didactic info you need to practice will be reinforced later in your career.