D1 Semester One down

Hey! To say that I’m relieved that the summer semester is over would be an understatement! I can’t believe that just 7 short weeks ago, I walked into the Michigan League with 108 amazing and talented individuals, ready to conquer dental school. These past few weeks have taken me for a roller coaster ride for sure.

The courses started off slow and steady but as the semester drew on, the speed and amount of information continued to grow, exponentially. DENT 545 (Head and Neck Anatomy), which I affectionately call “The Beast”, was difficult and it felt as if I had never studied this amount of information before. The neurovasculature! The insertions! The actions! Everything was so much and it took a lot of dedication and time invested to succeed.

At many times throughout the semester, I even began to doubt the abilities that had brought me here. But thanks to my crucial friendships that I’ve gained over this short time and the encouragement from mentors and my family, I continued on.

Now, don’t think that dental school is all work and hard labor! I enjoyed myself too, fostering friendships, going to concerts and enjoying life!

The semester came to brief halt, for a joyous occasion, the White Coat Ceremony. That day, I woke up with anticipation that today would be the day that I would receive my white coat and take the oath of an aspiring dentist. It was a moment I had been looking forward to since the summer of 2012, when it hit me that pursuing dentistry was my calling, this made it so real. That it was really happening… That I would really become a dentist.

As I walked towards the ramp to get onto the stage, the anticipation began to build. And then . . .  I heard my name, “Chelese Moore”, and at that moment an exhilaration that cannot be comprehended or even articulated in its truest form came over me. In seconds, I was coated and walked away with my heart beaming with accomplishment and thankfulness.

This feeling carried me throughout the rest of the semester. And every now and again, I looked over to my embroidered white coat which gave me that extra push to keep moving forward. Not only was my own motivation propelling me forward, but it was the motivation of my family that continued to push me to achieve greater than what I even thought was possible.

Having my first foundation clinic experiences really made my semester because I experienced what it would be like to operate as a clinician. Being in that role exposed me to my future and helping me to build on the characteristics and skills that would push me to success.

Even though the bumps, the turns and the down right loopy moments were numerous, the exhilaration that I felt is something that I wouldn’t trade for anything. And even now as my first semester of dental school is over, I’m looking for the roller coaster rides to come in the future, working my way towards the DDS.

Chelese Moore is a D1 currently in the throes of her second semester.