Hello! Nice to see you on here!

I honestly think this thread is hillarious! sadly, i just can't think of anything funny going on over here...how sad.

Smilodon, thanks for your story. Sounds similar (minus the NHS) to what goes on here too with people with different care needs. I hope your Mom is okay.

Rick- thanks for your reply. Yes, I have heard that access to NHS dental is almost non-existant over there now- I wonder though if the system still provides services to people who cannot afford private care? Or have most denstists in your country simply left NHS and gone private? Just curious, if you or anyone else doesn't know that is okay.
Nursing homes/long term care homes over here vary too. LTC homes here have many barriers to providing dental/hygiene care (e.g. physical, psychological, financial and structural) and our data has shown that many residents are suffering with dental pain. I imagine it is a similar tune over there too. But we are all slowly recognizing the problems. Anyways, I can go on FOREVER on this topic so I shall stop and get some work done. Cheers.

I agree that it depends on the supervisor. My previous advisor for my MA work wanted me to aim for 2 publications a year, one where you should be first author (that included peer-review publications or conference proceedings). My PhD supervisor tells me to still aim for the 2/year rule: try and be first author to the "publications" a year (peer-review or conference proceedings, or even conference presentations or workshops in the area). By the time you graduate you should be 'on the radar' in your field. Then publish your dissertation in a three part series. Not always feasible in the year, but he gives us a standard to work from.

Thanks everyone for saying hello!

Rick and Smilodon...Yes, studying the elderly, it's a great field and they rock, hehe! The overall goal of my research is to improve access to dental services in the elderly as they move into different health care sectors (i.e community to nursing homes). I'm a busy girl. Trench, I will be contacting you via e-mail shortly.

Rosey..We would love to have you over here for a visit! I'm not too sure about postdoc positions, but I imagine that they are willing to accept international students. What is your area? Oh! and I hear Ireland is great place to live...I have friends at UCD and I'm not sure if I will ever see them back in our country again!

funny that so many of us PhD'ers have trouble waking up in the morning. Who is successful with the resolutions thus far?

I bet that you were NOT the only one who stayed in reading on New Years Eve. Just that nobody in here was willing to admit that, yes indeed- they stayed in reading/PhD'ing....including myself

I volunteer as well. My research is with older people, so I volunteer at a local seniors center. I just found the time for it, I do 1 day a week. Of course it is very rewarding, and as cheesy as it sounds, it helps me during those 'Phd ruts' and reminds you why you are doing the research in the first place.

Hi Trench,
Can you mention which schools? Pehaps we could switch schools and become full out professors after graduating! .

I'm in Ontario,Canada and yes, I believe that oral health is going to be a main concern (for Canadians anyways) in the future. We are seeing more research published to date on how our mouths affect our overall health (i.e. increased knowledge on how oral diseases are related to systemic diseases) and dentistry is still not a part of our National health care system

Anyways, it is really awesome to meet someone else out there who shares similar interests. I often feel like a loner in my area of research...but it will pay off one day!

xpm...Ontario..how about you?

Trench...it looks like we are interested in the same area! Where are you and where are you applying?

Actually, I am Canadian. Anyone else out there a Canuck ?
Where are the rest of you from?

Thanks! and nice to meet you all....Gerontology is the study of our lovely Aging population

Just wanted to say hello...I'm a second year PhD student in Gerontology. It really is great to see a group like this!