Dental school beginnings

I began my dental training in September of 1979 at Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland, Oregon. I had never even visited the Pacific Northwest, and was a bit nervous about spending the next four years in the never ending rainfall I envisioned. Did people wear rainboots? Did I need an umbrella everyday? I was worried about the weather, but don't think I ever questioned whether my career choice was suitable for a woman.

I joined my class of eighty students with high expectations of camaraderie, fun and learning. I was one of only ten women in my class, and at age 20, the youngest student, male or female in the matriculating class of 1983.  A high achiever, I had always been at the top of my class, and had  encountered little, if any, negative bias as a woman. When male students queried "if I liked the dental hygiene program," or the occassional professor asked "are you serious about a dental career in place of motherhood,"  I surprisingly learned a gender bias did in fact, exist.

I'm more than thirty years forward from those early fall days in 1979. There were definitely some prejudices from some classmates, although most of my fellow dental students were kind and compassionate. Some professors displayed an arrogant disdain of females in the class, although in retrospect, their hautiness was probably exhibited to the men as well. I'm glad I stuck it through. Dentistry has been a great career for me, and has allowed me to also have a wonderful career as a wife and mother as well.

Brosy Dentistry from the start

Dr. Paul and I have been practicing dentistry for almost thirty years. This is almost as incredible to us as realizing we've been in Reno since before the McCarran Loop was finished, or acknowledging our daughters, Mara and Erin, are now accomplished young, married women. Shouldn't they still be at Pine Middle School?

 

There are plenty of dental websites with blogs about how to correctly floss your teeth, the science of cavities and bacteria, or goofy dental videos. We're going to chat about our daily life at the dental office at 175 Cadillac Place in Reno, juxtaposed to our dental student daughter, Erin, talking about her experiences as a dental student at UNLV School of Dentistry.

 

Please join in on our conversations with any questions, advice or comments you may have. Drop me an email at  Drlynn@renotoothdrs.com .