Finding the passion

On Thursday, June 12th, I traveled over to Durham to experience a portion of Dr. F. Vincent Allison‘s life as a dentist.

Considering that this was my first time shadowing in the program, I was excited for several reasons. For one, I was excited about being able to sit and observe the one-on-one interaction between doctor and patient as well witness some of the procedures associated with the job.

The first patient that I observed was a 9-year-old girl. Her father had brought her to the office for what appeared to be her first or second visit. She was terrified!!

As I sat and observed this challenge, I saw Dr. Allison do what I considered the impossible. How someone can take a squirming child and somehow ease them into comfort really shocked me. She appeared relaxed, much calmer and very cooperative throughout the rest of the procedures. I was somewhat puzzled because I didn’t think the girls visit would be so pleasant. I was expecting the young girl to experience something traumatic and down right terrifying, but Dr. Allison used the right touch to make the young girl feel at ease.

The other patients that came during my 2½ hour visit were three older patients who came in for some extractions, a root canal and a cavity filling, and a young woman who was experiencing excruciating pain. With each of these patients, I watched Dr. Allison care for them without a moment of hesitation. I can imagine that the hustle and bustle of owning your own practice can be difficult but Dr. Allison was able to cater to everyone’s needs accordingly. I really admire that!

The time that I found most valuable during my experience was the one-on-one attention that I received from Dr. Allison. There were a few breaks during the time that I was there and I was able to really find out what made Dr. Allison passionate about waking up in the morning. One of the things that I found most interesting was when Dr. Allison expressed his passion for helping others, especially children. He said that no matter how big or small a child’s situation, he would help in some way. I found that interesting because if you are passionate about something and you do it for a living, then you really can’t consider it “work”.

That’s where I want to be in my life! I tell people sometimes…“I don’t want to ‘work’ when I get older…I just want to wake up and do something I love.” By sharing the love I have for other people, a job really can’t be measured. Just imagine if a dentist had eight, nine of even ten patients a day like that little girl I mentioned earlier. You can imagine that someone who didn’t have that passion for caring for children, or the dental profession, may become increasingly tired of the same routine. I don’t want to ever have that feeling. I believe that when you have a strong feeling, desire or emotion for something, it can’t be measured in terms of hours, pay, or the amount of time spent. Dentistry is, I believe, passion-oriented. Without any sort of desire to help other people, you cannot be the type of health professional that people need.

Dr. Allison expressed that he had wanted to be a Dentist since he was about nine years old and that his journey in becoming a
dental professional was fostered throughout his childhood and in SEP. I find that extremely insightful considering that I’m continually trying to find that “hunger” in the SEP Program. Right when I think I have
it, other ideas begin to pop in my head and I’m stuck with reevaluating my reasons – never in terms of whether or not I want to be a Dentist, but in a deeper way such as “how” and “why”. There are so many questions out there that I want to find answers for.

Dentistry is something that I’m continually trying to search for. I know that the desire is there, but I need more time to really solidify what will make me a successful and passion-orientated professional. I think my shadowing experience really made me realize that. It may take more shadowing, more volunteering, clinical exposure and other dental-related activities to really find that piece of the puzzle that’ll make everything come together. Just know that I’m willing to find that piece no matter what it may take.

*Motivation and determination are key in finding out who you are and, more importantly, where the desires of your heart are.*

Overall, I enjoyed my time shadowing with Dr. Allison. I was finally able to visualize something that I had wanted to experience for quite some time. This is certainly not my last time shadowing and the opportunity was worth every moment spent. I’m looking forward to experiencing other community and shadowing opportunities in the dental field in the near future.