What fuels you?

Started by Austin Eddy
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Austin Eddy

Full Member
10+ Year Member
Everyone knows the road to dental school is tough and for most an uncertain one. I was curious to see what your motivation was to continue the pursuit. I personally find my motivation in my family, no one has ever been past college and I've steeped up to take on the task of becoming a dentist to follow my personal dreams and to take care of my family. So, what fuels you?

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My wife, my family, the idea of becoming a dentist and things I could do once I become a dentist(my future).
 
1) corny but...being able to serve my future patients
2) being able to treat my parents and sister out
3) being able to treat my friends out
4) being able to treat my future wife out
5) being able to treat myself..out
6) floor seat tix to the Warrior's game (prayers 4 Curry's ankles)
7) being able to design my future office
8) traveling to impoverished countries to help out
9) new friendships

okay judge me..:lame:
 
Think of being a dentist. You have the opportunity to significantly help others and make them feel better about themselves, as well as having flexible hours and being able to have a life outside of your job. The pay isn't too bad either 👍
 
I am very much the same as you. I am the first generation going to college in my family in the United States. Out of both my parents, only my mom got her bachelor's degree, but from overseas so she couldn't do anything with it when we immigrated to the US. That being said, my family has always had financial struggles. So my motivation for dental school is my family, to make them proud, make life easier for them when I start working, give back to them although I'll never be able to fully repay them for all that they've done for me.

That's half my motivation, the other half is the self-satisfaction, and as corny as this may be, of literally making people smile 😀 I want to do lots of pro-bono work, go abroad maybe as part of Dentists Without Borders, and just give back to society as much as a I can.
 
My parents work 7 days/week not because they enjoy their work, like how some academics/researchers do, but because they have to make ends meet. I can't say money isn't a factor because it certainly is. Not in the sense of becoming a hyper-consumerist but in the sense of securing a financial nest egg.

Some personal statement ideas: (1) Problem-solving: seeing quick tangible (therefore definite solutions to problems) accomplishments are much more enjoyable than waiting a long period of time for uncertain outcomes, (2) Humans have an innate pleasure center for creative construction: dentists must have an appreciation for aesthetics when creating pleasant features in someone's smile. Sometimes, transforming a disfigured smile to one that is more normal can make a drastic difference in someone's life, especially that of an adolescent, (3) Master of your own universe/leader: Either fortunately or unfortunately, everything is under your control and responsibility. Every single problem that arises in your office, from billings to dentistry, must be headed up by you. If the dental office were a boat, you're the captain and how effective your crew members perform is entirely dependent on your motivating them.

Each of these points come with their own downfalls. Everything eventually becomes tedious and repetitive with mastery and time, including your dream job. Not everyone will appreciate your abilities. Many patients will outright tell you that they hate you and the general public holds the sentiment that dentists are charging more money than is rightfully due to them. It can be incredibly stressful to manage a small business.
 
I've worked in the field for a few years now, and I know how much I like dentistry. And I know I have the personality for patient retention because I have had patients who stayed loyal to me and only come when I'm here. This is a HUGE motivation to me. I look forward to talking to them every 6 months or so, and I've realized that I have a knack for remembering a story about every single one of my patients.

What fuels me is to be the top of the chain in command. I want to do the diagnosis. I want to calls the shots on tx options. I won't be told by some secretary on how many days I'm allowed to take and when I have to work. I want to make my own schedule, do the best dental work that speaks for itself.
 
Well I love to eat children, so the idea that I'll be able to lure more children to my hut in the woods really excites me.

:meanie:I'm obviously KIDDING...if you know anything about Slavic folklore and who Baba Yaga is, you'll get a laugh.
 
KittySquared said:
I've worked in the field for a few years now, and I know how much I like dentistry. And I know I have the personality for patient retention because I have had patients who stayed loyal to me and only come when I'm here. This is a HUGE motivation to me. I look forward to talking to them every 6 months or so, and I've realized that I have a knack for remembering a story about every single one of my patients.

What fuels me is to be the top of the chain in command. I want to do the diagnosis. I want to calls the shots on tx options. I won't be told by some secretary on how many days I'm allowed to take and when I have to work. I want to make my own schedule, do the best dental work that speaks for itself.
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Awesome post, bring out that competitive side! I love how Dentistry is different than Medicine in that its almost a work of art.
 
May sound corny, but it's honestly what keeps me going--
I want to help people in the same way I've been helped.

I knew from a pretty early age that I wanted to do something medical/human body related. Growing up, my family and I moved quite a bit and we didn't have that much money so my mom tried as much as she could to get my brothers and I into the dentist every 6 months for check-ups, cleanings, and such. But I was someone who was "behind" with all of your "standard" times teeth fall out and teeth come in so they were every which way all jumbled in there. We couldn't afford braces, and by this time, being a vain teenage girl, it made me really self-conscious to the point where I didn't smile and I didn't talk very much in school since I didn't want anyone to see what I called "snaggle teeth." Well, years go by and some tragic things happened in my life, most sad was that my dad had passed away of pancreatic cancer when I was 16. Not to get into the detail of it all, but this was not only an obvious emotional blow, but a financial one as well because my mom had been a homemaker to raise us. So to say the least- money was tight... there was no way I would be getting braces anytime soon even though I dreamed all the time about it and how much better of a person I would be if my teeth were fixed (16 year old mindset here). This is already turning into a long story (lol sorry) but to keep it somewhat short- my aunt had worked for an orthodontist in the new area my family and I had moved to and she said she wanted me to make an appointment with him to see just how much it would cost and how long I'd have them on. He ended up giving me and my little brother braces free of charge and as I was sitting there in the chair getting my braces off, tears were just streaming down my face because I was literally that elated and feeling so much happiness I couldn't handle it. I thanked him so much and it was in that moment I realized I wanted to get into dentistry. I started shadowing and found that I like the preventative aspect of general dentistry the most from what I've experienced, specifically pediatrics. Through a lot of struggles in undergrad that resulted in a low GPA, I'm currently in a SMP and reapplying this year hoping to make my dream a reality. So here's a CHEERS for the underdogs because I refuse to let anyone tell me I can't be a fantastic dentist... I know I will be. 🙂
 
Teeths said:
:laugh: maybe it's too obvious
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I feel for you, Teeths. You've really been through a lot and it's impressive that you're still going. With that determination, you'll definitely get to where you want to go.

Your story similar to mine in some ways. Hopefully we both get in this cycle! :luck::=|:-):
 
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I want to give my (future) family a better life than I ever had. Or, at least one that doesn't involve moving every two years to places where they don't know anybody or have any family.
 
I want to get a trophy wife. haha.

Not really, I just feel that my parents work too hard to send me to school to make something of myself. I want to repay them back for all their efforts. They moved to the United States to give their children a better life than one they had.
 
AlbinoPolarBear said:
No one is doing it for the money?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53hXBg-U-ac
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If we're being honest, the ability to work as little as possible while making a more than comfortable living is what fuels me. The fact that dentistry provides the potential for this and is, at the same time, very interesting to me is just a bit of luck. I would have studied to be the guy who scrapes up after parades if it provided me with these two things.
 
What fuels me?

The desire to eventually connect with patients on a level that reduces their dental fears and stress. To have my patients trust me. To have great chair side manner. To respect my coworkers and have an upbeat and friendly work environment. To never lose sight of the good things in the profession amidst all of the daily stresses we'll deal with. To learn from the bad and cherish the good. But perhaps the most immediate thing that drives me is the desire to give the next 4 years everything I've got, to learn valuable lessons, to make good friends, to have some laughs along the way, and to graduate as a doctor that possesses the skills and values to make an appreciable difference in the community I work in.
 
trolol said:
simply put:
fbgm.gif
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10char .
 
What fuels me?

The thought of failing, the fear of not becoming what I dream to be. That's all.
 
Teeths said:
Thanks to everyone who's rooting for me, I appreciate it! 😍
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We come from similar places. Hold onto that hope because soon enough a school is going to look past the surface numbers and realize you're a catch. It happened to me and I know it will happen for you 🙂

Anyway, I'm fueled by success, both short term and long term. I push myself so hard in school because I'm obsessively competitive, which is probably a bad mindset to have but it's just how I am. Some people get testing anxiety; I get such a huge adrenaline rush when I take exams lol. I love gunning for the highest grade. I think it will carry over into dental school, which is funny because I don't even want to specialize. I just like to be the best I can be.

I'm actually kind of nervous for when school is over and I'm a working professional and I don't have that "competition."
 
wcombs said:
We come from similar places. Hold onto that hope because soon enough a school is going to look past the surface numbers and realize you're a catch. It happened to me and I know it will happen for you 🙂

Anyway, I'm fueled by success, both short term and long term. I push myself so hard in school because I'm obsessively competitive, which is probably a bad mindset to have but it's just how I am. Some people get testing anxiety; I get such a huge adrenaline rush when I take exams lol. I love gunning for the highest grade. I think it will carry over into dental school, which is funny because I don't even want to specialize. I just like to be the best I can be.

I'm actually kind of nervous for when school is over and I'm a working professional and I don't have that "competition."
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Hahaha! When did this great news happen!? Congrats! 😀
 
people always looked down upon me back in elementary, middle, and highschool saying that I was stupid and not going anywhere with my life. after graduating senior year of highschool, i refused to believe that I was stupid and incompetent. so i decided to prove myself and become what i am today, about to graduate with two degrees and about to go to dental school.

i am going to dental school because I love helping people with my knowledge in science. i want to be in control of everything and run things my way. once i get out of my debt, i am gonna live the lifestyle i always dreamed.

edit; too lazy to press shift to cap 🙂 deal wit it.
 
wcombs said:
We come from similar places. Hold onto that hope because soon enough a school is going to look past the surface numbers and realize you're a catch. It happened to me and I know it will happen for you 🙂

Anyway, I'm fueled by success, both short term and long term. I push myself so hard in school because I'm obsessively competitive, which is probably a bad mindset to have but it's just how I am. Some people get testing anxiety; I get such a huge adrenaline rush when I take exams lol. I love gunning for the highest grade. I think it will carry over into dental school, which is funny because I don't even want to specialize. I just like to be the best I can be.

I'm actually kind of nervous for when school is over and I'm a working professional and I don't have that "competition."
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look at that. you got in!
 
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