Category: Uncategorized

I was so looking forward to a Door County getaway this weekend. However, this damn cold/flu/virus/crud/sickness-from-hell flared up again this past Wednesday (couldn’t sleep Wednesday night and was panic stricken about feeling ill again). So, round two of antibiotics (different from the first round) and I am feeling much better (but too late for Door County).

I can’t remember the last time I’ve been this sick. When it first struck (the Friday before Labor Day) I felt like every cell in my body was miserable (even my skin hurt). My wife told me that I was not well enough to teach (two Fridays ago) and I totally agreed with her. Then she ordered me out of bed to get some fluids on board and all I could do was stare at her and mumble something about how I couldn’t even pick my head up off the pillow. Yeah, this has been a tough illness.

Why the heck have I been so sick? Maybe I’ve been really nervous about: the new semester; new classes; D1’s becoming D2’s and all their TOUGH Fall Semester classes; meeting the new D1’s and hoping they like me (a little); grading patient based skills exams; etc.

I know full well that you only get one opportunity to make a good first impression and I think I’ve been burning the candle at both ends trying to meet and greet and get to know the new D1’s. And this year I have additional pressure: I was chosen to be a Faculty Liaison to the new D1’s. So what does it mean to be a Faculty Liaison? The jury is still out regarding my role (this is a brand new role and all of we newly minted Faculty Liaisons (there’s 4 of us) are being very pragmatic about our duties at the moment). What does it mean to me in my heart and mind? DON’T BE A DUFUS AND SCREW IT UP FOREVER. So I’ve put a lot of pressure on myself. And I don’t want to a)be overbearing and force myself on folks and/or b)be distant. However, I feel like it’s hard for me to distance myself from students so I guess I’m trying more to not be overbearing.

And sometimes I feel like when I teach I am not aware of how much energy I’m using up until it’s too late. It’s like I’m withdrawing money from the ATM and don’t realize that I’ve taken out all the money I have. Maybe that’s why I’ve been so damn sick as of late. And I chuckle when I think back to last year at this time. I was tasked with directing the very first day of D1 PrezRez which included a whole lot of lecture materials and demonstrations. I was so nervous I broke out in hives (first time I’ve admitted that)!

Well, enough for now. I’m on the mend and I have another Door County trip in October. Maybe I’ll do a little staycation stuff today. Weather is beautiful and watching the sun set from my porch is still one of my favorite things to do.

Well, here we go (hopefully this isn’t my first and last post…if I never generate an audience or if I run the risk of getting fired from my job for blogging then this will likely be my first and last post).

Why am I blogging? Hmm. Well…I recently found out that many dental students actually want to get to know their dental professors. What’s more is many dental students actually want to communicate with their dental professors. Wow! When I was in dental school (which, by the way, I hated with a passion…more on that another day) I was way too intimidated by and afraid of most of my dental professors. They were uncommunicative and scary folks who didn’t want to be talked to (and especially talked back to) but I didn’t really want to talk to them anyway because I was afraid I’d say something stupid that could set someone off and then my entire dental career could be over in a really scary heartbeat.

However, I did have some really cool dental professors…cool professors that inspired me and continue to inspire me. I even communicated with them. And they communicated with me. What’s more is they communicated with me as if I was a colleague and not some damn, dirty, diseased dental student that would never amount to anything.

So, I guess I get it. In fact I am ever so grateful to the dental professors who took the time to communicate with me and who cared for and nurtured me through the harrowing hell that is dental school (at least it was a harrowing hell for me). Seeing as how I fall into the category of dental professor (yeah, the guy who COMPLETELY HATED DENTAL SCHOOL is a dental professor) I guess I want this blog to be a means to better connect with students. Perhaps my thoughts within this blog will speak to students and may even be a means to start meaningful (and perhaps even lifelong) dialogue.

And what do I want to write about within this blog? I certainly want to share dental tips and tricks as dentistry is ever so technical and I am always looking for and finding lazy ass ways to get things done (actually, I think it’s more like I absolutely positively strive to be a safe and efficient dentist that DOES NO HARM but it’s more fun to think that I’m a lazy ass). However, there’s SOOOOO much more to me than dentistry. For instance, I am a HUGE Disney geek so don’t be surprised when pictures of Disney trips show up in my blog. In fact, I love to go adventuring hence the TREKKING part of my blog’s name. I’m also: a musician; a runner; a big fan of eating-out; a stand up paddle boarder; a Packers and Brewers fan; am gluten sensitive and always looking for the perfect gluten free beer/bread/restaurant; etc. etc. etc.

So this blog will be all about my teaching and trekking. I hope someone actually reads this blog. And I hope that this blog will open a little meaningful dialogue.