Annie Lov (BOH 2021)

An interview with Annie Lov (BOH 2021).

WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO STUDY THROUGHOUT COVID-19?

It was a difficult year especially since my last year was meant to be placement all year round. We had a break for about six months with online learning which did keep our minds working but trying to maintain hand skills was quite difficult. During the year, it was difficult to keep up my motivation to revise and spend more time not just sitting down. However, being able to go back to placement in rural Victoria, and then in Melbourne, was definitely great, especially being able to see my peers and work alongside them.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO MAKE 3D ORIGAMI AND YOUR YOUTUBE TUTORIAL?

I had been making 3D origami since high school but decided to pick it up again during the lockdown. It was a nice creative outlet as well as keeping my hands moving. The video tutorial was an opportunity offered to me by the MDS social media team who had noticed my origami through my lecturer’s Twitter account. After making this it has inspired me to make my own professional social media to continue sharing my creative projects which I want to incorporate my dentistry skills into.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE OF THE DEGREE SO FAR?

I think in first year the amount of theory and seeing patients is quite challenging. However, down the track I think the biggest challenge has been going back into the clinic this year, getting used to seeing patients and making use of our manual dexterity again. Becoming familiar with those skills again and communicating with the patients were skills that initially felt rusty but over time came back to me.

IS THERE AN ASPECT OF THE DEGREE THAT YOU’VE ENJOYED THE MOST OR AN ACHIEVEMENT THAT YOU’RE MOST PROUD OF?

I think I’ve grown a lot as a person through this degree and learned to become more independent through both studying and seeing patients. I’ve also learned to communicate with individuals of all ages. One memorable experience was being on rural placement in Morwell and making full use of my scope as well as exploring the local area with my peers.

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE TO ADD?

I would like to thank my lecturer Clare McNally for encouraging us to find ways to maintain our hand skills during the lockdown. Due to her inspirations and creative ideas, I found a way to keep up my skills, enjoy a hobby and now develop my own professional social media as an oral health student.

If anyone is interested please check out my Twitter @alov_11 and Instagram @alov.11