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 .

About Us!

A bit about Dr. Paul and Dr. Lynn

You might know that my parents, Dr. Paul & Dr. Lynn, met in dental school. What you do not know, is that they fell in love during an impromptu weekend trip to Seattle during their second year in dental school. They met up with a high school buddy of my dad's, went sightseeing, and as they crossed the street Paul grabbed Lynn’s hand and never let go. The dating commenced and both learned to juggle patients, faculty, boards, examinations, and planning a wedding. As students, their budget was very tight. Lynn sewed her own wedding dress in the basement of Paul’s parent’s house, they made each other's rings in the school dental lab, and the reception was held at the Latvian community center. Three years after their vows they gave birth to their first child, Mara, in North Carolina while serving in the Navy. Three years following their first adventure into parenthood they gave birth to me, their second child, Erin. And while I may be a bit biased, I think they stopped after two children because they did not think their life could get any better. With two children and a dog they left the beautiful Hawaiian islands and made Reno, Nevada their home. written by: Erin Anderson  

And a bit about Erin Anderson

We're not surprised that our daughter, Erin, is excelling in her dental studies. She has a great aptitude for patient care, and a huge, compassionate heart. We're delighted that she's following in our footsteps, although when she was in middle school, we would never have predicted her becoming a dentist. She wanted to be the President of AT&T, with a special emphasis in marketing. Boy, could that girl come up with clever jingles and advertising schemes, keeping all of us in stitches, and she loved to talk, whether on the phone or in personal conversation. Erin insisted she was going to become an "advertisestress" (her words) and make commercials. Her jokes are clever to this day!

written by: Lynn Brosy and  Paul Brosy