On October 23rd, I met with Vinita John Folck, a general dentist. She works at the Smile for Design dental office in Virginia Beach, Virginia. She has a Bachelor’s of Science in biology and a doctorate in dental surgery. Dr. Folck never planned to have a career as a general dentist, but was convinced to do so by her roommate her first year of college. Originally, she had planned on studying to become a doctor, but not one in dentistry. While talking with her roommate, she discussed the stress of following in her parents footsteps and becoming a physician. She had always known that she wanted to help people and becoming a doctor like her parents seemed the most practical way to do what she had imagined. But in that one discussion with her roommate, Dr. Folck decided to veer off the path a little. Her roommate suggested that she should become a doctor in a less stressful field, such as dentistry. Dr. Folck took this suggestion to heart and thought about the possibility of changing her life plan. She had always liked the dentist as a kid and the profession still helped people, which was her main concern when it came to her future career. After weighing the pros and cons, she decided to become a dentist and to focus on general dentistry. She obtained her Bachelors of Science degree in biology at the University of Miami and went on to get her Doctorate of Dental Surgery at the University of Texas. From there she went on to work as a general dentist in three different dental offices, and is currently working as an associate general dentist at the Smile for Design dental office. 

As an associate general dentist of a practice, Dr. Folck’s responsibilities focus mainly on the clinical side of her job, but also a little administrative work. She performs basic dental procedures, such as filling cavities, placing crowns and bridges, and performing comprehensive oral exams. Her main duty is to promote oral health and disease prevention. And since she is an associate at the dental office, she is also responsible for managing her staff and other administrative duties. She explained that being an associate general dentist of a practice functions more as a business than you would have thought. Her favorite part of the job is just interacting with her patients. Her likes how she is able to get to know her patients and being able to help them and reassure them of their oral health. The most surprising aspect of her job is that quite a lot of people are scared of the dentist. When I asked if those who were scared of the dentist were primarily children, she responded saying that the ages ranged from young to elderly. To my surprise, Dr. Folck said that the staff at certain dental offices is the most challenging aspect of being a general dentist. Dental is primarily a female career department and the, she said that dealing with other women can be difficult to deal with due to the difference in opinions and personalities. She said it was especially hard when she first entered the field as a general dentist with a degree because she was in charge of people with more experience and her young age. At the end of the interview, she did advise that it is important to observe and know what you are getting into when becoming interested in career, especially when your in a difficult and demanding program such as dental hygiene. She also emphasized to make sure that you like what you do later in life and not to focus just on the money. Life is more about personal happiness than about financial stability. 

After speaking with Dr. Folck, I have learned that personality is a big part of being in the health field. Making sure that the patient is at ease and that you are capable of feeling comfortable in your position is important to my success. I have also learned that even with all the struggles and demands of the program, organization and determination is key. Being able to properly organize and prioritize classes and assignments reduces stress which allows for more time to process learned information. The most important aspect I have taken from my interview with Dr. Folck is that patience is key and that success takes time and hard work.