This is what I will miss

I know I just posted, but last time was about little kids, and this one is about college students. So it's different.

I love when we have college aged patients! They are the best, and I always have the best conversations/relationships with them. Because I have very much been living the "college life" for the past four years (and I am the only one in the office with this "college life"), I feel like I can relate to them and I love the connection that it instantly brings. You would be surprised. I especially love freshman! I love their enthusiasm for being in college and out on their own for the first time and all the crazy experiences it brings.

One particular freshman girl asked if I would add her on facebook. I don't usually add people (and especially my patients), but because she had specifically asked me and I was so flattered that she thought her orthodontics assistant was cool enough to be facebook friends, I broke my rule and added her.

Today, during my lunch break, she popped up on chat and asked if I would be working on Tuesday for her next appointment. I informed her that, unfortunately, today was my last day. She was so sad! She reminisced about me being her first assistant for her new patient consultation and told me the office would never be the same without me. When I told her that I was graduating and wasn't planning on coming back she was even more sad and said that she better see me on campus this semester! I told her I would definitely look for her.

This is what I will miss!

It sounds weird, but you really do have the opportunity to influence peoples lives. It sounds odd, but for some patients, their monthly appointments are the only stability they have in their lives. Some kids come from really sad situations. Some kids make their own really sad situations with the stupid decisions they make. We get to know these people and we care about them. We have laughed with them and cried with them. (ok, this is sounding really cheesy, but I'm telling you, it's so true!)

I think it is incredible that an orthodontics office could have such an impact! We have even had some patients who come in when they aren't even scheduled just to talk. Some come in even after they get their braces off to give us updates on their lives three years later, or to show off their new baby. In a small way, we become a part of their lives.

That is what I will miss.

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Ok, I'm done with that! Kandace informed me that my picture was not very lively on the last post, so I'm trying to make up for it here.

 The other thing I will miss is.... (in no particular order)

Office jokes

I don't know if I will miss this, but every year the whole office would dress up for Halloween and then go around to all the other dentist offices and give them baskets full of un-nutritious goodness (This year Dr Summers was the Man in the Yellow Hat, the receptionist was Curious George, and the assistants were, of course, bananas!)

March Madness! We are required to fill out a bracket every year and it gets very competitive. This was the first round, so I don't look too bad, but if you saw the final outcome, it would be a whole different story. I usually feel pretty good about myself if I can beat Kelsi (she's in moms Kindergarten class this year)

Going out to eat for peoples birthdays

The cleaning guys! (ok, they've been gone for a while now, but I still miss them so much!) We would always leave notes for each other and he was the best at pranks and especially trash talking!

The food! This is my first time trying pumpkin pie and it is so good! If you go in the back of any dentist/orthodontist, you would be amazed at the amount of junk food there is, especially during the holidays. I snack all the time when I'm at work, and just about all of it is chocolate. I will definitely miss that! (We are very hypocritical people, us dentists)

Pranks!

Rigby! (This is Analisa and me driving to Rigby in style!) Let me tell you, there are some messed up people in Rigby. I am convinced that there has to be something in the water. But, you gotta love 'em! Plus, it was always nice to catch up on my People (People magazine) when no one would show up to their appointments until the last hour before we closed.

Making our own entertainment when things got slow (like making voodoo wax people)

And most of all I will miss Tenille and Analisa! They are the best people to work with ever! We're already planning our next girls night  :)