Jawad Abbas shares his advice on getting ready for your foundation year and how to make the most of it.
Many of us are just coming off the high of graduating from five long, hard years toiled with sweat, rivers of tears and, for some, quite literally blood from all those sharps injury.
We are at the very start of embarking on our exciting professional careers, so lets dive in on how we can make the most out of this amazing year.
What is dental foundation training?
Not that anyone needs a reminder, but for my colleagues in the lower years, dental foundation training (DFT) is usually a year-long program where we get to sharpen our clinical skills, learn the ropes of patient management and become the confident, competent dentists we’ve always dreamed of being, sat behind our phantom heads in first year.
And the best part? We get to do all this under the guidance of seasoned, passionate professionals who are there to support us every step of the way.
Getting ready for the big year:
- Brushing up on the basics: Remember those textbooks that have collected dust over the summer? Yeah, let’s get those out and refresh our memory on the steps of doing single root canal treatments and how to take radiographs. Let’s be honest, we want to feel like rockstars on our first day, and knowing how to hold the drill would be a good step
- Know the curriculum: Get familiar with what’s expected of us. The foundation year isn’t just about clinical skills; it’s also about mastering communication, ethics and knowing when to ask for help. Yes, we won’t be placing all-on-fours our first day, but we should have an idea of treatment planning for our patients
- Be financially savvy: Yep, we’ve had five years to practise this art, but a little financial planning by knowing our salary, budget for expenses and plan for any loan repayments will help us now and will save us a lot of stress later in life.
Make the most out of your practice
Not everyone may have received the practice they were hoping for, and that’s absolutely okay! But, every practice is guaranteed to have amazing opportunities for their foundation dentists.
It is up to you to identify them and make the most out of them.
- Great mentors: Practices usually have experienced supervisors and principals who are supportive and knowledgeable. They’ll know we’re nervous. They’ll know we feel out of our depths. That’s nothing to be embarrassed about! They’ll help guide us and give us tips and tricks on how to best navigate both patient management and treatment management
- Diverse patients: A varied patient base means more learning opportunities for us. Woohoo! The more diverse and complex the cases seem, the better our experience. We should move away from the mindset of ‘I have to face this difficult case’ and instead gear ourselves towards the mindset of ‘I get to face…’. Yeah, I know – small, little words. But its mental impact on our approach is huge!
To really reach for the stars:
- Ask for feedback: Don’t be shy! Regular feedback helps us grow and adapt. Embrace it and use it to improve
- Reflecting: Even though during foundation year we’ll be given milestones to reach and work to self analyse, it’s important to have a casual, informal personal reflection of your work – one that is not led by an external person or supervisor, but one that is internal. ‘Hmm, that filling I did in a hurry towards the end of the day was not my best work. How am I going to manage my time better for tomorrow’s busy schedule?’ It doesn’t have to be a journal if you don’t want it to be so formal – just a few notes which will help you remember this incident and make the feedback relatable later down the year. These reflections will help us celebrate our victories and see how far we’ve come
- Embracing professional development (CPD): Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is our ticket to staying updated and competent with the advancement of dentistry. These study days, workshops and courses are opportunities for us to enhance our skills and knowledge
- Network, network, network: Yeah, this is huge! Dentistry isn’t a one-man (or woman) career. It’s a network, team, family. Building relationships with other dental professionals who have been in that exact seat you’re sat in now is invaluable. Whenever I attend dental events, it’s always heart warming to see familiar faces and such events are helping dental professionals network. Whether it’s their advice, support or future job opportunities, networking and being aware of the great individuals around us is key.
Conclusion
I’ve waffled enough, but let’s embrace the upcoming year and make it as productive and informative as we can, without forgetting to enjoy it.
During my graduation ceremony at Manchester, our chancellor highlighted his envy of how we were at the very start of our career with our passion roaring to provide the best care possible. So, pick a good seat and let’s enjoy this journey!
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