Chronicles of Mr. Nice

i have never encountered any agreeable tutor like him all my life
let's just call him Mr. Nice

heard about him even b4 i came to Southend
ALL positive comments , not even a single word of disapproval
that's how nice Mr. Nice is

see, i have been tipped off
but his utmost niceness still caught me off guard, twice!

Anecdote 1
Last week i had an 8-year-old come in for an extraction
it all went well until i was about to give an injection
the boy turned pale and started crying
we tried every conceivable way to get his coorperation, coaxing,persuading,
bribing, negotiating, assuring and even blackmailing
all our efforts were in vain
the boy was too afraid to open his mouth

looking at his teary face i felt like an evil stepmother
one minute the boy was so full of energy and mischief, chatting about his new lunchbox
the next minute he was curling up in the chair with shivers and tears

i thought
that's it..i give up..this is like child abuse

so i went up to Mr Nice, preparing to admit my lousy child management

'sorry, Dr, i don't think i can do the extraction. He just won't let me touch his teeth."

"yea..he is really frightened, isnt he? It must be difficult for you to calm him down.''Mr. Nice looked at me with sympathy

''..so...hrmm.....should i just ..ermm..book him in next time to do the filling?'' i didn't know how to react when i saw the pity in his eyes

"yea..that's fine"

Oooookay, i didnt see that coming.
That is not what a typical tutor would say when a student messes up
Honestly,a few quick shots actually passed through my mind b4 i reached Mr. Nice and i was geared up for them
A normal tutor would go "Do u mind if i have a go at it?"
A strict tutor would probably say ''Oh come on,fifth year student.Don't tell me you cant handle a kid!'

Anecdote 2
This morning i was told that i only had 80min instead of a full 2 hours for an rct
It was already partially treated by somebody else so all i had to do was obturation
the problem was that one of the canals kept bleeding
After spending almost an hour trying to stop bleeding and it still didnt work
Mr. Nice said '' let's just put in the Master GP and take an x ray"
So i did exactly as he said,put a temporary filling in patient's mouth
the nurses began chasing people away as it was nearly time for health and safety training
so i didnt have the time to write up the notes and view the xray until i sat myself down in the seminar room with the rest of the group

Holy shit!
i couldn't believe my eyes when i saw something jutting out from the tooth on the xray
i was supposed to see 3 Master GPs fit nicely in all 3 root canals
instead, only two GPs were placed rightly while the other one was totally out of the root, leaving one canal empty

my heart was pounding, hand was sweating

PERFORATION!!!

I stared at the blank notes, didnt know what to write and where to start
all i could think of was

Blimey, what have i done??
Perforated a tooth??
That's a nightmare of endodontic!!!
I'm so dead now!
Oh no..wait a minute...dat's not my fault! i didn't do the instrumentation..somebody else did
still..wat am i gonna say to the tutor???
what if he is mad??what if he reports to Mr. S??arghhh!!!

90 minute lunch break felt like 9 second
the next thing i knew, i was back in the clinic, waiting for the best time to face up to Mr. Nice

"It seems like the tooth is perforated.One of the GPs has gone out through the side of the canal....'' my voice died down slowly while waiting for Mr. Nice's response

"Yea.. it does seem like a lateral perforation" Mr. Nice held the x-ray film against the light and looked
"Shame,we won't be able to obturate it then.Well, it is a very tricky tooth to treat, taking into consideration of the limited access" he smiled kindest smile i had ever seen

"i'm just wondering how to break the bad news to the patient"

"Don't worry about it..she is a nice lady. She knows that it's a diffcult treatment and you've done well in getting rid of her pain. The first time she came in she had a lot of pain from that tooth but now you can see it's improved so much..." he continued

"but...she's been coming back and forth so many times for the treatment, only to find out this complication.She must be very upset.''

"She should be fine.We will certainly repair the perforation with GI and let it settle down before obturating it."

I tried to dissect his facial expression and pick up his tone
not even a hint of fury!
Incredible!!


I know i must sound crazy if i say i was really awaiting for a telling off or at least a lecture from him
I guess i have got so used to expecting the worst from tutors,be it harsh remarks or sarcasms, that i literally lose the ability to react when tutor is very nice to me

Getting away scot-free? No way! It is like sun rising from the west
Trust me, if there is only one thing i learn from dental school, that is it!

After all, perforation in endodontics is not as trivial as dropping a probe on the floor

I'm pretty sure things will turn out differently if the same thing is presented to other tutors, probably another long story of how a 0.3mm hole in a root ruined my day off

Having said that,the last thing i would want is to see Mr. Nice throwing a fit
Turning a Mr Nice into a Mr Cranky is...not fun at all

On being blunt

if you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything

i cant agree more with it especially after tonight

being brutally honest can lead to more harm than good
for the simple reason that nobody likes honesty
some truths are ...painful to hear, even ugly to watch

Personally, i hate it when people say 'no offence' b4 they say something rather insulting
just because you say no offence, it doesn't make what you say any less hurtful
in fact,it makes me feel as if i'm not allowed to be offended anyway

some things are really better left unspoken
unless you are 100% sure that the person you are going to confront can handle bluntness

if you know you are going to hurt someone's feelings by saying something
either just keep quiet or keep it real

the expression of 'no offence but..' is pointless
coz i'm already offended

Post-holiday blues

suddenly i feel like an incomplete jigsaw puzzle
with scattered spaces of missing pieces

one piece is left to linger in the subtle aroma of Japanese green tea
one piece is left to melt in the picturesque nature of Switzerland
one piece is left sitting at an outdoor cafe in Nyhavn and watching the world walk by

i am back
well, not in one piece

when friend becomes foe

sun allergy caused by sunscreen

a product meant to protect our skins from the harmful effect of sunlight causes allergic reaction to the sun

isn't it ironic?

sigh

another thing to add to my medical history

welcome to my territory

it's not easy being a parent!
perhaps i get to feel like a parent only in London!

''it's your territory.you know better"

for that, i have a role swap between child and parent
like a second pilot, suddenly promoted to captain
there is an obvious shift of control

brought two exciting 'kids' to the highly anticipated Madame Tussaud's, a place they have been talking about since day 1.

The queue was oh-my-freaking-gosh long and the bloody summer weather..plz dun make me swear again!
A clown-looking guy appeared out of nowhere and offered to draw a self portrait for me..turned out that was what i looked like to him....Hmmmm

The only way to get good photos in an insanely packed place like Madame Tussaud's is that you need to be less British and more Malaysian - jostle your way through the crowd and don't bother to line up for photograph.
I was practically pulling them to the nearest available wax, instructing them how to pose and when to smile all time.























it's only in london that i get the chance to decide for 3 people on where to dine and what to order
but back at home mom holds the spatula so i just have to eat whatever springs up on the table.

Lunch at Thai Square
mom's verdict : even dad can cook better
dad's verdict : never eat Thai food in london


clearly fussiness runs in the family!!


















Dad's 59th birthday was spent at the theater..probably the most expensive gift i have ever given him :P

Glad i picked Mamma Mia. It was really a feel-good family musical, brightened up by Abba hits
we sang and danced along during the grand finale

and finally...tired but happy

Back in town, burned and blotchy!

the first thing i did when i reached Whitehapel
not head back to my room and hit the pillow
but went straight to Sainsbury's to get
my vitamin F&V
grocery shopping had nv been that happy b4
no more budget cut, no more yen to pound conversion, no more dilemma in deciding between health and money

20 days of low fiber high carb diet + generous amt of sunlight + merciless insect attack
is probably the maximum limit my body can take

anyway, the trip was still thrillingly fantastic in almost every way
just that it could have been better if we weren't so drained towards the end of the journey
everything becomes less appealing when you are tired

so..will I go back to Japan again?

YESsss, no doubt about it!

Japan-ised

My elective report might be rubbish but my second project a.k.a exploring various types of coffee is no doubt, a masterpiece in the making

The power of 100 yen shop - like it or not, it'll end up becoming a necessity in your life

been eyeing kimono since day 1.....shud be able to afford one if i survive solely on 7-11 food n 100 yen shop beverage every day *faint*

Experience Japan - K-A-R-A-O-K-E....and just keep shouting even if you can't sing in japanese

Nihongo wakarimasen!

one of the most overused japanese phrases among we 4 girls
it means i dun understand japanese!!!
an essential travel phrase in japan

High five with poodlie (Matcha-chan)...how could you not love Japan?? even the dog is so friendly :)

Poor Helen, for being alienated like a swine flu victim after this photoshoot..ash's monologue: 1 metre away, kudasai!!!!

4 japanese woman- wanna be's - probably the least feminine of all....

kid memorial park in Hiroshima - getting more childish after one week of elective at paediatric department..wat happens in japan stays in japan, HOPEFULLY!

Me with two kawai japanese kids and their pretty otkusan...standing between me and ash is the happy-go-lucky Prof Shimono, the head of paediatric department

Surgery day

too tired to elaborate

long story short

5 hours of observing an extended oral maxfac surgery (12 hours supposedly) in the morning

3 hours of oral surgery in the afternoon

I am so beat down tired

my only consolation is that
i attempted my very FIRST surgical extraction today!!!!

not so scary after all

No biggie

I know I complain ALOT...my course, weather, tutors, patients, study, life, friends...literally anything under the sun
and now
I am trying...trying real hard here to stay positive

so I've just shifted into a new room
never mind the horribly exhausting packing, moving and unpacking (think P-O-S-I-T-I-V-E!)
compared to my previous room, ridiculously tiny and claustrophobic
the new room is quite a pleasure to live in
spacious, big windows, nice view, closer to laundry and main entrance, kitchen and bathroom are within 2 steps (it's not too hard to be P-O-S-I-T-I-V-E, isn't it?)

but...but...but
no internet!

*GASP*
It's okay
I still have keys to my old room so just bring my laptop and go online there

but..but...but
it's tiring to shuffle between two rooms, with 12 stupid doors in between!!

*GASP x2*
It's okay
moving about on the same floor is better than climbing stairs

I am thinking P-O-S-I-T-I-V-E !!

just suck it up

People have been speculating, even nosing around on which tutor they are going to get next year.
Some happy. Some sad. Some indifferent

funny how one person can cause such a big fuss among students which reminds me of old school days when we always spread rumours around on which physics/chemistry/bio/math teacher we were going to have for the next academic year...if a lousy one we'd have to get ready for tuition class which means more work and less sleep for us and parents. That's how one teacher affects our lives back then.

little did i expect, the same thing happened in uni, only we dun need to worry about what tuition class to attend, how to get there, whether or not the time clashes with parents' work/other tuition classes etc...a different level of influence and change in daily routine without much emotional impact
But in dentistry, the personality of the tutor matters not just in terms of students' clinical performance but more significantly, stress level.

a nice & encouraging tutor can brighten up your day, making you look forward to the next session; a strict tutor although scary, pushes you towards excellence; a sadistic tutor can suck out your enthusiasm slowly, nurture your self-doubt then thrash your confidence; an unreliable tutor stresses you out in the sense that you dun get to learn as much as your peers who are with other tutors, also you feel uncovered if you mess things up since tutor is not gonna fix the tight spot for you...stressedddddddd!!!

speculating clinical tutors is like watching weather forecast
rain, shine, t-storm, snow, gloom, sleet...you predict the weather condition yet you cant change it...probably what you can do is adjust your plans according to the weather.

On a personal note, i was rather down when one of my favourite tutors, Dr. W confirmed that he wouldn't be looking after us next term. So... who is? Dr. L? Dr. J?

*pout*

I cant agree more with Zulfi that oral surgery isnt going to be same without Dr. W

"Yeah, it's going to be Borrrringgg and Stressssssfullll'' Dr. W joked with a big smug grin


*pout**pout*

Dear patient

Today, my pros patient didn't turn up for his appointment.

A key appointment that determines whether i have to start all over again or i can draw a big smile on his face, perhaps more on mine.

A 50/50 gamble

I'm not sure if i should be relieved that he saved me from having to face the risk of redoing the whole or maybe half of the procedures
or rather, annoyed that i didn't get the chance to find out the answer to my unsettling question

"Call him!''
an automatic response you get whenever your patient is late or hasn't shown up yet

I wish i could! I really do!!

Helen deciphered the pain in my face

"Ooooh your patient doesn't have a phone!!!!!!"

thanks for understanding me

One thing about my pros patients, they are not only senior but also live primitive
they don't have phones at home, let alone a cell phone
so the only way to inform them of their appointment is sending them an appointment card
whether or not they can make it, you wont find out until the day of the appointment..damn!

In order to live through this 'inconvenience', I've learned to confirm their future appointments on the day i see them, write down the dates on their card, verbally remind them countless times like a nagging mom since i can't call them up. Otherwise, my session would be at stake if they forget. This method has worked so well for this particular pros patient until today.

it feels like a kite with a broken string now

ooh well oooh well
the worst is yet to come

another pros patient of mine is holding grudge against me, for not seeing her a while (that's another grandma story)

my long-lost cons patient changed her contacts without any notice

How to get hold of her???

"Send her an appointment card!'' the mighty super brain Sultan replied spontaneously

Again???!!!! GeeeeeeeeZ!

so here it goes.....

Dear patient,

Phones were invented for a reason. So, get yourself a house phone/cell phone or at least give me a number that i can call, either your neighbour's or whoever's, PLEASE!

Your unpaid dentist

*snort*

Blame it on the weather

''Why the heck turn off the AC in hot weather?? It's 29 degree Celsius today. Are they insane?...''

I was complaining non stop to the nurses, my groupmates, my patient...practically whoever i came across

"Chill, Yin!" one of my group mates was taken aback by my unusual crankiness

The hot weather has really got me into a bad mood, like a boiling kettle.

Even my partner's patient sensed my irritation

''she okay?''

"she's just allergic to the sun" my partner said seriously

I peered at him, acknowledging that i caught a hint of teasing in his voice

Allergic to the sun

well said!

FEAR

i'm scared

not sure of what

is it
a second failure?
or
being all alone in a battle against uncertainty?

wish me luck

ungracious brats

i know it's impossible to make everyone like me
but i can't help being upset when a little blender hates me

actually two

they despise me so much that they refuse to obey my command

i walked miles with sweat trickling down my face and dust stinging my eyes
i risked being burnt by the merciless sun and blown away by the gusty wind
just to find them a nice, cosy home

why blender why
in spite of my best efforts, they have the cheek to go on strike??!!

Screw them!!