APPRECIATE LIFE

It is another Monday and majority of us will jump up from our beds quite early and head out in search of our daily bread, or in my case, head to school to begin what will be the start of another stressful week (Ps. Physiology sucks!!!). Looking at our world today everyone seems to be busy with one thing or the other. In all our daily struggles we have consistently skipped out on one important thing; which is being appreciative of the gift of life. We have become so engulfed in our daily battles that we have failed to sit back and realize how fortunate we are to still be alive today. It took a friend of mine passing away weeks ago for me to grasp the fact that life can be taken away in the blink of an eye. Life is really too short to spend striving and struggling and not appreciate what we presently have. All we have labored for can and will be taken away from us in no time, and the difference between life and death is only but a second. So why wallow in constant stress? Why worry too much about meaningless things that at the end of the day do not matter?

We get so caught up with our destination that we forget the most important thing we as humans must do, which is to help each other and spread love. We all do need to appreciate life a bit more. Go out, have fun, take a walk, go on a vacation, run around screaming for no reason, be weird and act weird, dance, laugh, smile, reconcile, help someone in need, treat others with respect, help the elderly, look out for your neighbor, do things that will put smiles on the faces of people. We get so caught up with our destination that we forget to the most important thing we as humans should do, which is to help each other. These are the good things of life, actions that can spread love throughout the world within the short time we have on earth. And while we appreciate life, never forget to say thank you to the big man upstairs. I’m sure he can do with a few thank yous here and there. We are still alive today, so we can take advantage of that fact and enjoy the good things life has to offer before it is too late. Look around you today and appreciate what you have with love and happiness, because tomorrow you may not see them. Rememeber, in the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, “for every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness”.  

APPLYING TO DENTAL SCHOOL

June 1st signaled the start of the 2017/2018 application cycle for dental schools. This period marks the beginning of a lot of tension and anxiety. For some, the tension ends on December 1st, when the first batch of acceptance letters and calls start going out, while for some, the wait will continue. What better time to discuss the steps needed for an application than this period. I will be outlining key points that will help you in your application.

KNOW YOUR PREREQUISITES

In general, dental schools require the same prerequisites, which are 8 hours Biology with lab, 8 hours Physics, 8 hours English, 8 hours General Chemistry with lab, and 8 hours Organic Chemistry with lab. Most schools also require 3 hours of biochemistry as well. There are also some recommended classes such as anatomy, human physiology, histology, cell biology, genetics, pharmacology, and so on. Remember, although you should try to get As in these classes, getting a C here and there does not rule you out from becoming a dentist. Your desired schools will more information on their websites.

DAT

This is one of the most important parts of your application. Your Dental Admissions Test (DAT) is very crucial, as some schools require you pass their set cut off mark before your application is further processed. In my opinion, I suggest studying for the DAT should begin a year before the desired application cycle begins. Give yourself time just in case you do not perform well and wish to retake. Most people know of coursesaver.com or simply put, "Chad Videos".  This is a good source material especially for the math, general chemistry, and organic chemistry sections. Also Cliff's AP Biology is good for the biology section. It's also wise to have many practice questions, and DAT destroyer, DAT Achiever, and Crack the DAT are good source materials. It took me 3 months to study and a further 1 month to do lots of mock exams. With dedication to studying and practice, passing the DAT will be less difficult than earlier thought.

PERSONAL STATEMENT

In my case, it took me a year to perfect my personal statement. This does not mean it should take you that long, but you should spend a considerable amount of time organizing it. This is a huge aspect of your application and will be looked at intensively by schools. This is an opportunity to sell yourself out there. Recall your achievements without sounding cocky, talk about life experiences that made you into the person you are today, and how it will help you in dental school. Relate everything to dental school or dentistry. Remember that this is one way for them to actually know you before the interview proper.

APPLICATION PROCESS

APPLY EARLY!!! Like I said earlier, the application cycle starts every June 1st. Before this date, recall all your activities, including hours spent shadowing dentists, volunteering, research, work activities in an outside school, extracurricular activities, and everything you may have been involved with. Familiarize yourself with the AADSAS website by watching YouTube videos about it. Apply to numerous schools, as this will increase your chances of getting accepted. Remember applying to dental school is a really expensive process, but it is a sacrifice worth taking. Don't rush through it! A strong application requires a lot of time dedicated to it, so take your time and make it as detailed as you can.

Finally, the wait to hear back from schools is long, so distract yourself with something else to reduce the nervousness. Be optimistic and you will definitely get that interview invite as soon as possible.

Here is a link to a video of me talking more about the process 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hyBQTtEmO4

BACK LIKE I NEVER LEFT

After taking almost a year off blogging I'm happy to say I am back for good. It wasn't really an option, as I had to prepare for my dental school applications, interviews, and the stress that came with it. I'm proud to say I was eventually accepted into dental school (6)  and I will be starting on August 7th at University at Buffalo, School of Dental Medicine. No, this will not be another break as I will continue blogging and talking about my experiences in dental school throughout the 4 years it takes (long and challenging 4 years I tell ya). So for the next couple of posts, I'll be talking about the whole process of applying to dental school, as well as interviews. Stay blessed!

AFRICA IS NOT A COUNTRY

       I remember back in secondary (high) school in Nigeria, we were taught about the different continents on the planet. Learning about the countries and capitals of the world was important in my geography class. I was finally able to understand that some countries have funny names such as Turkey and Hungary, and that Switzerland and Swaziland are two different countries. So coming to the USA I expected people to also know about the countries in Africa. So imagine how I felt when someone here tells me that Africa is a country. Someone could say "Hey I want to go to Africa", but also say, "I want to go to France",... or Italy, or England. So its okay to know that Europe is made up of different countries while Africa is just one. How is it possible that we were made to learn about other countries in other continents but out there they do not learn about the 54 African countries? You will be amazed that some people do not even know that countries like Lesotho and Swaziland exist, and that Madagascar is also made up of humans.
        Well, we can say that this is not very well stressed in schools and educational institutions. You can also talk about the media and public personalities. For example the American rapper, Rick Ross, once tweeted, "Just landed in the beautiful country of Africa". As expected he came under scrutiny from many of his followers.  Maybe if Africa is taken more seriously then people will be forced to do more research on what we have on our planet. The bottom line is, let us try to learn about things we do not know. They sound basic but some people do not take out time to utilize google to its full potential. Social network is not the only way to get information. As earlier stated, there are 53 countries in African today, so that means Africa is NOT a country.

MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICES IN COLLEGE

College life is really funny I must say. Lots of times the stress will make you question yourself, and you begin to doubt if you can actually finish and finish well. I mean, it is four years…four long years of the same stress repeating itself. At some point we tend move out of the phase of “I want to study and get my A” to the phase of “I just want to get a C and pass this class”. That’s when you know it’s about to get real (I’d normally insert “lol” here). But with that mentality of getting by in classes, one does not really achieve much at the end of the 4 years. Because if you think about it, a C is a 2.0 GPA, and if you get a C in all your classes in your four years of college, then you graduate with a GPA of 2.0. I do not think any of us would want that.

One reason why sometimes we don’t succeed in the field we choose when we go to college is that probably we do not belong there. Some of us wish to be doctors, pharmacists, nurses, and make all the money there is to make. But do we really know what it takes to go into these fields? It can be argued that most times we are pushed by parents, peers, or environment to do what we do not fancy. We do not all have to be doctors to make money as there are other fields out there. We just have to search deep down and see what we are compatible with. A professor once told me and my colleagues in class that if we feel that sports or fashion is our calling, there is no need wasting our limited time doing biology or sciences.

Another problem is the rush to graduate because our peers are graduating. It does not matter how long it takes us to get that college degree. Finishing and finishing well should be our priority. I have seen 60-something year olds go to college and they do not care about age. It is better to take your time and finish with a high GPA that rush and finish with a lower one.

It will be better for students to participate in internships and programs that can expose them to their desired fields while still in college. This can help them decide if they want to continue or change to a different field. That mentality of “let me just continue” knowing quite well that you are not doing as you had hoped will not lead us anywhere. Just pick up that book and study. It’s ok if you miss out on the social and night life for now, at the end you can always have that time to socialize. You just have to set your priorities right. If you want to have that social life, drop the book. If you want to be successful via education, pick up the book. Don’t listen to those that will invite you to parties and outings knowing you have that exam in two days. You don’t want to sacrifice four years of your life and then graduate regretting all you have done. You cannot change what has happened but you can always create a better future by doing what is right. 

KEEP CALM AND BE HAPPY

Acquiring wealth is one of –if not- the most important things to us humans, because wealth is like a gateway to whatever we desire. But in the process of acquiring wealth, we have forgotten how to live and be happy. We have instead focused stressing and fighting without rest, or even throwing people out of our way just to get that which we desire. Each day you look outside, you see different people striving for the same thing; which is ultimately wealth. The problem with this is that we have become more focused on other things that we have forgotten how to live. Let us sit down and ask ourselves this question, “when was the last time we lived?” Living does not mean just being alive, it means appreciating those things that makes life beautiful

There are many ways we can achieve happiness, of which wealth is also part of. Helping people who are in need can bring happiness to us. When you see someone in need of something and you know quite well that you can afford to help that person, why not do that and put a smile on that person’s face. This is what happiness is about, being able to make someone else happy can make us happy as well. This is what makes life beautiful, being able to help someone in need. There is so much more to life that makes it beautiful, not just acquiring wealth.

Being alive is the main reason why we should be happy. Every night people go to sleep with the hope of waking up the next day, but how many of them actually wake up. We should all be happy that we are still alive. Going through our day without losing our lives is another reason to be happy. Since life is too short to spend being sad. Happy people are what this generation lack. Most people are not happy with their jobs, instead of being happy that they have one in the first place.

            I once walked into a train and a man I have never met before asked me a question that I will never forget. He said to me, “where have you dropped your smile?” That was when I realized that I need to be happy and also show. What he told me that day put a smile on my face, and that smile is still there to this day. You can go around and see that there are less smiles more bitterness and anger among people of our generation than before. Yes, times are hard but we should still be able to smile and stay happy. Some of the happiest people in the world come from the poorest countries who cannot afford to live like we can. These people live happily though they do not know when the next meal will come from. Why can’t we be happy like them? Some of us consider ourselves poor but we can afford to pay rent, eat three square meals a day, and even work.

            Whenever you complain about your situation and how unfortunate you might be, remember that there are people around the world who are in situations worse than yours. People in Africa who survive on a dollar per day, people around the U.S. who have no homes, orphans of war in the Middle East who have no one to take care of them, sick people with no hope of survival. With all these going on, these people still smile, laugh, and stay happy. Why can’t you who still have a roof over your head and eat three times a day be grateful and happy? Look around you, there are one thousand and one reasons why you should put a smile on that beautiful face. 

THE NIGERIAN TALKING DRUM (part 2)

Continued...

The Nigerian talking drum is no longer a Nigerian thing, but is now a global musician instrument. Many foreigners have researched into what makes the drum unique in order to become better enlightened in the study of West African polyrhythmic sounds. Dr. Michael Varner, a Director of Percussion Studies at the University of Texas at Arlington, went on a research mission to western Nigeria to learn more about the Talking drum. He was quoted as saying, “There’s no equivalent use of pitch in American or European music-- making individual words impossible to imitate on other drums”.[1] Many foreigners like Dr. Varner have hailed the impact of the Nigerian Talking drum but it is a pity that many indigenous people have almost abandoned the talking drum for western drums. It has now been left to the older ones or foreigners to propagate the importance of these drums.

Some locals have begun an initiative to increase awareness of the Yoruba culture so that Nigerians and the rest of the world can be better enlightened about music and indeed, the talking drum. [2]A Yoruba activist, Chief Oyelami established the Center for Creative arts in Iragbiji, western Nigeria in order to promote Yoruba arts on the local and international scene. Top of the agenda is the talking drum. All over the center, different types of talking drums can be seen played by students and performers. Many students every year travel to western Nigeria to learn about the Talking drum since that is its origin. The talking drum’s influence can be seen all over the Caribbean countries like Haiti and Trinidad and Tobago, etc. After the trans-Atlantic slave trade, many freed slaves who were on these islands chose to retain their African heritage and still play the talking drums today. The Nigerian Talking Drum Ensemble helps spread the dance related to the talking drums all over the world.

The talking drum is also associated with religion, as many traditional religious practices in Africa involve the playing of the talking drum.[3] The talking drums are also used in churches in times of praise and worship not just in Nigeria, but in different parts of the continent. In African churches in the United States, there will be no excitement in praising God if there were no talking drums that made people dance. In terms of celebration, the talking drum is ever present in people’s midst. In Nigeria, every celebration, be it funerals, birthdays, or naming ceremonies, there will be dancing, and when there is dancing, there is the talking drum. The talking drums were initially restricted to only men, but it later became a unisex instrument. One of the most successful talking drum drummers from Nigeria is Ara, a woman who started from a tender age to play. [4]She faced numerous challenges in her journey to become a renowned drummer because of her gender. Though it was difficult, and no one was available to teach Ara the skills required to master this instrument, she did not lose hope. We have now seen many drummers pick up the business of drumming in Nigeria.

The Nigerian talking drum is a very interesting and intriguing drum because of its ability to communicate in different pitches. Though the talking drum is scattered all over Africa and the new world, each country has a different one that have different meanings and significance. It is rather sad that many locals in Nigeria have abandoned these local drums to take up foreign drums. It is a good thing to explore foreign musical instruments, but there could be a way to mix both types of drums to produce soothing sounds. People should be encouraged to conduct research about different instruments unknown to them so as not to be ethnocentric. The use of the talking drum has migrated from western Nigeria to many parts of the world and one can say that the talking drum is Nigeria’s gift to the world of music.

---

[1]               Bridget Lewis, “‘Talking Drum’ Research Helps Music Professor Bridge Cultures, Languages”, University of Texas, Arlington, News Center. 2013

[2]               Jesse Ruskin, “'Talking Drums' on Rural and Global Stages” UCLA International Institute. February 01, 2010.

[3]               “Talking Drums: An Introduction” Horn Blend December 01, 2010, Web

[4]               Theodore Nyingifa, “Ara: More Than Drums and Braids” Pulse March 26 2012, Web.