STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Dirty Diaper Duty My wife, Amani, and I were blessed with our baby girl, Rwan, in August 2012, just three weeks after I started my dental education. Amani was living in San Francisco with her parents at the time, but she and Rwan soon moved to Baltimore. My wife has since enrolled in the dental hygiene program. Balancing parenthood with two busy schedules is a difficult task; we try to work out baby-sitting duties around our class and exam schedules. I must admit, Amani handles most of the diaper changing. I distinctly recall my first experience with a dirty diaper. Amani was at school and I was home taking care of Rwan when I realized that she needed a clean diaper. Thinking quickly, I reached for a bag of gloves I had brought home a few days earlier to practice suturing on a pig leg. Luckily, there were still a few gloves left, because they came in very handy that day. I wish I had brought a mask home, too, but I found a scarf to cover my face and then I got down to business. It was a success! I was very proud of my diaper-changing ability. Raising a child and being a dental student is no easy task, but it is very rewarding at the same time … dirty diapers and all.
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— Ahmed Alkholeidi, DDS ’16
The Meaning of Motherhood Being a mom in dental school means: waking up every two hours during the night to feed the baby and study gross anatomy (usually at the same time); watching lectures on Mediasite and pushing pause to change a stinky diaper; spending lunchtime in the “Mother’s Room” instead of at Jay’s; having a daughter who doesn’t mind seeing pictures of decayed teeth, blood, puss, etc.; commandeering “free” Minnie Mouse toothbrushes from the pediatric dental clinic; reading blogs about disciplining a 2-year-old while sitting in operative lectures; saying “no” to C3; spending Friday nights playing dress-up and watching “Peppa Pig” while my friends are at happy hour; getting calls from the preschool just minutes after anesthetizing my patient because my child has a fever and has to be picked up … right now!; spending spring break in Disney World instead of Miami; keeping up with two school calendars; waking up extra early to brush two heads of hair, dress two bodies, cook breakfast for two, pack two lunches and make a drop-off at preschool, all while my classmates are just rolling out of bed; walking around the clinic singing nursery rhymes out loud; spending “me” time studying for boards or setting denture teeth; always running late and out of time; relying on family to pick up the pieces when I fall apart; and, of course, lots of cuddles, kisses and big hugs that make it all worth it. — Kira Evans, DDS ’15
▲ Rwan, Amani and Ahmed Alkholeidi at Amani’s White Coat Ceremony.
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▲ Kira Evans and her daughter, Ava, take in the sights at the shore.
MDENTAL | SUMMER 2015
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