From the Desk of Dr. Quiñonez
February 2023
By now, I think I say this every time: “I sound like a broken record.” Yet, consistently repeating our mission – “To be of service” – is very important. Why? Because it reminds us – hopefully daily – where our mental and physical energy should be spent.
But what about our vision? “To be the best.” How audacious is this? Well, a colleague of mine who heard me state this mission and vision at last year’s White Coat Ceremony recently referred to it in his presentation at the Federation of Canadian Dentistry Student Associations conference.
As I am told, his presentation started with the following:
Why are we here?
The answer: To be of service.
And how do we achieve that?
The answer: By being our best.
Striving to be the best is not hubris or arrogance. It is the mechanism by which we achieve good things, and maybe, sometimes, great things. Being the best is always a work in progress, and the comparator is not others, but ourselves. Was I better than yesterday? Did I give my best today? Who can say that these are negative things?
What I want to stress though, is that being the best is not possible without a tireless commitment to hard work. Indeed, how else does one achieve great things?
I know that professional education and professional life can be exhausting. You should take the rest you need within the limits of your responsibilities. But never forget, your task is to get back on your feet, head up, chest out, looking forward to what comes next.
It is a never-ending road, but one that leads to being the best version of yourself – and always, always, in the service of others.
