Reflections on the Transition into Fourth Year
Written by: Branden Franzen
“How did you spend your summer break?” is such a common catch-up phrase when school resumes—but for us, the answer isn’t a vacation, a trip abroad, or downtime. It’s the big move. At LECOM School of Dental Medicine, we spent our first three years in Bradenton, Florida. Then, for our final clinical year, the class is split: half head north to Erie, Pennsylvania, and the rest of us begin a new chapter in DeFuniak Springs, Florida.
Leaving Behind a Foundation
Packing up three years of our lives is no small task. You accumulate more than equipment and textbooks—memories, routines, and friendships are harder to pack. I had grown alongside my classmates—from taking our first alginate impressions on each other to assisting on complex surgical cases in the clinic. Quite literally, we bonded through blood, sweat, and tears. Leaving behind the community that had grown with me was unexpectedly emotional.
Equally challenging was leaving behind the faculty and preceptors who had guided me from the ground up. These were the mentors who encouraged me through my first shaky crown prep and celebrated my first successful denture delivery. They knew my learning style, watched my progress, and shaped my hand skills and clinical reasoning. Saying goodbye to that familiarity and mentorship was harder than I expected.
Entering the Final Year: New Roles, New Confidence
And just like that, I am in my final year. Orientation flies by, and we are thrown right back into patient care. But something is different—there’s a shift. As a third-year student, every clinical decision was closely monitored. Now, I’m expected to take the lead. When I present treatment plans to my preceptors, it no longer feels like I’m being evaluated—it feels like a professional discussion between colleagues.
The clinic environment is new, and adapting to different faculty, workflows, and expectations tests my flexibility and professionalism. But in these moments of adjustment, I find growth. For the first time, I truly feel like the primary provider. That sense of ownership is empowering.
There’s an unmistakable sense of autonomy that comes with this phase of training. The responsibility is real. The patient outcomes are real. And the trust placed in us as fourth-year students reflects how far we’ve come.
A Shift in Complexity—and in Purpose
With the new setting came a new patient population. Gone are the simple “two fillings and a crown” treatment plans. The patients I now care for often present with extensive needs—multiple failing restorations, missing dentition, periodontal disease, and systemic health concerns. Treatment planning has become more than just identifying what needs to be done; it’s about sequencing, staging, and seeing the big picture. I’ve had to learn how to prioritize procedures based on urgency, finances, and long-term outcomes—all while building rapport and trust with patients who rely on us as their primary dental provider.
Practicing in a rural area like DeFuniak Springs has been both eye-opening and deeply rewarding. Many of my patients have gone years without dental care and now trust me with comprehensive treatment. Their appreciation and resilience have reshaped the way I approach care. They’ve reminded me that access matters—and that empathy and education go hand in hand.
This experience has reinforced a long-standing personal goal: I want to practice in a rural community. There’s a unique sense of purpose in being able to provide care where it’s needed most. I’ve seen how one provider can impact a community, and I hope to be that provider in my own future practice. This move not only marked a transition in geography but also in responsibility—cementing my role as a provider and solidifying my commitment to serving rural communities where care, compassion, and clinical leadership are truly needed.
Join me as I continue my journey into the world of dentistry—learning, growing, and advancing patient care.
Visit my website to follow along: https://brandenfranzendent.wixsite.com/brandenfranzendental.
