The Lasting Impact a Dentist’s Bedside Manner Can Have on a Patient
Touro College of Dental Medicine Student Linda Kornienko Explains How a Personal Experience Inspired Her Career
For her decision to become a dentist, Linda Kornienko, in part, has one bad experience to thank. At about age 8, a dentist with a brutish bedside manner and little dexterity handling the tools of his trade, gave her a painful, bloody lip. “I was so traumatized by how mean he was and my lip just bled and bled from one of his instruments,” says Kornienko, 23. “I decided I would never go to a dentist again.” But as often happens, good followed bad.
Her next visit was to a dentist with a name and demeanor straight out of central casting: Dr. Hope. “She was so caring and kind and didn’t hurt me at all,” says Kornienko. “I was super inspired by her.” So much so, that Kornienko decided to become a dentist - the good kind.
Kornienko is in her third year of the inaugural class at Touro College of Dental Medicine. “Honestly, it’s kind of like home with the friends I’ve made and with the professors who support us at every turn,” says Kornienko, who came from Cape Coral, Fla. to study at TCDM. “We’re not just random students. They’re invested in us and our future. It may be new, but it’s already an excellent dental school!”
