5 Years - Class of 2011!

I cannot believe it has been 5 years since I graduated from hygiene school! What a huge part of my life that I will never forget. I remember when I was going through school I felt like it would never end. I thought I would never find enough patients, never find hard enough patients, never know how to scale properly, never know how to probe, and never feel confident! Wow, am I amazed at the growth that has taken place in private practice. 

To those wanting to get into a hygiene program: keep applying, keep trying, keep studying, get good grades and don't give up! I waited 3 years to get in.

To dental hygiene students: This to shall pass. I promise this will all be over before you know it and you will come out the other side with a new sense of self-worth and pride. This is a refining process and teaches you what you are made of. It's tough, you study A LOT, you don't get a lot of nights out, you stress a TON, you hurt (physically), you cry, you feel bad about yourself, you feel great about yourself - what a roller coaster! It's so worth it at the end!

To new graduates: You got this. You just endured 2 years of a HARD program. You are MORE then capable of going out into the real world and getting things done - and getting them done well! Don't let someone make you feel like you don't know what you're doing because you're new - YOU GOT THIS! You DO know what you're doing. Yes, it's going to take a little while to get into the groove of private practice (yay to WAY shorter appointments and charting!) but don't be scared. Be confident. 

One day you'll look back and it'll be 5 years for you and you'll wonder where the time went. So grateful for my career and all that I've learned from the people I've worked with. I continue to learn everyday and try not to be too hard on myself when I don't have a good day. 

Thanks for the comments and the readers that go deep into my archives and read about my crazy hygiene days when I blogged for a grade...now I blog to help others understand what I do and why I do it and encourage anyone going through this journey too.  

Good luck! And congrats class of 2016!

from My Life as a Dental Hygienist http://ift.tt/1Wl0Vu7