What do dental students do with their summer break?

[duh?]

Hello people. There's a thread in the pre-dental forum about activities (travel, jobs...) planned for the summer before dental school. I would like to know how Dental students spend their summers. Do you work or do research or just cool off from the spring semester? What are your plans for the summer of '06? Please enlighten us. Thanks in advance.

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[starvinstudent]

Hello people. There's a thread in the pre-dental forum about activities (travel, jobs...) planned for the summer before dental school. I would like to know how Dental students spend their summers. Do you work or do research or just cool off from the spring semester? What are your plans for the summer of '06? Please enlighten us. Thanks in advance.

Im gonna lift weights and lay in the tanning bed. then I plan to go to the beach and get some skanky booty.

For real!

 

[starvinstudent]

Im gonna lift weights and lay in the tanning bed. then I plan to go to the beach and get some skanky booty.

For real!

Or Ill just realize that I am a loser and work to save $$$$$$$$$$$.

i certainly aint doin no research.

Might research how I can pay for all this.

 

[William Olympus]

Unfortunately for us, duh, our summers are rapidly getting shorter. Some upperclassmen were telling me that they were cutting back on our time off. I can't verify that, but suffice it to say they are much shorter than the breaks in college.

It really depends on what summer you're talking about. At Penn we have a bunch of programs where you can do externships around the world, and many people do that between your first and second year. Fiji is a popular option, but you really do have to work once you get there. Some do research, or even help with dental care in the community. Not too many people do research, but from what I hear the opportunites are there if you're interested. It sounds like there are plenty of programs available to keep you busy. I'll have a better idea in a few months time.

From what I understand, the second summer really doesn't belong to you. You get right out of the bear that is second year spring and jump right into studying for the boards. After the boards I believe you have a short break before you have to come back to school and head into the clinic.

I don't think your third summer is that long, either. A lot of people do externships at other dental schools in their field of interest, but that's as far as I know. Sorry for being vague, hopefully some of our esteemed upperclassmen can shed some more light on the subject. I had initally planned on doing research, but some of these trips sound too good to pass up. Yeah, I could definitely work in Costa Rica for a couple of months.

 

[WildcatDMD]

What summer break?

 

[duh?]

Wow, thanks people. Summer of '06 may be my last real holiday for a few years.

 

[William Olympus]

Yeah, sorry about that, it's a bit of a bummer. But look on the bright side, you could go to Fiji!

 

[Dukie]

UNC has no summers off.

 

[Biogirl361]

our summer breaks are pretty short, our longest is 2 months after first year and from then on it's only like 3 weeks in between years. I plan on chilling out, spending time with the fam and on my hobbies and just basically taking it easy. If i feel like it i might come into school and volunteer for a few days. but you spend so much time in that building during the regular school year that when you get a break you just need to leave town for a while and not think about school!

 

[duh?]

Yeah, sorry about that, it's a bit of a bummer. But look on the bright side, you could go to Fiji!

Yeah. I guess that would be fun.

 

[duh?]

UNC has no summers off.

REALLY?!!! Gosh, how do you all manage without going CRAZY?

 

[toofache32]

I used to drink until I forgot I was in dental school.

 

[aphistis]

Hello people. There's a thread in the pre-dental forum about activities (travel, jobs...) planned for the summer before dental school. I would like to know how Dental students spend their summers. Do you work or do research or just cool off from the spring semester? What are your plans for the summer of '06? Please enlighten us. Thanks in advance.

Summer break? Huh?

 

[Trookie]

What summer break?

+1

 

[duh?]

well there goes all my plans for 3 month long summers.

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

Hello people. There's a thread in the pre-dental forum about activities (travel, jobs...) planned for the summer before dental school. I would like to know how Dental students spend their summers. Do you work or do research or just cool off from the spring semester? What are your plans for the summer of '06? Please enlighten us. Thanks in advance.

Hello,

Ask your school if they have the research program that you are paired off with a faculty to help him/her with the research work. I would try to find the faculty in the specialty that you may look into. During my first year, I worked in the Pedo program since I then wanted to become a pedodontist. Well, my run in with the Baboo board changed all that. DP

 

[dinesh]

Try seeing how many days you can get drunk in a row..

 

[Rezdawg]

Not really a summer break here, but over the summer, we have to do APEX...a 12 week clinical rotation at a dental office.

 

[Dr.BadVibes]

if you have a summer break, definitely take advantage of it! You wont get much time off after that!!! During our summer break, I backpacked across Asia and it was awesome!!!!

 

[gryffindor]

We used to get decent summer breaks in dental school.

Between first & second year - 7 weeks, did research at school.
Between second & third year - almost 10 weeks, studied for boards for 5, did research at school for the other 5.
Between third & fourth year - also almost 10 weeks, worked part time in an ortho office, worked on ortho applications, took the GRE. We were required to do a 2-week externship during this summer, but I did this weekend oral cancer screening thing before the summer started and got away with it counting for my 2 weeks.

As you can see, we used to have plenty of time to pursue serious research or mad amounts of externships if you wanted to. Summer research paid decent money, looked good on the CV, created mentor relationships, potential to publish, and lead to paid travel opportunities to the IADR/AADR/other meetings during the year (and you learned something too!), but less than 10% of the class actually did research. For the externship requirement, most people did local externships affiliated with the dental school, a few went to hospitals & clinics in their hometown, and 3 spent the summer doing dentistry with the IHS (Indian Health Service). It wasn't until I read on SDN and met other students during ortho interviews that I even knew about the broader opportunity to pursue externships at other places and how important it can be for OMS candidates (our succesful OMS students matched at the home program, surprise, surprise). I have heard that the ambitious students currently at my alma mater have now set up some dental mission trips abroad during the summer and more students are beginning to participate in those and in the research program.

 

[drhobie7]

We have 2 weeks off before summer quarter begins and 3 weeks after summer quarter ends. I've been using that time for externships. Most people just enjoy their time off though.

 

[DentistBunaHay]

We have 2 weeks off before summer quarter begins and 3 weeks after summer quarter ends. I've been using that time for externships. Most people just enjoy their time off though.

After reading all of these answers, it just gives you more reason to get pissed off at some people who continue to post stupid questions to current dental students about what they should study in the summer. Some of the are compiling a biochemistry book list!! C"MON PEOPLE, RELAX YOUR LAST SUMMER OFF! Reward yourself and take it easy for once. It makes me so uneasy to know that some of these people who just don't know how to relax will be sitting right next to me in class.

Sorry, i really had to let it out.

 

[SirShagaLot]

...

 

[toothdds]

Hello,

Does anyone have any current updates about dental student's summers? Thank you so much

 

[distressstudent]

Would love to get some ideas about how to spend my three months break.

I asked most of my classmates and they are leaning towards summer research. That is NOT an option for me. There is no way I am going to spend my off time doing academic textbooky stuff.

 

[gatsby121]

Boards and the Beach.

we only have a few weeks completely off, besides that the rest of the summer consists of pretty short days so there will be plenty of free time

 

[irishmom]

I have class 4 days a week startng one week after spring semester and continuing until the end of July. 3 weeks off in August, then start Fall semester...so I ask...What summer off? LOL

 

[ysrebob]

Picked the dental school with the longest breaks; used them as follows:

1. Christmas break of D1 year: threw a bunch of camping gear in the back of my old VW Westfaila camper bus, road tripped across the USA and spent a couple weeks banging around in the deserts of New Mexico /Arizona looking for Anasazi ruins. Very relaxing.

2. Summer after D1: packed a bunch of camping gear on the back of my old dirt bike and rode out to New Mexico, then two thousand miles off-road up the Great Continental Divide to the Canadian border along the crest of the Rocky Mountains; camped out all along the way; barely got back to school in time for the first day of D2 year. A most excellent trip.


3. Christmas break of D2: studied/took Part 1 boards, blech

4. Summer after D2: packed a bunch of camping gear on the back of my bicycle, flew into London Heathrow; pedaled north through northern England / across Scotland / across the Isle of Skye / took a ferry boat out the the Outer Hebrides, camped on beautiful deserted beaches and watched the sun set over the North Atlantic; barely made it back in time for start of D3 year.

etc etc etc, through to graduation.

Live it up now, while you can!!!! None of the trips above cost much of anything (note the common thread of camping gear). You can afford to do this kind of stuff if you rough it.

Sure, you will in theory be better able to afford vacations later in life. BUT: you will probably also have a family depending on you, employees, a mortgage, a practice note etc... at that point, other than little mini-vacations, you will not be going anywhere other than work. I am 44 now and can barely take time off.

You are more free now than you will ever be again.

Keep it frugal but do have adventures in D school.

 

[toothdds]

Thank you for responding, looks so fun!