I heard some rather disheartening information this evening from the person who was/still is the assistant program director of where I did my GPR when he and his wife were over for dinner. He has become so frustrated about the apathy of the residents that he's thinking about leaving the program. Now this is a person whom I not only consider a mentor, but also a great friend, and the person whom pushed me to push myself to accel not only in my residency, but life in general.
He tells me that his current residents basically refuse to take any initiative to further their residency education, and won't do anything unless its spoonfed to them. This is not what you should expect from a residency. When you get to a residency, you're a doctor, you need to think for yourself, and push yourself, while using the attending doctors to further your education and decision making process. Basically, if your pondering a residency, and don't feel like pushing yourself to become a better dentist, don't do a residency, you'll just be frustrated. If you feel like pushing yourself, it will likely be one of the best things you'll don in your dental career. Basically your residency will give you as much (or as little) to take away from it as you're prepared to put into it. So if your going to do a residency remember, they're going to call you "Doctor" and pay you to be a "Doctor", so push yourself to be a better Doctor.
He tells me that his current residents basically refuse to take any initiative to further their residency education, and won't do anything unless its spoonfed to them. This is not what you should expect from a residency. When you get to a residency, you're a doctor, you need to think for yourself, and push yourself, while using the attending doctors to further your education and decision making process. Basically, if your pondering a residency, and don't feel like pushing yourself to become a better dentist, don't do a residency, you'll just be frustrated. If you feel like pushing yourself, it will likely be one of the best things you'll don in your dental career. Basically your residency will give you as much (or as little) to take away from it as you're prepared to put into it. So if your going to do a residency remember, they're going to call you "Doctor" and pay you to be a "Doctor", so push yourself to be a better Doctor.
