A Difference

I mentor a number of young dentists in the Capital District and most are female. I can already see a difference in how men learn about dentistry compared to how woman manage the learning experience.

Men: I saw it, I know it, I can do it and I am now among the best in the world at it.

Women: Please show me; Can you explain why...; and what if this happens; my head is spinning because you have taught me so much.

I identify more with the woman because I learn the same way that they do. I take nothing for granted; there is a lot more to this than I am seeing now; I want and need to learn this and someday I want to be among the best in the world at it

Dentistry, like many things, is above all...a craft. All crafts take years if not decades to master and, in fact, very, very few dentists rise to the level of craftsman or master craftsman. This is probably why the smartest student or the student with the best 'hands' in dental school rarely rise to the top of the clinically best dentists. The passion and dedication required to master a craft is daunting and very few dentists are willing to devote, the time, money or 'stomach lining' that is necessary to be the best.

I think that females have a better understanding (or perhaps less testosterone) of what it takes to pursue excellence. Men's attitudes are show it to me and let me move on where women want me to show it, explain it and show it to them again....And that is what is takes to be a master.