May 8, 2019

Megan Young
Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontic Specialist of Michigan
In my junior year of high school, I was presented the opportunity to work in a
professional work environment where I was able to receive credit for the class. I decided to take
this opportunity and create a resume that was eligible for me to get a call back for a job
interview. I went on my first job interview May 23rd, 2018. This process included talking to the
manager of the building and the supervisors of the position I applied for. When I walked into the
building, I was feeling optimistic, I wanted to leave a very good impression and I wanted to
professional. When I was talking to Maureen, the manager, she made me feel reassured. She
explained the whole process and wished me luck. I then spoke to Sally and Linda, the
supervisors, and they asked me some questions and we had small conversation. After the
interview, I felt relieved and I felt confident that I was going to receive the position. In late June
of 2018, I got a call from Maureen and she told me that I got the job, I felt happy and I was eager
to start my position.

Before I was able to begin my pediatric position, I had to get a few tests done. I was
required to get a physical and a TB test. This was necessary because they wanted to make sure I
was capable and healthy of doing my job. After the tests came back healthy, I was able to begin
working. My first day of work was August 6th, 2018 when I walked into the building, I was very
nervous, I didn’t want to screw up, I wanted everything to go as smoothly as possible. I was
trained by a previous co-op named Abi, and he made this work experience helpful. He trained me
to the best of his ability, and it paid off. It took a couple days before I got use to the routine, I
tried to remain as confident and professional as I could. I wanted to prove to my bosses that they
made the right decision hiring me, I wanted to show them that I am a very hard worker. Working
at the Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontic Specialist of Michigan came with many rewards. I got
to learn from so many incredible doctors, and I got to meet extraordinary people. Watching the
doctors operate on patients was very fascinating to me. I was impressed with how well they
handled some of the patients and I was intrigued watching them work. While I was observing the
doctors, I was able to learn from them. I learned that I need to work hard and be patient. I learned
that sometimes the situations may be difficult, but I should always handle the situation as
professional as possible. Working taught me how to be organized and how to stay on-top of all
my responsibilities. It was crucial to work diligently, because if I slacked the doctors wouldn’t
have any instruments to use on their patients. I had to keep track if all the toothpaste and dental
floss were stocked. It was very important that all the assistants had the supplies they needed,
because if they didn’t have enough, they would have to leave their patients and grab it. I learned
how to keep track of my work days by buying a calendar. I wrote down all the days I was
scheduled to work and if I needed to switch days, I would converse with my partner Steever. I
learned how to work under pressure. There were many days that were stressful. I would have to
keep up with laundry, suctioning and instruments. I was constantly running around trying to keep
everything organized and running smoothly. On my worst days, I learned how to keep my head
high and to keep working. Persevering and having a good work ethic was very important to me
and I wanted to demonstrate that to my bosses.

During the school year, checking in with Mrs. Adams was very helpful for me. Going to
her office every week kept me accountable for checking in and talking about my situations at
work. Keeping a time book was also very helpful, it helped track how many hours I was working
and helped me stay organized. Getting evaluated by my bosses also made me work harder. I
would be evaluated on my work performance, and there was always something that I could
improve on. Getting graded based on our evaluations made me want to do even better, I take my
schooling very seriously, and I wanted to keep my grades up. Having monthly meetings was also
very useful. We would discuss important events that were approaching, and we turned in our
time books. These monthly meetings also counted as a grade, it kept us accountable to go and if
we didn’t, we were marked down. There were many opportunities to bring our grades up, such as
helping at academic functions. The banquet this year was also very fun. It was a beautiful
function where we could get to know our employers better. It was an opportunity to sit with our
co-workers and have a nice lunch. Mrs. Adams is someone who made this work experience very
special for me. She provided me an amazing opportunity to work in a professional environment,
where I was able to learn from doctors and hygienists.

Overall, joining co-op this year was a great decision. This program taught me a lot of
useful skills that I can use in the future. In the beginning I went into work timid, but at this point
in the school year I am confident with my work.