-What an in-the-closet nerd calls an out-of-the-closet nerd. I put a lot of thought into that one, lol. Stop being gunner-haters people, our future professions deserve motivated, hard-working, educated people.
Since when are gunners hard-working and the rest of the dental class an exception?I don't think you understand what a gunner is. The "gunner" who sacrifices their social life to study 24/7 and is despised by his/her peers vs. the well-rounded, high-GPA/rank student involved in many social organizations and having a large social network, are two very different people. And I don't foresee the gunner being the one to advance the profession. Probably just his/her CV.Some of the best dentists in the country graduated from the bottom of their class b/c they understood that there is no correlation between your GPA and your ability to be a competent professional. Gunnerhea is a disease. It needs to be prevented, not enabled.-What an in-the-closet nerd calls an out-of-the-closet nerd. I put a lot of thought into that one, lol. Stop being gunner-haters people, our future professions deserve motivated, hard-working, educated people.
.Some of the best dentists in the country graduated from the bottom of their class b/c they understood that there is no correlation between your GPA and your ability to be a competent professional.
It creates a situation where people don't study and act like they don't care about school in order to be accepted socially.
Maybe they are shy. Maybe school is what they are good… ...probably have anxiety issues…. ...they have to study 24/7 and participate in class to feel better… ….probably don't have as fun of a life
The culture of despising people for studying a lot is not a good culture at all. It's bs.... They probably don't have as fun of a life as you anyways. That's just being a bully.
grown-ass adults don't "despise" people for taking their professional education seriously. I don't know what it is but I'm very disappointed in the atmosphere in dental school. It's more like high school than graduate school. I expected it to be more like the atmosphere in phD programs that friends of mine are in where it is encouraged to be passionate about the study topics. It is very uncool in dental school to be passionate about the topics we study and to participate in class and in discussions etc. People taking the topics seriously are oftentimes viewed as "know-it-alls" and "suck ups." I go to one of the ivies and I had to work my ass off starting from a poor family and having to go to community college and work full-time at a very demeaning, literal ass-wiping job and commuting to school to make it here. I've learned to work hard and take school seriously because I've had to to get where I am. And then, people who have had all of the help in the world, born with a silver spoon etc., who were able to skate by with their parents helping them with everything, make fun of people like me for working too hard. That is bs.
I don't know what it is but I'm very disappointed in the atmosphere in dental school. It's more like high school than graduate school. I expected it to be more like the atmosphere in phD programs that friends of mine are in where it is encouraged to be passionate about the study topics. It is very uncool in dental school to be passionate about the topics we study and to participate in class and in discussions etc.
People taking the topics seriously are oftentimes viewed as "know-it-alls" and "suck ups."
I go to one of the ivies and I had to work my ass off… ...I've learned to work hard and take school seriously because I've had to to get where I am.
-What an in-the-closet nerd calls an out-of-the-closet nerd. I put a lot of thought into that one, lol. Stop being gunner-haters people, our future professions deserve motivated, hard-working, educated people.
I turned down Harvard for my state dental school; so glad I did too. Couldn't be happier. I come from a middle class background and am a self-made, hard-working individual. I can empathize with your situation.I go to one of the ivies and I had to work my ass off starting from a poor family and having to go to community college and work full-time at a very demeaning, literal ass-wiping job and commuting to school to make it here. I've learned to work hard and take school seriously because I've had to to get where I am. And then, people who have had all of the help in the world, born with a silver spoon etc., who were able to skate by with their parents helping them with everything, make fun of people like me for working too hard. That is bs.
And then there are the gunners who pretend to not be gunners. They say they can't come out for drinks because they have to help a friend move when actually they are studying. We always call them "snipers"It looks time there are two types of gunners: the good gunners and the bad gunners.
Gunners in general are overly ambitious and competitive and work way harder than their peers to excel and become the best. Now, The good gunners actually help others out and they work honestly and ethically without putting anybody else down. These are the gunners people tend to like. On the other hand, the bad gunners do not help anybody else out. If anything, they are the ones who may sabotage other people's attempt to excel by spreading misinformation, being selfish, etc. These are the gunners people tend to hate.
And then there are the gunners who pretend to not be gunners. They say they can't come out for drinks because they have to help a friend move when actually they are studying. We always call them "snipers"
It looks time there are two types of gunners: the good gunners and the bad gunners.
Gunners in general are overly ambitious and competitive and work way harder than their peers to excel and become the best. Now, The good gunners actually help others out and they work honestly and ethically without putting anybody else down. These are the gunners people tend to like. On the other hand, the bad gunners do not help anybody else out. If anything, they are the ones who may sabotage other people's attempt to excel by spreading misinformation, being selfish, etc. These are the gunners people tend to hate.
I study hard and enjoy life in my own way (mainly working, pursuing hobbies instead of meaninglessly partying all the time). I wouldn't dare stab anyone in the back but I'm a gunner in the eyes of some of my class members simply because I get good grades and answer prof questions and don't mingle as much due to differing interests.
I am not going to let a few idiots and their warped outlook influence my approach to learning. I know I do no harm nor do I withhold vital info from people. In short what I'm saying is that if you're trying to screw people over, you're doing it wrong. If you're being envious of those who are better skilled or performing you're doing it wrong. Sadly though dental school thus far is most reminiscent of high school for me. There are some amazing people and faculty members, but there are some real screwballs too. All expected, but nonetheless disappointing.
EDIT: Might as well give my definition of a gunner: "Someone who wants to get ahead in their career by any means necessary. This includes studying much more than their peers, trying to keep information from their peers, not willing to help their peers, potentially being dishonest, brown-nosing, or manipulating, etc."
Perhaps your projection of "meaningless" on the predominant activity of your peers is a principal reason they are willing to categorize you as a "gunner?" Abstaining from social relationships is a sure-fire way to inhibit positive peer perception, and probably has more to do with it than your academic habits. Going out and throwing parties builds camaraderie among peers and future professionals; sitting alone in your room at night for an extra couple of GPA points doesn't. Whereas you may categorize many of your peers as "idiots," in a few years they very may well be the one's laughing all the way to the bank, as there is very little correlation with dental school academic success and clinical success; many bottom-tier students become the best general dentists. Even still, many of my peers and I "party" all the time. And many of us are top-10 students, ranked well ahead of people who abstain from our "meaningless partying" tendencies.... instead of meaninglessly partying all the time
Perhaps your projection of "meaningless" on the predominant activity of your peers is a principal reason they are willing to categorize you as a "gunner?" Abstaining from social relationships is a sure-fire way to inhibit positive peer perception, and probably has more to do with it than your academic habits. Going out and throwing parties builds camaraderie among peers and future professionals; sitting alone in your room at night for an extra couple of GPA points doesn't. Whereas you may categorize many of your peers as "idiots," in a few years they very may well be the one's laughing all the way to the bank, as there is very little correlation with dental school academic success and clinical success; many bottom-tier students become the best general dentists. Even still, many of my peers and I "party" all the time. And many of us are top-10 students, ranked well ahead of people who abstain from our "meaningless partying" tendencies.
The point of my response was directed towards the individual's perception of "meaningless parting." I offered perspective that the partying isn't meaningless at all, but is a very good way to build camaraderie with future professionals, and that, perhaps, his negative perceptions of his peers may well have an effect on his peers perception of him. Likewise, whether or not the individual in question does pursue other relationships/hobbies doesn't undermine the hypotheticals and generalizations highlighted, being that "meaningless partying" is, in my opinion, far more beneficial than isolating oneself in professional school. You may disagree. Regarding ethics, "laughing all the way to the bank" implies nothing about ethical or professional misconduct; the two are not mutually exclusive so long as professional/ethical conduct are prioritized over self-interest; regarding this convo, it's an extraneous point.Social relationships can only be formed through partying? Didn't know that. Guess Mormons and Muslims (who predominantly do NOT drink or party) don't have social relationships. He never said he sits in his room at night "for an extra couple of GPA points". He said he did take time to pursue hobbies. What happens if someone wants to spend their extra time learning Spanish instead of "going out and throwing parties"? That person who learns Spanish will have vastly improved career prospects and a larger clientele to draw from when he/she becomes a dentist. There is very little correlation to partying and "clinical success." Aren't you the one who usually talks about ethics in dentistry? Who said that those peers who will be the general dentists "laughing all the way to the bank" will be ethical, honest dentists who care about the Hippocratic Oath and professionalism? Maybe those peers who laughed all the way to the bank, will one day be crying in the courtroom, when they are found guilty of something they should not have done as a dentist.
I try to treat everyone, regardless of whether their social habits are similar to mine, as equals. What I've often found, however is that those who are "the partiers" don't seem to have that mutual respect they should have for their fellow man, especially if that guy doesn't drink or party.
The point of my response was directed towards the individual's perception of "meaningless parting." I offered perspective that the partying isn't meaningless at all, but is a very good way to build camaraderie with future professionals, and that, perhaps, his negative perceptions of his peers may well have an effect on his peers perception of him. Likewise, whether or not the individual in question does pursue other relationships/hobbies doesn't undermine the hypotheticals and generalizations highlighted, being that "meaningless partying" is, in my opinion, far more beneficial than isolating oneself in professional school. You may disagree. Regarding ethics, "laughing all the way to the bank" implies nothing about ethical or professional misconduct; the two are not mutually exclusive so long as professional/ethical conduct are prioritized over self-interest; regarding this convo, it's an extraneous point.
Perhaps your projection of "meaningless" on the predominant activity of your peers is a principal reason they are willing to categorize you as a "gunner?" Abstaining from social relationships is a sure-fire way to inhibit positive peer perception, and probably has more to do with it than your academic habits. Going out and throwing parties builds camaraderie among peers and future professionals; sitting alone in your room at night for an extra couple of GPA points doesn't. Whereas you may categorize many of your peers as "idiots," in a few years they very may well be the one's laughing all the way to the bank, as there is very little correlation with dental school academic success and clinical success; many bottom-tier students become the best general dentists. Even still, many of my peers and I "party" all the time. And many of us are top-10 students, ranked well ahead of people who abstain from our "meaningless partying" tendencies.