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lose out to the hot blonde with big boobs.
arent d-students already used to that from day 1 of d-school?
lose out to the hot blonde with big boobs.
arent d-students already used to that from day 1 of d-school?
Let the educators bash their heads over this. Us, students(or soon to be students) focus on doing well in dental school.
True, but it is nice to have a plan from day one. It used to be that as you went through your first two years, it would be beneficial to follow along in review books and review the decks.
Now with everything open, I feel a little lost. Obviously grades will still be vitally important, especially for establishing rank (although they don't rank at my school). Getting involved with research early, and other extracurriculars will hold some weight. But I can't start getting prepared for an imaginary "specialty test." Or if they were to add more wight to the GRE instead, it would be nice to know so I can start expanding my vocabulary from day one.
You get the point. Tell us the rules now, so we can get ready for the game.
Regardless of ranking or no ranking, I believe it will be very important for people who will be taking the test pass/fail to keep their grades as high as possible, because who knows what the school might do in the future, right?
As far as preparing for the specialty test, learning the material in your dental school sclasses should suffice, at least on the outset. I can't imagine that the test won't cover anatomy, biochem, path, micro, etc...
Once again, the PBL issue again comes into play here. A negative of the curriculum is that there will definitely be gaps and holes in one's knowledge. The benefit however is that students have the freedom to put extra work and effort into certain areas, and in a way customize their learning. This was an ideal situation when trying to score 90+ on part 1, because there was the extra freedom and time, along with all the NBDE material out there would make it easier to gear up for those topics. I understand what you are getting at by saying the "specialty" test will probably cover all the basic science subjects. But until I know for sure, there could be holes in what I need to know that won't be recognized until after the first students take that test (which includes me).
Practically every educator that I've talked to has looked at this change favorably. They agree on the point that the board was being stressed too much. The idea of the boards was to show that the individual is competent nothing more and nothing less. One of them points out that the licensing exam for MDs is pass/nonpass so dentistry is becoming more like MD licensing.
Got some second hand info about the boards change today from an LSU intern - there is already a committee in place and working to create a DSAT.
How many of those educators are post-graduate faculty or residency directors? Probably none of them.
A national committee.. or just a LSU OMS one? Will every specialty program have their own new requirements? How will the DSAT be different than the NBDE I? Thanks armorshell... keep us updated.
If only.. DSAT exam
Does this change mean anything for those of us taking it this summer in between our D2 and D3 year? Since I will apply to OMFS next year (2009) at this time then the new change won't really effect me unless I don't match and have to reapply in 2010?
I have also heard another rumor that because lower scores have been posting there will be a new 'scoring' to adjust for the ower grades and get more %'s back up into the 90's. Anyone else heard this?
I just talked to an endodontics faculty member and he views this change favorably. He points out that MDs take licensing exams that are pass/non-pass.
It seems that dentistry is catching on to the way things are done in medicine.
That is incorrect. Step 1 of the medical boards is scored and weighted heavily for getting into post-grad residencies.I just talked to an endodontics faculty member and he views this change favorably. He points out that MDs take licensing exams that are pass/non-pass.
It seems that dentistry is catching on to the way things are done in medicine.
That is incorrect. Step 1 of the medical boards is scored and weighted heavily for getting into post-grad residencies.
Actually, that is not true. They take the USMLE. I know for a fact the first two parts (which are their version of our Part I and II) are graded. My g-friend is a medical student and she said that the scores from "step I" as they call it, are heavily weighted in determining who gets into the most competitive residencies.
When NBDE grades become P/F, at request, will past exam takers have the option of converting their numerical scores to pass/fail? ( without having to retake the boards )
When NBDE grades become P/F, at request, will past exam takers have the option of converting their numerical scores to pass/fail? ( without having to retake the boards )
I'm a dental applicant, hoping for acceptance to start fall of '09. I decided to pursue dentistry with the full intention of specializing.
I would really like to know whether it would be disadvantageous to go to a school that is P/F, now with this new change of the boards.
It would be a shame to spend so much in tuition at a P/F school and to work so hard, only to find out that the residencies will look first at candidates who can provide a class rank.
This is still a rumor since this is the first year people will be applying with the so-called "new grading scale." We'll probably know within a few months though, as people from your school start getting interviews for ortho what it's going to take for OMFS.
90+ for sure. Already asked at my school.
There was an ADA meeting about this last March, and the vote was unanimous. Both exams will be pass/fail.Any new info on this topic??
I heard interest thing from our associate dean about the board. He told us part 2 is definitely p/f but part 1 is not at this time under discussion . I guess they are still debating this issue. That's what I heard from the dean at our school. Anyway, new info from other schools will be always welcome!! Have a great weekend guys~
There was an ADA meeting about this last March, and the vote was unanimous. Both exams will be pass/fail.
https://www.ada.org/prof/ed/testing/adea_2008_jcnde_update_nbde.pdf (pg 13)
Optometry, dental hygiene and other health programs' national board exams will also switch to pass and fail system.
I have heard there is/ is going to be an appeal. As "flawed" as some may believe the system, it is difficult to judge candidates from P/F and non-class rank providing schools when considering them for residency acceptance. You have nothing objective to separate them from other candidates and I have yet to see a "bad" letter of recommendation! If I am interested in someone for whom I have minimal data, I will do some extra "digging" and research them, although I do that with all candidates. I don't just accept the application at face value. I think this is the only way to make things fair.
The appeal was made last October by AAOMP, AAPD, AAP, AAOMS, AAO, AAPHD and ACP, to urge the JCNDE to hold off the change until 2011. But whatever the reason, the JCNDE has not accepted it.I hope this is true.
What you guys fail to realize is that the NBDE system right now is not being used correctly. The current NBDE exams are statistically made only to determine competency of the test takers. The statistics they use IS NOT valid to be used to compare one student to another. So the current system is broken. As it is right now the exam is ONLY TO BE USED to determine if a student is competent. However, because specialty programs are using the scores to compare applicants the National Board probably needs to make the exam P/NP in other to make sure that those that get 89 are not at a dissadvantage compared to one that received 90. In the NBDE now, someone who scored a 90 does not necessarily know more than someone who scored an 89, but because the scores are being compared as such, they need to get rid of the scoring. A new exam for "specialty" would be a more fair way of doing it. This way the exam and the statistics performed on the exam would be done specifically to determine which applicant is more qualified.
So that now means more exams, more money out of our pockets, and to top it all off more TIME input to prepare for those tests. I can see where it's all going....
Why would you spend any time preparing for a bare minimum Pass/Fail test? If the JCNDE want's the bare minimum, that's what they'll get. People cramming for a long weekend to knock out a "P" on the boards so they can spend their time studying for the test that matters.