A few years back, I had the opportunity to bicycle out to a farm in Chiang-Mai, Thailand.
It was a memorable journey trekking past the rice paddy fields along a path that led me to a farm house, wherein I took a cooking class with my husband. I relished crushing the peppers by hand and incorporating different blends of spices that I wasn’t accustomed to using, trying techniques, and eating flavors that were completely new. It was amazing.
But in that moment, I had fallen into a rut in my professional life. I lived most parts of life with a zeal doing the best I can- but when it came to my work life, I knew I was going through the motions of a “drill and fill dentist”, and it just wasn’t satisfying for me because I knew it was not my best self.
Returning from my trip, I signed up for a curriculum of classes through the Dawson Academy that would eventually change my professional outlook-and as I learned more about complete care, I realized there was so much more out there I still NEEDED to learn. During this process of learning, I had children- so my professional career took a backseat, and my learning remained stagnant.
I was afraid to fully incorporate my newfound knowledge into practice because, change is scary.
But a few of years of sitting on this knowledge and not quite sure how to “jump in”, I took an Airway Symposium Course through the Dawson Academy that completely changed my way of looking at dentistry- it was my a-ha moment. And as i started studying how problems in the mouth can be often times manifested by airway issues, I started down a rabbit hole learning about integrative medicine – and how one part of the body can affect another- and that we truly are a system.
It has been a fantastic journey so far, and as I further my studies, I feel the excitement that I have for other parts of my life seep into my professional career – and I can honestly say, I am so humbled by how much I have yet to learn, but at the same time, I feel a tremendous blessing to be on this path to better serve my patients.
It’s time I come out of my shell and share with you where I have been with my learning and where I am going – so come join me!