Behaving like a Doctor?

[TylerDMD]

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I woke up today and figured it's time to start behaving like a doctor. I've always dressed well and looked professional but am still a bit of a jokester. I'm a little irreverent, sarcastic, and at times inappropriate. I really like who I am and so do my friends but I'd like to portray a little different image once I'm a DMD.

So, should I turn off my colorful personality and be more "doctor-like" (austere, serious, reverent, always appropriate) or should I just be who I naturally am.

I like me but I don't want other professionals and patients to think I'm less than 100% serious and dedicated to my work.

So, should a doctor be doctor-like or his natual self?

Tyler

 

[klfb80]

Story of my life friend. I pretty much feel the same way at my school. Although i am very similar to what you described i have principals as well. If you can live by the three things below then i say just have a good time and continue doing what your doing.
1. Be in the right place
2. Be on time
3. Be in the proper dress/uniform
I follow these simple little things and believe that as long as you make people laugh and you are always smiling you will make people feel good about who you are. Continue to be yourself.

 

[scalpel2008]

I woke up today and figured it's time to start behaving like a doctor. I've always dressed well and looked professional but am still a bit of a jokester. I'm a little irreverent, sarcastic, and at times inappropriate. I really like who I am and so do my friends but I'd like to portray a little different image once I'm a DMD.

So, should I turn off my colorful personality and be more "doctor-like" (austere, serious, reverent, always appropriate) or should I just be who I naturally am.

I like me but I don't want other professionals and patients to think I'm less than 100% serious and dedicated to my work.

So, should a doctor be doctor-like or his natual self?

Tyler

or you could do a 4/6 year residency and be a jokester, perv, inappropriate, politically incorrect, sexist, macho, apathetic, cynical, mean, instrument tossing, intern bashing, nurse ass pinching, air guitar playing, professional up until the patient wakes up and gets extubated.

 

[dentalman]

It's okay to be yourself, as long as your self doesn't suck.

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

I woke up today and figured it's time to start behaving like a doctor. I've always dressed well and looked professional but am still a bit of a jokester. I'm a little irreverent, sarcastic, and at times inappropriate. I really like who I am and so do my friends but I'd like to portray a little different image once I'm a DMD.

So, should I turn off my colorful personality and be more "doctor-like" (austere, serious, reverent, always appropriate) or should I just be who I naturally am.

I like me but I don't want other professionals and patients to think I'm less than 100% serious and dedicated to my work.

So, should a doctor be doctor-like or his natual self?

Tyler

If you want to be "not yourself" since I am gonna to be a "DMD", you will discover that dental school will bring you down to humble ground quickly. That shiny white shirt with designer tie won't last more than a month when you get down to your knees begging your classmates for class notes or your professor for an extention on a project. I have seen too many first year dental student GQs disappearing into dental students bums in my time... DP

 

[setdoc7]

The better you are at dentistry, the more "yourself" you can be, and the patients won't mind the joking. The best practitioners I know will joke around until the time they have to perform, and then it's all business.

 

[beannaithe]

There's a time and a place for everything.

Best not to be too crazy with everything as it might make your patients uncomfortable. You'll learn the best time for everything.

 

[capisce?]

I woke up today and figured it's time to start behaving like a doctor. I've always dressed well and looked professional but am still a bit of a jokester. I'm a little irreverent, sarcastic, and at times inappropriate. I really like who I am and so do my friends but I'd like to portray a little different image once I'm a DMD.

Go into pediatrics and join the rest of us 😀 You get to act like a 5 year old all day and the kids will love you! It's a balancing act to do that and maintain professionalism with the parents but it's something you will learn with time while treating your patients. I'm sure my co-residents would tell you the same...I'm constantly a goofball and trying to make everyone laugh, but at the same time I take my work very seriously and put everything I have into it. Don't change the way you are.

 

[1992Corolla]

Go into pediatrics and join the rest of us 😀 You get to act like a 5 year old all day and the kids will love you! It's a balancing act to do that and maintain professionalism with the parents but it's something you will learn with time while treating your patients. I'm sure my co-residents would tell you the same...I'm constantly a goofball and trying to make everyone laugh, but at the same time I take my work very seriously and put everything I have into it. Don't change the way you are.

😀 I can still act like I am 5 without working on 5 year olds...👍

You peeps at Temple know I am 99% unserious...I still get the job done.
You know what I am talking about BensonDDS!!!! I know you're reading this!

 

[pavleek]

Story of my life friend. I pretty much feel the same way at my school. Although i am very similar to what you described i have principals as well. If you can live by the three things below then i say just have a good time and continue doing what your doing.
1. Be in the right place
2. Be on time
3. Be in the proper dress/uniform
I follow these simple little things and believe that as long as you make people laugh and you are always smiling you will make people feel good about who you are. Continue to be yourself.

Don't listen to a word this guy says, he wasn't even in class today. And the other day he even wore sandles.

Don't forget #4 though.

4. Make it a great day

 

[D for Drill]

KLFB,
we missed you in class today. But keep following those 3 things and you'll get there.

 

[Firm]

If you want to be "not yourself" since I am gonna to be a "DMD", you will discover that dental school will bring you down to humble ground quickly. That shiny white shirt with designer tie won't last more than a month when you get down to your knees begging your classmates for class notes or your professor for an extention on a project. I have seen too many first year dental student GQs disappearing into dental students bums in my time... DP

Not me Dr. Dai Phan, I made it all the way through being GQ. What's up chump?

 

[toofache32]

GQ? Like that magazine thingy?

 

[MsPurtell]

I think you should play it safe and always be professional. You don't want patients to lose confidence in you. You can have fun, but you mentioned being "inappropriate" at times. Your profs won't like this.

I woke up today and figured it's time to start behaving like a doctor. I've always dressed well and looked professional but am still a bit of a jokester. I'm a little irreverent, sarcastic, and at times inappropriate. I really like who I am and so do my friends but I'd like to portray a little different image once I'm a DMD.

So, should I turn off my colorful personality and be more "doctor-like" (austere, serious, reverent, always appropriate) or should I just be who I naturally am.

I like me but I don't want other professionals and patients to think I'm less than 100% serious and dedicated to my work.

So, should a doctor be doctor-like or his natual self?

Tyler

 

[pre-dentalguy]

Go into pediatrics and join the rest of us 😀 You get to act like a 5 year old all day and the kids will love you! It's a balancing act to do that and maintain professionalism with the parents but it's something you will learn with time while treating your patients. I'm sure my co-residents would tell you the same...I'm constantly a goofball and trying to make everyone laugh, but at the same time I take my work very seriously and put everything I have into it. Don't change the way you are.

HAHA>.. you're hilarious with this one!!! On another note, I couldn't do pediatrics. It's too much crying and persuasion of trying to get a kid to open his or her mouth.

 

[Smilemaker100]

I woke up today and figured it's time to start behaving like a doctor. I've always dressed well and looked professional but am still a bit of a jokester. I'm a little irreverent, sarcastic, and at times inappropriate. I really like who I am and so do my friends but I'd like to portray a little different image once I'm a DMD.

So, should I turn off my colorful personality and be more "doctor-like" (austere, serious, reverent, always appropriate) or should I just be who I naturally am.

I like me but I don't want other professionals and patients to think I'm less than 100% serious and dedicated to my work.

So, should a doctor be doctor-like or his natual self?

Tyler

As a dentist or doctor, you have to play the role of psychologist. You have to gauge each patient's personality and adapt your approach accordingly because not every patient will respond to you in the same manner. But in general, I think patients enjoy seeing a dentist who seems happy, has a sense of humor, loves his or her work and loves people. I am a bit of a clown around the kids too -sometimes, the kids are the highlight of my day (actually, I dressed up as a clown for a wild Hallowe'en party last night!). Pour your heart into your work and keep smiling - patients will love you for it and the referrals will naturally flow in!

 

[DrJeff]

In D-school, especially if you have a bit of an over the top gregarious personality, tone it done and be a little more PC, because as much as it kills me to admit it in this day and age, some profs in D-School need that stereotypical dentist image to be portrayed.

In private practice, be yourself! Patients appreciate a personality, and frankly many find it quite refreshing compared to the classical starched white lab coat image and personality to match image that we've acquired over the years😱 😳

I wear scrubs, and not solid prints every day. I've got yellow, red, bright blue, green, etc colored pants to go with a closet full of random(often brightly colored) print tops that I wear every day. My partner does the same too. It fits our personalities, our hygenists and assistants like the freedom to express their personalities via their scrubs too, and patients like seeing this as well. To really put it into perspective, for halloween yesterday, I dressed up as a "stereotypical" dentist with the starched white long lab coat, shirt + tie, and dress pants and shoes - my regular patients and office staff thought it was a riot when they saw me.

Be yourself, treat your patients as you'd want to be treated and the rest just kind of falls into place (i.e. the $$ thing😉 )

 

[Chompers]

i guess theres a time and moment for everything. i treat my patients like my friends and they feel comfortable and have a greater sense of trust. but sometimes that friend zone interferes with serious issues like perio and the pt may not accept its severity. thats when a straight face and being direct gets the message across. personality makes more of a difference in success in this career, because no one is going to tell you "Doctor, that upper first molar occlusal white filling looks so detailed and real!" 😉