Off the Trail

By Alyssa LeClair

In through the nose and out through the mouth. There is nothing like the feeling of taking a deep breath of the clean, crisp mountain air while looking miles into the distance of nothing but trees and mountains.

When comparing a hobby or a passion to dentistry, one would usually correlate it to something requiring fine hand skills. The greatest passion of mine besides dentistry is hiking, and I do believe that this hobby will impact my career as a dentist.

I am from New Hampshire, home to the tallest mountain in America, East of the Mississippi, Mount Washington. Here in this region lies a place called the White Mountains, where a part of my heart resides. I am currently working on the 48 mountains over 4000 feet above sea level in New Hampshire recognized by the Appalachian Mountain Club, of which I have currently completed 45. Everytime I get to the top of a new mountain I am closer to achieving a goal that I have bestowed upon myself.

The trails in the area are known to be rocky, which requires great technicality. One wrong step onto a rock or boulder can result in a serious injury or death. While hiking this rugged terrain, hand eye coordination is crucial, especially the trails which require bouldering and rock scrambles.

There is no denying that fine motor skills are required to be an exceptional dentist. Dentists work on an extraordinarily small scale, so incredible hand-eye coordination establishes the quality of care to the patient and upholds the character of the profession.

While hiking is mostly a hobby that uses the feet, technicality is required. The rocks were placed by nature, so they were not made to be walked on like stairs. They are unleveled and can be small or large. Paying attention to where your foot is being placed is absolutely necessary. I have been careless by not keeping an eye on my footing coming down from the summit of Mount Cabot. I sprained my ankle and had to continue hiking on it for 4 miles. This is a valuable lesson that I have learned which will be applied to my career as a dentist and my learning in school. It is okay to make a mistake in training, because that is how one learns. When seeing a patient, it is not okay to make a mistake, so being cognizant of every aspect of care will be of the utmost priority.

When planning a hiking trip it is crucial to do your research on the trails, conditions of the trails at the given time of year, and the weather. It is not uncommon for people to die, especially due to hypothermia, even in the summer months. One cannot begin treating a patient without knowing what their goals are for dental care, their medical history, and what their diagnosis is. Both in hiking and in dentistry, not taking any and all precautions could result in serious issues. For example, whether that be an unhappy patient because care didn’t proceed as they wanted, prescribing a medication that the patient can’t take because research on their medical history was not done properly, or not hiking with a map in case you get lost on the trail.

Although these life skills I have learned while hiking will influence my career as a dentist, I believe that there is a lesson I have been taught by the mountains that will greatly benefit me in dental school itself.

I am currently a D1 and dental school has been quite the adjustment. I am constantly being challenged, and have been pushed to grow and adapt to the new environment, speed, and learning curve. I only started hiking seriously this past February. I would go out to the mountains two or three days a week. I started out climbing mountains that were around 2500 feet, worked my way up to the easier 4000 footer mountains, and even pushed myself the extended Pemi Loop, which is one of the hardest backpacking trips in the country.

Throughout this journey I have truly learned about myself and my abilities. I have always been one to doubt myself, even though I have accomplished a considerable amount to date. The ability that you gain to believe in yourself and realize what your body and mind can do when you want to achieve a goal is remarkable. I can genuinely say that this valuable experience is giving me a great advantage as a dental student. I am putting my mind and body through rigorous work, little sleep, and letting go of my leisure time to be able to succeed in school. I have come to a point where I am positive that I can overcome any challenge that I am faced, especially academically in dental school.