As I mentioned last week, we finally got our car 🚙. It was a long journey that started with finding an agency that allows foreign visitors to purchase a vehicle. CarMax turned out to be the only suitable option for us.

After finding the car we wanted, we paid for it and went on to the next step: finding a car insurance agency that works with foreign visitors. Progressive was the only one, and we paid for the insurance.

At that stage, our paperwork was submitted to the RMV (=DMV, the agency responsible for licensing vehicles and drivers), and we awaited their response. After numerous phone calls by us and visits to the RMV by CarMax representatives, our paperwork was rejected. The reasons: (1) No notary public translation was submitted (it was submitted). (2) The photocopy of my Israeli (international) driver’s license was not in color (it was, but since the original Israeli license is primarily black and white, they thought the photocopy was not in color).

The CarMax associates were at a loss 🫤 because all the paperwork was in order, and they had no explanation for the rejection. They suggested I go over to the RMV myself to straighten it out. But I had another idea.

Two months before that, I started obtaining a US driver’s license. Luckily, my paperwork was just approved so I could take the written test to get a US learner’s permit (a limited US driver’s license).

So I sat for 8 hours straight, studied the 180 pages of Massachusetts drive’s manual, took the online test, and passed it.

Less than 24 hours after that - we got our car. Having a US driver’s license number seems to expedite the whole process. I still have to take my road test to obtain a full US driver’s license. Yes, the same one teenagers and new drivers take to get their licenses.

The moral of this story - to all the US relocators out there: as soon as you get your official US address, apply for a US driver’s license. Since the license is a form of identification, It will make everything else easier for you. It took me a month and a half to schedule an appointment to get the process rolling and two weeks more to get the learner’s permit.

So that’s (in short) our car story. Stay tuned for my road test experience.

Today we’ll discuss imposter syndrome. So here’s number 14!

The king, so effortless and timeless:

Table of contents

1. Main Article - Imposter Syndrome

2. OMFS World

3. Stuff (App, Gear)

Main Article - The Imposter Syndrome

“It’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.” - Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

🥷🏻 Imposter syndrome is a common personality trait among ambitious people, but not only. The main characteristics are feeling like a fraud, self-doubt, and fear of being exposed. It’s the feeling that you’re not good or capable enough to achieve your goals. A feeling that it is just a matter of time until your environment exposes you to who you truly are.

🙋 First, how can we tell if we have imposter syndrome? Many questionnaires are out there, but I like this one, which takes a few minutes and is quite fun. Even if you don’t think you have imposter syndrome, I recommend you take it. At the least, you can see it as an exercise for raising self-awareness.

😱 Even before taking it, I knew that I would score high. Yup, you read it right. I scored high. Although some questions represent the opposite of me (I circled 1), I chose a high number for many of them.

💯 It naturally leads us to our next question: “should imposter syndrome be considered a negative thing?”. For me, the answer is a huge fat NO. I draw a lot of power and energy from it and use it to my advantage. If I feel that I’ve accomplished 100% of what I set myself up to, I usually redefine my 100% and raise the bar higher toward my next challenge. This state of mind allows me to keep myself motivated and keep on going.

✏️ Could I do the same if I scored low on this questionnaire? Perhaps. Would I be happier? That’s an excellent question; the answer is that I don’t know.

🏃‍♂️ In any case, it’s important to remember that if you have it, you’re not alone. Some statistics even state that the majority of people have it. As I see it, the key is to keep pushing forward despite your doubts, and as long as you do it, you can use it to your advantage.

😨 Remember that everyone feels like an imposter sometimes, but it’s only when you let your fears hold you back that it becomes a problem.

“To dare is to lose one’s footing momentarily. Not to dare is to lose oneself.” - Soren Kierkegaard

OMFS World

👩‍🎓For the student - Tutoring children and giving private lessons as a student is a great way to make some additional income 💰 and sharpen your skills 👩‍🚒. On top of all of that, it is also a great way to exercise your teaching expertise, which, in my opinion, is one of the essential skills to master in life. In general, once you graduate from your first year of dental/medical school, you already have the required knowledge to give private chemistry, biology, and physics lessons. What is left is to rearrange that knowledge and plan your lesson to the appropriate level and age of your student.

🥼For the OMFS resident - As a resident, one of the most important things you should know inside out is electrolyte balance. Electrolytes are minerals in the blood and other body fluids that carry an electric charge. They are essential for many bodily functions, including muscle contraction, nerve, and heart. If the electrolytes are out of balance, it can lead to serious health problems, such as dehydration, heart arrhythmias, and seizures. Start by focusing on sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium, and don’t forget to brush up on the role of albumin.

🩺For the non-MD medical professional - external hordeolum (stye) manifests as a swelling of the eyelid and is caused by inflammation of the tear gland or the eyelash follicle. Since bacteria do not necessarily cause it, the first line of treatment is warm compresses and not antibiotics! If it doesn’t resolve in two weeks, a granuloma (chalazion) may have developed, and surgical management may be warranted.

One of my kids’ favorites:

Stuff

📱 Application I use - Genius Scan allows you to use your phone (or tablet) to take a picture of a document and immediately generate a PDF from it. The free version will allow you to save it to your device, and from there, you’ll be able to export it to any app or storage location you desire. You can also crop it, create a multipage PDF, and adjust it to color, grayscale, or black and white.

💡Gear I use - APTYID Performance Running Socks are by far the best socks I have ever used. For many years my number one socks were Nike dri-FIT, but the quality of the dri-FIT lineup has deteriorated over the years. I need socks that can withstand 20 hours work days, have excellent wicking, and be comfortable. I had doubts when I saw APTYID socks on Amazon for the first time, especially considering their low price. However, after using them for five months, I highly recommend them.

Epilogue

That’s it for this issue.

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Have a great weekend!

Shay