Advice time...rude professor

[Liz Cecilia]

So, it's officially been two months of D-school It's had it's rough spots and it's good spots, but there seems to be one are where I've straight-up hit a wall: with a professor

Just some backdrop, I'm always polite to the profs, active in class, take excellent notes, model student (or, I'd like to think so) etc.. to the point where I've been made the official note taker for a couple of my lectures.

For one of my classes, twice now, I've been shot down by the prof for asking a question. Now, normally, I would understand it if it was straight up lecturing, constrained time period, etc. However, it was an active question-asking period, and I asked for clarification, and the prof literally screamed at me and said "go ask your friends after class" and a couple of other things that I've literally lost memory of. It doesn't sound that bad on paper, but let me tell you, when everyone else is getting their questions answered, it's a crappy feeling when the professor doesn't extend the same help to you. And s/he HATES the textbook, and said it's essentially useless because s/he disagrees with it most of the time.

This is the second time that s/he's done such a thing, and normally I wouldn't think much of it, except at this point, it's literally hindering my learning, as I really need the professor, the one who writes the exams, to explain something to me the way THEY want it explained- my friends are not dental professionals, and they know just as much as I do! The previous time it wasn't as bad, but today it got to the point where I was reduced to tears- nobody has ever been so rude and unprofessional to me in front of so many people before. And, I'm well over it now, but it was bad to the point where other classmates came up to me after lecture and said that they didn't think I deserved the response I got. It's embarrassing.

The advice part--

Do I address this with the professor? I mean, I have no idea what to do! I was planning on going to office hours and asking if I had done something wrong, and then stating how I felt, but I'm not sure if that's the wisest course of action. I am very lost in this class, and actually scared to approach the professor.

Something that might make sense is that this prof (they've been at my school for quite some time) almost got one of my relatives who was their student 20 years ago kicked out of D-school, although I'm not sure the details about that one...and yes, this prof knows we're related.

I just feel like I haven't done anything wrong, and I want to address this before suffering any more in the subject. Any advice would be reallllyyyy appreciated.

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[FlyingSky]

Id tell you to keep a low profile but thats just how I roll... Not sure about the last part, did they kick out your relative or not?
Had a teacher humiliate me a few months ago and I felt so bad and stupid in front of everyone, I still remember every details but she is my teacher right now and I dont think she even remembers yelling at me lol...

Hope you find a solution, please dont cry because of a teacher, you will meet plenty of rude people they dont deserve your tears!

 

[sgv]

(1) grow thick skin
(2) keep your head low
(3) don't ask questions that might seem stupid to the professor (stuff you can google, look up in textbook, test questions)

Unfortuantely for you this professor is probably out to get out you...
Unless you give us the question, I'm going to assume and give the professor the benefit of the doubt, that it was indeed a stupid question lulz

 

[free99]

Welcome to medical education - it won't be the last time you're humiliated in front of your peers. Sucks that this one has a personal tinge to it, but not much you can do about your relative's past.

 

[Liz Cecilia]

@FlyingSky she thankfully graduated, and is a very successful dentist today

@sgv I usually do have really thick skin! I guess I have to work on it- academics is where I just let all of me be open, so I can learn the most. And I honestly don't think the question was silly, I was asking how you could tell #30 vs #19 (looking at cross section sketches) depending on if looking from an occlusal or apical view. Is that a dumb question? All I was looking for was for the prof to point out the parts of the roots that would show that!

@free99 lol. Yippee....It's a learning experience, I guess

 

[sgv]

@FlyingSky she thankfully graduated, and is a very successful dentist today

@sgv I usually do have really thick skin! I guess I have to work on it- academics is where I just let all of me be open, so I can learn the most. And I honestly don't think the question was silly, I was asking how you could tell #30 vs #19 (looking at cross section sketches) depending on if looking from an occlusal or apical view. Is that a dumb question? All I was looking for was for the prof to point out the parts of the roots that would show that!

@free99 lol. Yippee....It's a learning experience, I guess

Actually thats a legit question...easy answer but legit nonetheless

 

[bsp1013]

So, it's officially been two months of D-school It's had it's rough spots and it's good spots, but there seems to be one are where I've straight-up hit a wall: with a professor

Just some backdrop, I'm always polite to the profs, active in class, take excellent notes, model student (or, I'd like to think so) etc.. to the point where I've been made the official note taker for a couple of my lectures.

For one of my classes, twice now, I've been shot down by the prof for asking a question. Now, normally, I would understand it if it was straight up lecturing, constrained time period, etc. However, it was an active question-asking period, and I asked for clarification, and the prof literally screamed at me and said "go ask your friends after class" and a couple of other things that I've literally lost memory of. It doesn't sound that bad on paper, but let me tell you, when everyone else is getting their questions answered, it's a crappy feeling when the professor doesn't extend the same help to you. And s/he HATES the textbook, and said it's essentially useless because s/he disagrees with it most of the time.

This is the second time that s/he's done such a thing, and normally I wouldn't think much of it, except at this point, it's literally hindering my learning, as I really need the professor, the one who writes the exams, to explain something to me the way THEY want it explained- my friends are not dental professionals, and they know just as much as I do! The previous time it wasn't as bad, but today it got to the point where I was reduced to tears- nobody has ever been so rude and unprofessional to me in front of so many people before. And, I'm well over it now, but it was bad to the point where other classmates came up to me after lecture and said that they didn't think I deserved the response I got. It's embarrassing.

The advice part--

Do I address this with the professor? I mean, I have no idea what to do! I was planning on going to office hours and asking if I had done something wrong, and then stating how I felt, but I'm not sure if that's the wisest course of action. I am very lost in this class, and actually scared to approach the professor.

Something that might make sense is that this prof (they've been at my school for quite some time) almost got one of my relatives who was their student 20 years ago kicked out of D-school, although I'm not sure the details about that one...and yes, this prof knows we're related.

I just feel like I haven't done anything wrong, and I want to address this before suffering any more in the subject. Any advice would be reallllyyyy appreciated.

There's your problem. I'd try to find out the details on that.

Career academic types are EXTREMELY vindictive.

I had a retired med school doc patient of mine straight up tell me he personally had the son of someone he didn't like kicked out of med school.
"He didn't know it, but I led him down a false path and got him kicked out." I replied "that's ice cold." True story.

 

[Bereno]

I feel ya. I have been at the brunt of it as well. I was once humiliated during a case presentation by a faculty member - he was asking questions that he knew I did not know the answer to, and kept grilling me in front of everybody just to make me look bad. Afterwards he came up to me and made it clear that he grilled me because he saw me look at my phone during another person's presentation. Really pissed him off I guess (he is known for this, BTW), so he made sure I never forgot the "lesson". Unfortunately, it worked... I will never forget it lol.

 

[Liz Cecilia]

@bsp1013 LMAO DON'T TELL ME THIS!!! Good to know though, I'll certainly steer clear of their path

@Bereno I will never understand them haha. I'm sure they've all been in our position before, what good will humiliation bring out of it?! If I ever go into academics, I will make it my GOAL to be more empathetic to the students. Some of these profs are ridiculous.

 

[Mr. Thirsty]

Ah, yes I have been there. Most of us have / will experience this at some point in our dental education. Realize that people who put other people down like this tend to have an issue with some facet of their life, whether it was a bad past experience in their own dental training or an issue with the current faculty above them. They really enjoy taking that out on people that they do have control over.

The best thing to do is keep a low profile and avoid the doctors that are like this (as much as possible). Stay close with the really good docs and learn as much as you can from them.

Remember, none of their opinions of you will have any merit once you graduate. Just keep a low profile and stick it out until you get that DMD.

 

[r2thekesh]

If it really bothers you, tell someone. Don't let the feelings build up. Tell your advisor. Tell the course director if this faculty member isn't. Look up the rules of the school. I'm sure that's breaking some kind of rule.

 

[LaughingGas]

I would contact Administration regarding the issue. There is always a faculty who works as student advocate.

 

[Springs01]

I wouldn't take it too personally. Maybe s/he is just like that to everyone.
And I agree with you, there are some professors out there who are simply terrible and aren't just cut out to be professors. However, I feel like there's no need to contact Admin or something, that'll just create unnecessary drama. Classes don't go on forever, it'll end soon, and you'll be able to move on with your life, and forget about it.

Also unless your question is urgent and cannot be answered in any other way than asking the professor, I'd avoid asking questions in that particular class.

 

[Liz Cecilia]

Well-said @Springs01 - my boyfriend suggested the same thing. Unfortunately, I'll have to stick it out until junior year, but I wouldn't really gain anything from raising flames over a prof that's been there for so long. It just sucks that I'm taking loans out of my a** and get treated like this. Everything's a learning experience though, right?

Thank you everyone else for your advice. This is just so frustrating and annoying