Dental Tribune UK Edition, September 20-26, 2010, Vol. 4 No. 22

T he first week as a maxillofacial sur- gery senior house officer (SHO), as the major- ity of past and present SHOs will tell you (and the ones that don’t are lying!) is a scary busi- ness. The learning curve at first seems impossibly steep and sud- denly being required to func- tion in a hospital environment is an overwhelming and daunting prospect. It doesn’t mat- terhowmuchyoupreparebefore- hand, there is no substitute for getting in there and experiencing the job first- hand. I can vividly remember feel- ing completely shell-shocked, crawling into bed fully clothed and curling up into a ball after my first day on-call. My legs hurt. My brain hurt. I wondered just what I’d got myself into. Eleven months on and looking back, it’s incredible to see how far my colleagues and I have come com- pared to the startled rabbits we were in August 2009 when we started! Of course, we by no means know it all and it would be igno- rant of us to think that, but gain- ing an understanding of how a maxillofacial department works, enables us to follow the right pathways and ask the right peo- ple to manage most situations. An important skill Working as part of the maxillo- facial team is probably the most important skill to master early on. ‘‘Teamwork’ always seems to be a buzzword thrown around a lot in the workplace environ- ment, but within the hospital setting I’ve seen first-hand how essential it is. Everyone in the de- partment – SHOs, middle grades, consultants, receptionists, sec- retaries, nursing staff, theatre staff, technicians, etc, all work together to provide continued care to the patient. As soon as one part of the team fails to carry out their role, the system begins to break down and places addi- tional strain on the others. The SHOs in particular are frequently involved in commu- nication between staff members and it’s absolutely paramount in keeping the cogs of the depart- ment system running smoothly. As soon as communication breaks down theatre lists can be delayed, important investigations are omit- ted and most significantly the pa- tient’s management suffers. The duties of an SHO vary hugely depending on the unit ‘Teamwork’ al- ways seems to be a buzzword thrown around a lot in the workplace environ- ment, but within the hospital setting I’ve seen first-hand how essential it is.’ ContaCt us for your frEE saMPLE* • Bulk-fill in increments of 4mm without layering • Excellent cavity adaptation reducing post-operative sensitivity • Provides excellent self-levelling properties • Already thousands of users** Changing dentistry 4mm at a time the 1st flowable bulk-fill base +44 (0)1932 837303 To join the SDR revolution, contact us now for your FREE SAMPLE* (quoting ‘free SDR sample’ and giving your full name and practice address) UKP00265*Limitedstockavailable.Pleaseallowupto28daysfordeliverybyyourSalesSpecialist.**Usersworldwide September 20-26, 200918 United Kingdom EditionEducation Getting in at the deep end There’s no substitute for first-hand experience, as Sarah Armstrong found out in her new role as a maxillofacial surgery senior house officer