What is "passion"

[Tran6]

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Hi folks,

I have just graduated high school and will attend college in the fall. I have a great interest in the field of dentistry. I have always heard its a job that requires "passion," as I have heard from countless people and have been laughed at for telling my friends I want to become a dentist. I have always wondered what passion exactly is. I'm sure that during interviews for dental schools the interviewers would ask why do you have a passion for dentistry. What I'm confused about is how do you know you have a passion for dentistry if you've never become a dentist, unless volunteering/shadowing experiences can really determine whether you have a passion or not (I would not know, I have never shadowed a dentist) for the work?

 

[browncrack]

Take a look at the JADA article
http://jada.ada.org/content/138/1/104.short

Or, for a less serious look, this also came up on my google search.

Sarah fell for her handsome new dentist like a ton of bricks, and pretty soon had lured him into a series of passionate ...
www.microsquish.com/funstuff/403/dentalpassion.html

 

[NAVY DDS 2010]

Hi folks,

I have just graduated high school and will attend college in the fall. I have a great interest in the field of dentistry. I have always heard its a job that requires "passion," as I have heard from countless people and have been laughed at for telling my friends I want to become a dentist. I have always wondered what passion exactly is. I'm sure that during interviews for dental schools the interviewers would ask why do you have a passion for dentistry. What I'm confused about is how do you know you have a passion for dentistry if you've never become a dentist, unless volunteering/shadowing experiences can really determine whether you have a passion or not (I would not know, I have never shadowed a dentist) for the work?

I am going to explain passion based on my own experiences.

Back in the 1990's, when I was in undergrad, I wanted to go to medical school and become a surgeon. Because my father worked in the hospital and knew most of the surgeons, I was allowed to shadow them. I fell in love with cutting people open. I knew that was the career path for me. Then, I fell in love with one of the neurosurgeon's daughters who had twins of her own. It was at that time that I realized that family life was very important to me. Being a surgeon in smaller towns actually stunk when it came to having a nice family life because you were either always on call or being paged because one of your patients was turning for the worse. Either way, you left what you were doing and went to the hospital. That was a side of being a surgeon that was not appealing to me. So, I decided I would withdraw my med school application (a career path I was passionate towards) and could go into dentistry which I really knew nothing about (no passion at all.) I applied and got in easily. I got to school and really wasn't that interested in dentistry. I was only doing what I needed to get by. It got to the point I would rather go to the Riverwalk and party than go to class and study. So, in the middle of my second year of dental school I withdrew because never in my life had I settled for C's. My motto was C=DDS. I had absolutely no passion for dentistry.

It was at that point that I joined the Navy. To make a long story short, some of my friends were the dentists I served with. The talked me into observing them when I had a chance. The spoke to me about perspectives of dentistry I had never been exposed to before. I decided that I really didn't hate dentistry. I just didn't know anything about it. After observing them, I decided that I could see myself being a dentist. So, I developed a plan on how to get into dental school. I got off active duty to prepare for d-school. I took 5-6 months to work on the house I purchased after moving to San Antonio. Then another 5-6 months to study for the DAT. At that point, I happened to start volunteering as a CPR instructor at Lackland AFB. I found out that Lackland was the site for the Air Force's dental residencies. I met up with the Colonel in charge of the residencies. After speaking with him, he told me to come to the clinic and start volunteering. He had me jump from residency program to residency program learning from everyone there. Each day I learned more and more interesting things. It got to the point I was excited about going to the clinic everyday working 40+ hours per week for free. This continued for a year. I got to the point where I was like a kid in a candy store. I got to see and learn about all these "goodies", but couldn't have any of it. This time, when applying to d-school, I wanted to be there - not just though I could do it. That desire has not let up. I love working with patients. I love learning about and practicing dentistry. Even though there is BS you have to deal with in d-school, I look forward to going to school because working on patients is fun!

To me, that is passion!

 

[dentist13]

It's something to try -- if you're interested, volunteer.
You will never really know what it is like to be a dentist until you are one.
You can volunteer or work for a dentist and have an idea.
If it sparks your interest, then go for it.

I think once you become a dentist, it's definitely a career that you learn to embrace.
It has it's challenges but it can be very rewarding. You develop passion for your career as you practice.

 

[BombayBDS]

Like Love, Passion isnt a noun - its a verb.

If U are passionate about something - Show that passion. give it your time, energy, emotions. thats when it becomes a passion.

It isnt the other way round.

 

[jay47]

Hi folks,

I have just graduated high school and will attend college in the fall. I have a great interest in the field of dentistry. I have always heard its a job that requires "passion," as I have heard from countless people and have been laughed at for telling my friends I want to become a dentist. I have always wondered what passion exactly is. I'm sure that during interviews for dental schools the interviewers would ask why do you have a passion for dentistry. What I'm confused about is how do you know you have a passion for dentistry if you've never become a dentist, unless volunteering/shadowing experiences can really determine whether you have a passion or not (I would not know, I have never shadowed a dentist) for the work?

Passion= a desire for excellence. In dentistry, the devil is in the details, and if you don't have a passion for details, you'll never be a great dentist. You can be a good dentist, but you'll never be a GREAT dentist unless you are meticulous.

 

[newyorkblork]

I have always wondered what passion exactly is.

Caveat: Dental Student, not Dentist. But I'll explain why I went for D-School despite not feeling "Passionate" about dentistry: It's because I don't really get "Passionate" about things the way books and movies generally talk about "Passion" - that is, an unwavering love and willingness to devote every waking hour. Dental School is a path which will open a whole lot of new paths (see the Navy post above mine), many of which seem intellectually stimulating to me. The Dentists I shadowed assured me "If you're bored, you can get out and do something else with your DDS. You don't have to just do one thing. People who say Dentistry is boring are boring people." That sounds like an ideal job for me - something constantly in flux so I can keep my restless brain engaged for a lifetime.

The problem with the question "What is Passion?" is that it's nebulous. It's cousin to the question "What is Happiness?" Happiness and Passion are both custom-tailored to your life. It's too personal to ask the question "Can you evaluate my level of passion? Am I passionate enough about dentistry to make it through the next forty years??" How could anybody know? 😛

The question about Passion becomes increasingly problematic when you add the fact that there are going to be days, no matter what you do, when you wake up and go WHY AM I DOING THIS OH MY GOD KILL ME. Think about playing video games (or insert activity you enjoy here) from 9 to 5 every day. Heck, think about having sex every single day (jokes aside, most couples don't do this). Does that mean you're "not passionate enough" about video games and sex? I'm doubtful 😛

I think "Dedication" or "Perseverance" are more specific and useful terms in general than "Passion". If you find yourself intellectually stimulated by the study of medicine and surgery, if you find yourself desiring the ability to have a tangible impact on your community and the people around you, if you find that the idea of working with mouths doesn't turn you off, and if you're willing to work hard through your life to provide a consistently high level of service, I think you're going to be just fine, because Dentistry rewards hard work with multiple options in an intellectually stimulating profession.

Of course, if that's not true, I'm boned, and I guess I'll hate the next 40 years of my life. 😛

Ending Caveat: If you HONESTLY find yourself telling yourself "Dentistry looks like it sucks but I want a 30-hour job that brings home the loot", get out now. You don't have to tell anyone, but do yourself a favor.



EDIT: Answering second half of the post, about learning more about dentistry
Definitely go shadow. You don't necessarily have to work as an assistant but if you can, it helps. Shadowing and talking to dentists really let me know that Dentistry was something I could commit to. Think of every question you would want to ask here and go ask a couple of Real Live Dentists too. That way you can get a ton of different perspectives.

Try and shadow a dentist in a clinic, a dentist in a hospital setting, a dentist in a rich suburban private practice, a dentist in a 'mill' private practice, etc. Get perspectives from as many types of Dentists as possible - they're not all the same. If you only talk to the owners of Boutique Veneer practices just to log 1000 hours of (pointless) shadowing, you're doing yourself a disservice.

 

[printer21]

I am going to explain passion based on my own experiences.

Back in the 1990's, when I was in undergrad, I wanted to go to medical school and become a surgeon. Because my father worked in the hospital and knew most of the surgeons, I was allowed to shadow them. I fell in love with cutting people open. I knew that was the career path for me. Then, I fell in love with one of the neurosurgeon's daughters who had twins of her own. It was at that time that I realized that family life was very important to me. Being a surgeon in smaller towns actually stunk when it came to having a nice family life because you were either always on call or being paged because one of your patients was turning for the worse. Either way, you left what you were doing and went to the hospital. That was a side of being a surgeon that was not appealing to me. So, I decided I would withdraw my med school application (a career path I was passionate towards) and could go into dentistry which I really knew nothing about (no passion at all.) I applied and got in easily. I got to school and really wasn't that interested in dentistry. I was only doing what I needed to get by. It got to the point I would rather go to the Riverwalk and party than go to class and study. So, in the middle of my second year of dental school I withdrew because never in my life had I settled for C's. My motto was C=DDS. I had absolutely no passion for dentistry.

It was at that point that I joined the Navy. To make a long story short, some of my friends were the dentists I served with. The talked me into observing them when I had a chance. The spoke to me about perspectives of dentistry I had never been exposed to before. I decided that I really didn't hate dentistry. I just didn't know anything about it. After observing them, I decided that I could see myself being a dentist. So, I developed a plan on how to get into dental school. I got off active duty to prepare for d-school. I took 5-6 months to work on the house I purchased after moving to San Antonio. Then another 5-6 months to study for the DAT. At that point, I happened to start volunteering as a CPR instructor at Lackland AFB. I found out that Lackland was the site for the Air Force's dental residencies. I met up with the Colonel in charge of the residencies. After speaking with him, he told me to come to the clinic and start volunteering. He had me jump from residency program to residency program learning from everyone there. Each day I learned more and more interesting things. It got to the point I was excited about going to the clinic everyday working 40+ hours per week for free. This continued for a year. I got to the point where I was like a kid in a candy store. I got to see and learn about all these "goodies", but couldn't have any of it. This time, when applying to d-school, I wanted to be there - not just though I could do it. That desire has not let up. I love working with patients. I love learning about and practicing dentistry. Even though there is BS you have to deal with in d-school, I look forward to going to school because working on patients is fun!

To me, that is passion!

This is exactly what happens when you follow your "passions." You apply to med school withdraw, dental school and withdraw, navy, and then dental again... Instead of all this, just choose something that is PRACTICAL--something that pays well and gives you a lot of free time (or what ever is important for you).. And THEN with the right attitude, you can grow to love your profession. With the right attitude, I really think anyone can like anything..

 

[NAVY DDS 2010]

This is exactly what happens when you follow your "passions." You apply to med school withdraw, dental school and withdraw, navy, and then dental again... Instead of all this, just choose something that is PRACTICAL--something that pays well and gives you a lot of free time (or what ever is important for you).. And THEN with the right attitude, you can grow to love your profession. With the right attitude, I really think anyone can like anything..

Actually printer21, if you could actually read, you would have seen I DID NOT actually follow my passion early on. That was the problem. I really would have loved to be a surgeon if nothing else but surgery mattered. But once I realized that the family life of a surgeon can actually suck especially in smaller towns where I eventually planned on settling down, that is when I chose to not follow my passion. So, I actually did what you are suggesting and chose something "practical" in the healthcare community. My problem - I did not research and spend enough time doing research into a profession I decided to pursue. If I had spent the time, I am sure I would have loved it back then, but unfortunately I was only thinking of my family and not so much about the career.

It seems as if you are cutting down how I got to where I am and how I developed my passion for dentistry. I wouldn't trade the decisions I have made in life for anything. They have made me who I am - someone with a loving wife and two wonderful children who loves dentistry. I truly feel that if I had stayed in dental school before, I probably would have not had the passion I do now and probably would have been in it only for the money and not for what I can actually do for my patients.

My intention for typing the post of mine you quoted was to show how one's attitude toward something can change when you actually pursue something with passion compared to when you pursue something without a passion for it.

I agree that if you are willing to settle for something practical you could learn to like something with the right attitude, but liking something and being happy and fulfilled with that career path are two totally different things. I want to love (not like) what I do. The first time through d-school I didn't love it. I knew I was not going to do my patient's justice staying in the profession. I didn't give it my all. It took a lot of maturity to withdraw from d-school knowing that I wasn't going to be doing my future patients any justice by staying in. Now, I take advantage of my education and my patients will reap the rewards of me having a passion for what I do. Who cares how I got here. It is how I use this passion now.