Hi guys, it has been a while since the last post. No, I am not forgetting about DDS Journey, I just want to spend the time to fully appreciate the result of years of hard work and sacrifice - my DDS graduation. Yes, I finally graduated from CUDenver. This is a milestone in my journey and I want to share this huge achievement with all my DDSJ friends.
Back in 2011 when I graduated in Vietnam, I told myself this was only the 1st step leading to my ultimate goal and that I had to continue studying and working hard toward it. I spent several months enjoying no-exam life, then started with NBDE and TOEFL right away. That sounded like I had a plan, that I was so determined, that I had a clear pathway to follow. None of those are true. I was lucky enough to actually know "someone" getting accepted into a U.S dental school and all I knew back then was that I needed to achieve a high score in TOEFL and clear the NBDEs. Still, I had tons of questions and every time I tried to answer one, that would lead to many more. I felt lonely and hopeless. I wondered every day if I only used this as an excuse to avoid real-life problems, or maybe I kept studying because I didn't really love dentistry enough to practice it. I wondered if I was being ambitious or impractical. I moved slowly forward to an uncertain destination. Sometimes I wished I would be brave enough - or coward enough to give up. I am glad I did not.
I believe all of us share more or less the same story - at least at the uncertainty future part. I know a lot of people have a journey that was way crazier than mine. I look at them every day and feel so humble. One of my friends told me once he had lived in an underground bunker for weeks during a war in his home country that sometimes he still felt magical to walk freely and breath fresh air. All the uncertainty and hardship are meant to break us or make us stronger. It is those experience that made you-you. Embrace your obstacles, make your story unique, and tell it well!
Now back to the graduation as I guess some of you would like to hear more about it. The graduation time was a mix of many feelings - happy, excited, emotional, sad (about departing from friends and schools). Most could not believe that two years had almost passed. My class held an appreciation lunch to acknowledge all the help and support from the faculties and staff members of the school during the past 2 years. We told each other that it's our job to serve today so we made sure that every guest ate before we started having lunch. There were many classmates standing near the entrance so when faculties and staff members passed by, they would be greeted with a round of applause.
Then it came the Flag Ceremony a week before our graduation. I love this ceremony (only for ISP program) as each student would pin their own flag to their "home country". This "home country" can be their birthplace, the place they grew up or the place they earned their 1st dental degree.
We came from 14 countries around the world and became a family - that should be how the world is instead of all the wars and killing. I felt so proud that the Vietnamese flag made it there for the 3rd time.
The last week of school was special. I saw my last patient at the school on that Monday to deliver an FDP and then wrapped up everything. I prepared some gifts so I was running around the school to deliver them. On Tuesday we had a CPR class then I went to the airport to pick up my aunt from Vietnam coming for the ceremony. On Wednesday we had a banquet at Hyatt when everyone dressed up nicely. We were discussing what to wear for like months before because we all wanted to look our absolute best. My close friends and I decided to rent a room at Hyatt that night to spend time together because, sadly, we all move to different states afterwards. That is one of my most favorite memories forever. Then Friday was our graduation ceremony. My mom is also a dentist in Vietnam so she accompanied me walking across the stage and hooded me. If you ask me how I felt, I would say it was like winning a Nobel prize.
Me and my mom - the tiny woman who sacrifices everything so I made it to the stage
Me and my mentor - Dr. Nguyen - who lead the way so I could follow. She is a Pros faculty at UC Denver.
Me and my family
elp. Who knows maybe 2,3 years from now you may send me your graduation pictures! Best of luck and Happy New Year!l survive. I am applying for Washington State license and still looking for jobs. As I am lucky to have green card, I am not in a rush and want to find a place best fit me. I hope that I will have more exciting stories to share with you guys once I start practicing. It will be not only how to get US license but also how a foreign-trained dentists' life is in the US. By the way, I recently made a facebook page as I want to hear more from all of you and connect to you better. Don't hesitate to pm me with questions or feedbacks - I read everything you guys sent me on this website and love it. Find me at DDS Journey facebook page. Please let me know how I can help. Who knows maybe 2,3 years from now you may send me your graduation pictures! Best of luck and Happy New Year!
“If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” - Martin Luther King