Thursday, June 10, 2010

Failure..

Posted by Dentographer at Thursday, June 10, 2010 Labels:
Nothing fails like success because we don't learn from it. We learn only from failure.
~Kenneth Boudling

What does not kill me makes me stronger
~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

8 comments:

Chiara said...

I agree with your second choice of quotation.

The first is tautological at best.

The second is true, but I also think it is sometimes used as an excuse by abusers to their targets/ victims or to perpetuate the status quo.

2:33 PM, June 11, 2010
Dentographer said...

i wrote the first,then i came back and editted it.

i am going through a test,the Nbde in US...and its a traumatic experience to say the least for any foreign trained Dentist,and i must say the ADA are trully abusing thier target by it.

3:17 PM, June 11, 2010
Chiara said...

Yes, such exams are a trauma for anyone (been there done that and still convincing myself to do the American ones). In my experience physicians get caught up in worries about their English language skills, and in the reality vs the right answer on the exam.

I try to explain that the exam English is a language unto itself and so is exam answer reality, in other words: the question makes no sense and the right answer is wrong but that is what you put to pass the exam.

I have the opposite problem to most foreign grads when taking an English or French language exam with MCQs. I have to dial down my language knowledge to the level of the exam, ie "I know there should be a comma there if they want it to mean what they think it does, but they don't. Forget the idiocy there bad grammar is really saying and answer what they think they said with the set answer they think is right.

Good luck with your exams! Written and practicum?

5:30 PM, June 11, 2010
Chiara said...

PS A Palestinian friend took the Canadian Dentistry exams 4 times after he came here as a practicing dental surgeon in Lebanon (interesting stories about taking hospital call for facial reconstructions during the war). He thought there was Jewish bias against Muslims. He may have been right, but I also think that initially he had underestimated how "foreign" the exam would be. He now has a successful practice and is a prominent member of society (Palestinian and mainstream). His daughter has now joined him in his dental practice as a Canadian trained dentist.

In psychiatry the set practical exam in Canada is a 50minute interview of a real patient, 10min to prepare, 10min to present to 2 psychiatrist examiners, and 50 minutes of questioning on the case. In the US the whole thing is based on a 20 minute interview of the patient--go figure! :)

5:38 PM, June 11, 2010
Chiara said...

PPS (sorry!) The worst thing about failing is that you have to do it all over again! :( That thought is what kept me motivated to study. Also, as JFK Jr said on failing the New York Bar exams AGAIN, he would take it as often as it took to get it. Still hoping you pass!

5:40 PM, June 11, 2010
Dentographer said...

its intresting that you actully have to downgrade your english to actully understand the test lol,makes me think!

i am in a bad position at the moment,as the NBDE now cannot be retaken if you pass-in a preparatory step to make it a no score pass/fail only test which will start in 2011-and if i passed with a low score ill have a hard time finding admission,at least until 2011 thing happens.

i want to be optimistic,but this is the first time for me to take such a high yield exam,and i am over whelmed by the amount i had to study,especially that 80% of what i studied will never come in use in a clinic,as its a written test about basic science, and oh i hate Biochemistry like i never hated anything in my life.

Canada remains an unexplored realm to me,as much as i would love to ( it a dream place for me to visit,especially British columbia-every nature and landscape photographers sweet spot-but i still dont know if i did pass and got admitted into a program that i want to practice in the west,to be honest,the whole legality matters around medical and dental practice in the US and canada needs quite a thought before someone decide to open a practice.

10:36 PM, June 11, 2010
Chiara said...

Yes this type of test is more of a marathon, and a psychological stamina test. The relationship to reality is tenuous.

Canada has fewer medical and dentistry faculties so the ability to get licensed here, ie get an internship is less than in the US.

Malpractice in Canada is not nearly the issue it is in the US where people are highly litigious and lawyers take contingencies fees (ie work for a percentage of the settlement) which makes it easier to sue and jacks up the settlements.

The bigger problem in Canada is that medicine is covered by government health insurance but dentistry is totally private insurers and out of pocket. In that sense it is much more of a business, but most see that as an advantage I guess.

Many dentists seem to be involved in other businesses as well, eg real estate.

On a side note my father had an Arab specialist dentist whose name sounded Italian--ending in "ini" and of course it was Dr Al-XXini so all the Anglos thought his first name was Al and his last name XXini. I thought that was hilarious! :)

I hope you pass with a high mark! Any state preference--besides California? :P :)

11:18 PM, June 11, 2010
Lavender © said...

very true!

4:13 PM, June 26, 2010

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