University
Emilio Aguinaldo College

Current Year
Second

Dental Specialty Interested in
Endodontics & Periodontics

One word that describes Dentistry
Creativity

Favorite Dental Instrument
-

First off, tell us about yourself & your reason to choose Dentistry.

I completed my O’level in Aminiya School. During the 6 months break we got before starting A’level, I joined 'The Clinic'. That is where I first got interested in this field. Then I joined CHSE for my higher secondary education. 

After finishing A’level, I started working in the clinic again. Seeing the doctor-patient relationship made me love this field more and more everyday. Also I got inspired by a lot of doctors around me. Later, I joined MACL to gain some work experience, and there I worked as an assistant passenger service officer in international airport. 

I always wanted to become someone who can help people around me as much as possible. And my parents also wanted me to study further in the medical field. To pursue my dream and to make my parents proud I chose this career. 

So while working in MACL, I was looking for a good medical college. I did send out a couple of applications to colleges. At first I was not so sure I would get a seat, because medical colleges are very competitive. Hence, I had my doubts about getting into a good college especially in such a demanding field. Even though I got into one of the college I applied to, their course fee wasn’t affordable for me at that time. 

I kept looking for more options and saw BLEK FOUNDATION's page on Facebook. And that is where my journey for dentistry started.

What was your first year of Dental school like?

Challenging and at the same time very exciting! 

Before enrolling directly for dentistry/proper we have to finish a predent course (1.5-2 years). After that we will be able to join to dentistry (4 years). 

Dentistry/Proper was as expected; very busy since we had our lecture and lab classes simultaneously, and we had so many requirements to finish in a limited time period. So time management is very important. 

1st year-2nd semester was more challenging compared to the 1st semester. We had lot of requirements to complete for dental materials. The challenge is not only completing the laboratory requirements but also the work we do to get all the necessary materials. 

Our professors usually give us the list just before one class and usually there isn’t enough time to get it all. One reason is that all dental material is available in another city and travelling during week days is difficult because we finish class late and we are so tired. 

But a big thank you to all the seniors! (eeko, maju, shau, shippu, hazu & mal). We are very fortunate to have seniors, whom we can ask beforehand about the materials that we will need for certain procedures. 

During my predent days I got questioned why I didn’t choose medicine instead. Because most of the people think dentistry is EASIER but to be honest it is equally as hard as medicine. Some people underestimate dentistry because lot of people are not aware of how hard dentistry is.

What were the major factors in deciding which Dental school you wanted to attend?

I looked for 4 things: 

1. A good quality medical college. EAC is among the best 10 dentistry colleges in Philippines. 

2. An affordable course fee. Among the 3 colleges I applied, EAC had the most affordable course fee. 

3. Living environment/climate. Weather is pretty much same as Maldives. Apart from the unexpected rain! And I love the people here. They are super friendly and helpful. 

4. A country that is near to Maldives. I know it’s not possible to get everything we want. Even though Philippines is far from Maldives, I am truly blessed that I got a placement in Emilio Aguinaldo College.

How do you keep a balance between studies and a social life?

I don’t prefer studying continuously for long hours. Rather, I take short study breaks which helps me to be more calm and focused. During these breaks I call my family and friends or watch a short episode on Netflix. Also making a planner for a month helps me keep in track and focus more on studies. 

How is a day in Dental school like?

College starts at 7 am sometimes at 8 am. If I have an exam or a quiz I wake up early and try to revise as much as I can before going to college. College is just a 15 minutes walk from home but I prefer to take a tricycle (local transportation), since I don’t like to tire myself before the classes starts. 

Classes last 4-5 hours. We get a lunch break from 12-1 pm. During this time I have a quick lunch and prep myself for the next quiz (we have quizzes on daily basis). If I don’t have a quiz, I take a short nap. This helps me focus for the next lecture. 

After finishing college at 5 pm or 6 pm. I head home and take a nap for 1-2 hours. Then I finish any assignments if there’s any, and start reviewing my notes for exams/quizzes. 

I try to get enough sleep as possible. And wake up early to revise again. 

If we have a dental requirement deadline, after finishing lectures we stay at the college until the closing time to finish as much work as possible. Because most of the lab works cannot be done at home. If it’s not finished then sometimes we work during the weekends.

Which textbook would you recommend to every Dental student?

Phillips science of dental materials.

What was the most fascinating procedure you performed so far?

It’s not until the 2nd year-last semester that we get to do procedure on patients. So far the most fascinating procedure I did was Denture Flasking. 

In this procedure we made a tray using a master cast. Then used high heat dental wax to make a denture base. This wax denture base is placed inside the metal flask and heated for more than 2 hours. We mixed heat cure acrylic resin to make the final denture base. For the final step its trimmed and polished. 

The techniques and skills required for this procedure makes it fascinating. 

Hand skills are important for a Dentist. Do you think it can be learned in Dental school?

Absolutely! 

We need a steady hand in-order to do the procedures and I believe that the skills needed for a dentist can be developed in school through practice. 

Our professors helps and guide us throughout each procedure. We just need to be extremely patient because to perfect it we need a lot of practice. 

Don’t worry if you make mistakes, because making mistakes will help you learn better. 

As a future Dentist, what do you think can be done to improve Dentistry?

First of all people should be more aware and know how important it is to maintain oral health as much as they maintain their overall health. 

Since the oral cavity is located between the most vital organs of a human which is brain and heart, it is very important to know that diseases in our oral cavity could lead to a severe health issue. 

One of the set back of dentistry in Maldives is that we have to send some samples to a dental lab in another country due to lack of dental laboratories. This makes the procedure more time consuming and inconvenient. 

Finally, what is the one tip/advice you want to give to our readers?

If you are interested in this field, go for it! 

You need to be very patient. Most importantly you need to be ready, mentally and physically. Because in dentistry you will be constantly learning a new procedure and practicing it while studying at the same time. 

It is harder than it looks. But if you have the will and you are really interested in this field then you can manage it. Also never forget to have fun and take lots of rest.

The My Dental Student Life series was created for the sole purpose of helping Dental students and aspiring doctors on their journey to become a successful Maldivian Healthcare Professional. Have a suggestion, idea or question? Email us.

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