First VA Experience

I had my first experience at the VA all day today.  I didn't sleep well last night.  I think I got a total of 3 hours of sleep.  So, on top of having a boring morning, I as exhausted and ready to go to sleep any minute.  Each of us five students got our patient names.  I was assigned a woman.  What made me nervous was that there was no answer on this woman's phone the day before to confirm the appointment.  I was hoping she would show up.  I was going to be able to take a pano and 4 BWX, do full perio & dental charting.  But I wasn't going to be that lucky.  I was fortunate though, because 30 minutes after my first patient no showed, a very nice gentleman came in for a cleaning.  I was able to take 4 BWX on him and for not having taken x-rays all summer long they looked pretty darn good.  We also have to take them with Schick.  One set of bitewings down and 19 to go.  I completed his perio and dental charting and cleaned one quadrant as well.  I was very pleased because he is a class III.  I did pretty well.  I missed one spot, which was very obvious.  For some reason the area looked like an amalgam filling to me.  I was really mad at myself for missing it, but overall I was very pleased that I was able to complete as much on this patient as I did.  Overall I felt that it was a very good day.  Oh, one thing I will never forget...I forgot to fill my ultrasonic attachment with water before I put the insert in.  I bled it for one minute, but forgot to fill it before putting in the insert and the instrument got really hot because the water wasn't in there.  I didn't realize this was the problem until Prof. McCaunaghy asked if I had done that.  Oops!