Alex Shalman

by Alex Shalman
AlexShalman.com – Practical Personal Development

“The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out; the brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something.”

~Randy Pausch

There are certain goals in your life for which success is a non-negotiable conclusion. It’s inevitable that the bus of your life is going to drive towards a fork in the road.  The trick is to position yourself in the drivers seat.

My most current and biggest obstacle so far has been to get into dental school. If my whole story was simple, that “I applied, I got in, woot!” then it wouldn’t have been very inspirational. Luckily, for the story’s sake, it took me three years of applications, rejections, retaking the DAT, and upping the ante with a master’s degree in order to push my way through.

The whole process really humbled me, and at the same time made me really proud of what I can do when I put everything I’ve got into it. I’ve had the benefit of being very self-aware, and carefully analyzing the mental processes that I went through in order to reach this goal. I could have been depressed at the first rejection. I could have quit and found another line of work…I almost did…but I didn’t, because my brain thinks as follows:

1. Cut Off Unsupportive People
   I’ve long been going through the process of purging negative people from my life. The friends that were just great to party with, the people that were disgustingly pessimistic, and the ones that clearly did not have my best interests in mind. Getting rid of negative people opens you up to meeting new ones with qualities you respect and admire.

   Several months ago I had a friend ask me why am I still trying to get in, and why don’t I just give up and go and get a real job instead of trying for this dental dream. My girlfriend Marina had an awesome response to this onslaught. She said, “How can you live if you stop trying? That’s the formula for regret.” I like it a lot. I have to keep this Marina person around me more!

2. Cut Off Plan B
   I’m very inspired by a story of Julius Caesar that I heard from one of my personal development tapes years back. When Caesar’s ships landed on the enemy beach, he immediately ordered his army to turn around and burn down all of their own ships. This left only one option, plow through the enemy lines, no matter what, and on to victory.

   In my own life, I gave myself only one option, no plan B, no alternatives, and that option was to become the best Dental health professional in the world. Other options and job opportunities were presented to me, quite often, and I always thought of them as the “Serpent’s apple” which I refused to pick.

3. Talk About Your Dream
   Everyone that I encountered knew that my number one goal, the thing that I wanted so much I could taste it, was to get into dental school. I didn’t ask them for help, I presented myself as a passionate individual who has wanted to be a dentist since he was five years old and would stop at nothing to achieve this dream. People respect this form of sincerity.

   In fact, people would often times start trying to think of solutions to how they might help me, or who they knew in a great position to help me. Over three years, I got a lot of contacts, some of which were dead leads, but the sheer volume that was generated from me speaking about my number one goal created some golden opportunities and referrals.

4. Believe In Yourself
   You know those days: When you’re down on yourself, and you’re thinking about quitting. Perhaps you even start to entertain some good reasons for why quitting would be a good idea.

   *SLAP*

   The trick is to give yourself a mental slap.  Take those negative thoughts and nip them in the bud before the weeds overthrow the yard of your mind. Don’t be the kind of person that thinks this way.

   It’s your job, not your friends or your parents, to believe that you’re the best. You must believe, deep in your soul, that whatever you have, whatever you’re selling is absolutely the air that everyone should be breathing. If you don’t believe you’re the best, and don’t do everything in your power to really be the best, then no one else will believe – so believe!

I’ve played a dangerous game my friends. I got a Masters degree, albeit educational and interesting, in a field that I didn’t want to spend my life working in – but I pushed on. I talked to everyone and their dog about my dreams, and encountered some pessimistic backlash – but I pushed on.

I even spent this summer studying to retake the admission test “just in case,” while having a promising spot on the waiting list, when I could have taken a vacation and hoped I’d make it off the list – but I pushed on.

Never stop trying, not while you’re still alive and capable. As I like to say… “If you have a dream, whether you have to go through those doors sideways, backwards, or jump in from the roof… don’t give up.”

Alex Shalman is a Personal Development writer and speaker, and most recently an NYU Dental student. If you enjoyed this article please tweet it and vote for it on StumbleUpon. I’d appreciate it.

It’s a given that there are healthcare professionals out there with substance abuse problems. But, as we prepare to enter practice, many of us find it difficult to imagine that we’ll be working with affected individuals, or that we could become affected ourselves. Few professional programs ask students to consider what they would do if they suspected or knew that someone in their workplace was impaired. And, still fewer programs formally acquaint students with recovery resources.

No one really knows how widespread substance abuse is within the healthcare professions. With their livelihoods at stake, few people are going to admit to having a problem. Additionally, most health professionals are smart people who are relatively good at hiding their problems. A lecture given by Brian Fingerson, the president of the Kentucky Professionals Recovery Network, indicated that the figure is 12-16% for “pharmacists and some other healthcare professionals”¹.  Given that one out of every nine Americans over the age of twelve was found to have a problem with substance use or dependence in the 2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health², the suggested range seems quite reasonable.

As healthcare professionals, we may be more likely to develop substance abuse problems than members of the general population due to high work-related stress, increased access to controlled substances, and our knowledge of drug effects. Those of us who do become addicted may be shielded from discovery by the trust of our patients and coworkers. Plus, we may work very hard to avoid discovery, fearing harsh professional, social, financial, and legal consequences.

By this point, it should be clear that you should expect to encounter impaired healthcare professionals during the course of your career. What is less clear is what role you will play in the situation and how you will feel about it.  When you aren’t sure about what is going on, it can be hard to take action. You may only suspect that a coworker is coming to work intoxicated. Maybe there are narcotics missing on a regular basis but you aren’t sure who is taking them. It is reasonable to have fears about accusing an innocent person. You may worry about losing rapport with your coworkers if your suspicions aren’t proven true. There are many other reasons that you may feel compelled not to act. Perhaps you are worried about feeling guilty about turning in a close friend, or taking a provider away from a family. Or, maybe you feel like it’s not your place to take action since others are already aware of the situation.

The bottom line is that an impaired colleague is a danger to both themselves and their patients and needs intervention. If you suspect that a coworker is impaired, you need to connect with someone who can investigate and assess the situation or refer you to resources to do so. This could be your employer, the state board, or a representative from a Professional Recovery Network (PRN) or Caduceus group. If you know that a coworker is impaired, they need to be relieved from duty immediately. But, in order to fully do the right thing, you should also make an effort to connect them the unique support, advocacy, treatment, and recovery resources available through a PRN program. It is may be best to shield yourself by giving the PRN their information and letting the program initiate contact. It is not necessary for the affected individual to know who made the referral.

With the advocacy and monitoring offered by PRN programs, many healthcare professionals are able to regain licensure and return to work while in recovery. These individuals are typically required to sign a contract with the PRN organization and are subject to practice restrictions such as not being allowed to work unsupervised or not being able to work more than a specified number of hours per week.³

While employers or partners must know whether or not a healthcare professional is in a PRN program, coworkers may not.³ They often choose not to identify themselves because they don’t want to deal with the stigma, have their work overly scrutinized, or be judged on a daily basis. If you do discover that a coworker is in a PRN program, I encourage you to be supportive. While there is potential for relapse, PRN programs are used because they work. One pharmacy PRN program coordinator at The Utah Conference on Alcoholism and Other Drug Abuses shared that the drug abuse rates in his state’s PRN program were lower than that of the general pharmacists population. So, with proper monitoring, it may be less risky to hire an individual in a PRN than it would be to hire the average applicant.

For students or professionals interested in learning more about substance abuse in the health professions, I recommend attending the University of Utah’s School on Alcoholism and Other Drug Dependencies, now in it’s 58^th year. This annual week-long event is designed to help students and professionals understand and cope with substance abuse and incorporates a mix of speakers, discussions, social events, and open meetings for recovering addicts and families. Exposure to and interaction with recovering health professionals is one of the most valuable aspects of the program. For students and professionals in recovery the school also offers a unique opportunity to connect with a supportive network of people who share similar experiences. The pharmacy section, which I attended this June, is the largest section of the group, with around 300 participants, mostly students. Other healthcare sections included physicians, dentistry, and nursing. Both college and continuing education credit and are available at a reasonable cost. For more information, please visit http://uuhsc.utah.edu/uas/

1) Fingerson, Brian. “Chemical Dependency Among Healthcare Professionals.” Lecture. The University of Utah’s School on Alcoholism and Other Drug Dependencies. Salt Lake City, Utah. 23 June 2009.

2) http://www.drugabusestatistics.samhsa.gov/NSDUH/2k7NSDUH/2k7results.cfm#Ch7

3) Quigley, Michael. “Issues in Relapse Prevention and Monitoring.” Lecture. The University of Utah’s School on Alcoholism and Other Drug Dependencies. Salt Lake City, Utah. 23 June 2009.

Hal Lippman, DDS, is the Assistant Dean of Admissions at Nova Southeastern University School of Dental Medicine in sunny Davie, Florida.

Dr. Lippman graduated from New York University School of Dental Medicine in 1975, and completed his general practice residency at the Manhattan V.A. Hospital.

After 32 years in private practice, Dr. Lippman decided to join the team at Nova Southeastern University.

As an Assistant Dean of Admissions, what do you feel is most important in predicting success in dental school?

A big part of predicting future success is past academic history, [and the] depth and breadth of biological science background. We like to see plenty of upper level science classes; this makes transition to the first and second year of dental school a smooth, successful one.

What types of students are you looking for?

Students must be self-motivated, mature, well-balanced students of excellent character, with an extensive biological [sciences] background. We don’t want to have to spoon feed any students. It’s not only the student with the 4.0 [GPA], you have to be a well-rounded applicant.

The Associated American Dental Schools Application Service (AADSAS) opens on May 15th. When do you begin reviewing applications and when do you start interviewing?

As soon as supplemental applications are processed, we review each applicant and invite for interviews starting mid to late August. The reason we started so early is because we found from last year that by January we ended up having our class filled, [having] started (interviewing) in September. There were so many great applicants [who had] applied a little late that didn’t have an opportunity to interview, so we figured we’d start a little earlier this year to give more applicants an opportunity to get their application in.

When reviewing an application is there any one thing Admissions Committees look for?

No, not one specific thing, but if there is a deficiency in any area, it must be offset by excellence in another area. Also, when I look at the personal statements they must be well written and grammatically sound.

In the personal statement, is there anything you specifically look for? What should a well-written personal statement include?

The personal statement should define you as a person, and explain your interest in pursuing a dental career. I also mentioned before that it must be grammatically sound. Be yourself; we read thousands of these and we know whether someone is being genuine or not.

There are many people that share the misconception that dental school is much easier to get into than medical school. Others simply realize that medicine is not for them. How do you feel about the applicants that have previously applied to medical school or are applying to medical school at the same time?

It is okay to have previously applied to medical school, as long as it is [prior] to your application to dental school. You will be asked to explain the circumstances of your change of career paths during an interview. I will be completely honest in saying that it is really not a good idea to apply to both fields in the same cycle; it does not show dedication or commitment to one.

How important are extracurricular activities for admission? What type of extra curricular activities are a “must”?

Extracurricular activities can only be seen as a plus and they demonstrate a well-rounded individual. Things such as dental shadowing, biomedical research, leadership positions in student government, outside agencies, clubs, etc., are great additions to an application. Volunteering and community service are also looked favorably upon.

How are dropped classes viewed on an application? Is there a certain number that automatically raise a red flag?

A couple won’t really hurt you – they can be overlooked – but many “W’s” can be a negative if there is a definite trend throughout your academic history. We also look to see what happened to that dropped class (i.e., if that student took it in a later semester, or took it later at a community college).

When students retake classes and do well, does that help put the committee at ease about future academic performance?

Considering NSUCDM does not accept anything lower than a “C” in any required course, the answer is a course must be retaken and a letter grade of “C” or better attained. We expect you to retake it if it is lower than a “C” for any of the pre-requisite courses. I would not waste my time retaking courses to raise grades; instead I would take additional, upper level courses.

How important is research on an application?

As the years go by it seems that it is becoming increasingly more important. It shows dedication because it’s something you do on your own time. If at any point the applicant has a chance to do research, I would recommend they do it.

After all applications are submitted, what are the criteria that must be met to be invited for an interview?

It really depends on the applicant pool. The stats change from year to year, so it’s hard to say. A strong science grade point average (GPA), and strong scores in the science portion of the Dental Admissions Test (DAT) are things we specifically look at when deciding who to invite.

Once invited for an interview, what do you feel is the best way to prepare for the interview?

Be yourself. The difficult part of the admissions process is getting the interview; if you get the opportunity to interview it is because you are the type of candidate we are looking for. We are very selective on who we invite. I would also check the interview feedback on [the Student Doctor Network]; if you read that, you’ll know that our interview is very laid back.

How does the committee then decide after the interview on whether the student will be accepted or placed on an alternate list?

The committee evaluates the entire admissions package, heavily weighing the interview process. The committee then makes a recommendation to the Dean, who makes the final decision.

Private institutions – such as Nova – are often more costly than state schools. Do you feel cost should influence an applicant’s decision on where to attend dental school?

Of course cost must be a part of the decision making process, but there are many other factors that are certainly more important in choosing which dental school to attend. Location is a good example. You need to like the area you’re going to be spending the next four years of school.

Are there any scholarships or awards offered to applicants?
Nova Southeastern does have scholarships and awards available.

How does the committee view applicants that have applied more than once? What advice can you give to re-applicants?

The committee does not look negatively on re-applicants, but make sure you do something to improve your application from one year to the next. For example, if DAT scores are a little low, re-take the DAT, take additional upper level courses or take some masters courses.

Do more dental school graduates end up specializing or going on to become general practitioners?

25%-30% of the graduating class either specialize or do some post-doctoral training.

Any other advice or tips on the application process?

The best advice I can give is to apply early!

To discuss this article on the forums, follow this link:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=5525834#post5525834

Below is a collection of valuable resources for the pre-dental student.  If you haven’t read the steps for getting into dental school, click here and read it, then return to this list and follow the links below.

The first place to visit

• The American Dental Association

American Dental Education Association: Publication

• The ADA Dental Admission Testing Program (U.S. Dental Schools)
• National Board Dental Examination (NBDE) Part-I
• National Board Dental Examination (NBDE) Part-II
• Information for Dentists from other countries
• National Board Dental Hygiene Examination Program (NBDHE)
  
• The Canadian Dental Association Dental Aptitude Test Program

At the SDN Bookstore

• Dental School Guides
• The DAT: Dental Admissions Test / Dental Aptitude Test