What drives us to choose a career in healthcare, and how do those reasons evolve once we’re actually in it? In Part 2, we get into the motivations behind choosing physician assistant studies and dentistry, our experiences so far, and what we’re looking forward to next. We wrap up by reflecting on what we’ve learned along the way and the advice we’d give our undergraduate selves.

Two friends, one undergraduate experience, and two different paths into healthcare. In Part 1, we look back at where it all started, from our college days to the decisions that eventually led us toward professional school. We reflect on the transition from undergrad to healthcare education and what it’s like to take on a new chapter with a completely different set of challenges.

Weeks 4 and 5 of dental school brought our first big exams, real progress at the wax-up bench, and a major milestone: getting fitted for loupes.

In this episode, I break down how I studied for the Foundations exam and how it turned out, then talk through Anatomy exam 1: what my approach looked like, what surprised me, and what I'd change next time. I also share how the central incisor veneer results and my #10 wax-up progress have affected my confidence in the lab, plus how I'm keeping my routines steady when the workload piles up. Finally, I walk through the loupes fitting process and what went into my order.

If you're a pre-dental or first-year dental student, or just curious what the early weeks are really like, this one's for you.

song:

Music: Semantics by tubebackr https://soundcloud.com/tubebackr

License: Creative Commons — Attribution–NoDerivatives 4.0 International — CC BY-ND 4.0

Free Download / Stream: https://links.al/ie4

Music promoted by Audio Library: https://links.al/youtube

This episode covers our first exam of D-1 year and everything that came with it. I discuss how I prepared, what my study methods actually look like now that I'm in the thick of it, and what I'd change going forward. I also get into waxing: the wins, the frustrations, and the reality of building hand skills from scratch. Plus, how I'm figuring out a routine that doesn't fall apart by Wednesday.

Still building this thing as I go, so the format may keep shifting — thanks for sticking with it.

song:

Music: Semantics by tubebackr https://soundcloud.com/tubebackr

License: Creative Commons — Attribution–NoDerivatives 4.0 International — CC BY-ND 4.0

Free Download / Stream: https://links.al/ie4

Music promoted by Audio Library: https://links.al/youtube

In this first episode, Frank is sharing his real experience navigating the first two weeks of dental school at UIC College of Dentistry: the highs, the panics, and everything in between.

From first impressions to early lessons learned, this one's all about documenting the journey as it happens.

Quick disclaimer: this podcast is very much a work in progress! Format, structure, and style may evolve as I figure out what works best — thanks for following along as it grows.