AAA: Ask Artist Anything :) → D1 @ UCLA

Started by artist2022
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artist2022

artist2022

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Have always wanted to do one of these, so here I start and hopefully I'll remember to do one every year 🙂

I'm currently halfway through my last quarter as a D1, and in like 6 weeks I'll have a 2 week summer break and be a D2!! :soexcited:

Ask me (almost) anything. From applying to scrubs to labs to LA, etc 🙂

Ask away!
 
  1. What made you choose UCLA over your other options?
  2. Reading sdn makes it seem like students at UCLA are not collaborative/don't help each other. Do you think this is true?
  3. Do you aspire to specialize?
  4. Are you really a girl?
 
1). What has been more challenging in your D1 year, the science lectures, or getting used to working in a lab and being graded off what you produce?
2). What are a few things you wish you knew about life in dental school before you started?

Thanks!
 
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AppalachianDentalBoy said:
  1. What made you choose UCLA over your other options?
  2. Reading sdn makes it seem like students at UCLA are not collaborative/don't help each other. Do you think this is true?
  3. Do you aspire to specialize?
  4. Are you really a girl?
Click to expand...
1. Price. I only attended SoCal interviews, and got into all four SoCal schools, and this was my cheapest option 😛
2. I think it depends on the classes. I know the year above us is said to be really collaborative, and the year above them is really competitive, so our class was supposed to be really competitive following that trend, but I guess we're not :shrug:
3. Right now, not really. I think it's because I haven't really experienced the specialties yet and don't quite yet know what they entail.
4. I had to add that because a lot of people really thought I was a guy 😳

IdleKoala said:
1). What has been more challenging in your D1 year, the science lectures, or getting used to working in a lab and being graded off what you produce?
2). What are a few things you wish you knew about life in dental school before you started?

Thanks!
Click to expand...
1. I think it's the lab work, because although I'd say I'm pretty good with my hands, waxing, drilling, and filling is really different and there's definitely a learning curve there.
2. Hmm honestly I don't have an answer for this. I don't feel like I was unprepared in any way, but the courseload did take a little getting used to. I took tons of crazy classes, but the courseload here is double or more than double of what my hardest quarter in undergrad would've been (we're taking like 33 quarter units right now, this spring).

aspiringdentistplshelp said:
how is the socioeconomic diversity at UCLA's dental school? it seems like everyone is super rich there and not sure how I'd fit in
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Hmmm I don't think this honestly comes up at all. Everyone's taking out loans so we're all in the same boat 😀
 
2TH MVR said:
Curious what made you decide to be a moderator on sdn. Did you have past experience moderating? How do you balance moderating duties along with your studies? and btw ... you are doing an excellent job of moderating here. Not too heavy handed, but firm with a sense of humor.
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Hmm I think it's cause I wanted to change things up around here (like the two sub-forums that were added), but I was actually nominated by another member of the team before I nominated myself, as coincidence would have it 😀. No past experience, and I don't think moderating takes up too much time so it's easy to balance school with it, along with things besides school too. And thank you 🙂
 
futuredentista2023 said:
Hello! Regarding your first quarter, which classes would you say are the hardest? Thank you in advance 🙂
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Hi future C/O 2023 student 🙂 Definitely anatomy, because the pace is much faster than undergrad. Second hardest could possibly be Foundations (basically every bio course you took in undergrad crammed into one course) or waxing, because for most people, it's the first time you've interacted with a typodont and instruments!
 
artist2022 said:
Hi future C/O 2023 student 🙂 Definitely anatomy, because the pace is much faster than undergrad. Second hardest could possibly be Foundations (basically every bio course you took in undergrad crammed into one course) or waxing, because for most people, it's the first time you've interacted with a typodont and instruments!
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Oh wow! Thanks for sharing! 🙂 So believe it or not, I didn't take Anatomy in college. For the DAT Bio section, I studied a lot of the material on my own. Do you recommend any Anatomy review materials that I could check out? Thank you for all your help! 😀
 
1. How much is tuition?
2. Is dental school what you thought it would be like?
3. Do you get free time in dental school?

Thanks for doing this!
xoxo
 
futuredentista2023 said:
Oh wow! Thanks for sharing! 🙂 So believe it or not, I didn't take Anatomy in college. For the DAT Bio section, I studied a lot of the material on my own. Do you recommend any Anatomy review materials that I could check out? Thank you for all your help! 😀
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I wouldn't recommend pre-studying in general. Many of my classmates hadn't taken Anatomy before, and they did fine. Also, it'd be best to study the material you'll actually be tested on, instead of everything 😀

WithLove said:
1. How much is tuition?
2. Is dental school what you thought it would be like?
3. Do you get free time in dental school?

Thanks for doing this!
xoxo
Click to expand...
1. In state tuition is like 45K w/ health insurance, and like 41K w/o health insurance added. There are a bunch of fees though, like a 15K dental kit, so overall, your first year comes to 55-60K, without living expenses. I don't know exactly how much OOS tuition is, but I think it's an additional 10-11K.
2. Honestly I don't know what I thought it'd be like, so I don't think I can answer this haha
3. Yeah, there's always time if you make it and if you don't fall behind on coursework. I still get plenty of sleep each night and watch a bunch of TV/Netflix too 😀 and I still get to drive home frequently on the weekends which takes a long time but is suuuuper nice.
 
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artist2022 said:
I wouldn't recommend pre-studying in general. Many of my classmates hadn't taken Anatomy before, and they did fine. Also, it'd be best to study the material you'll actually be tested on, instead of everything 😀


1. In state tuition is like 45K w/ health insurance, and like 41K w/o health insurance added. There are a bunch of fees though, like a 15K dental kit, so overall, your first year comes to 55-60K, without living expenses. I don't know exactly how much OOS tuition is, but I think it's an additional 10-11K.
2. Honestly I don't know what I thought it'd be like, so I don't think I can answer this haha
3. Yeah, there's always time if you make it and if you don't fall behind on coursework. I still get plenty of sleep each night and watch a bunch of TV/Netflix too 😀 and I still get to drive home frequently on the weekends which takes a long time but is suuuuper nice.
Click to expand...
Thanks for your advice! 🙂 Btw, do you guys still have the big/little program for incoming students?
 
LookatThisDebt said:
Is it crucial to get mostly honors in classes to get into an oral surgery residency?
Click to expand...
I'd say yes, but it takes more work than you'll realize because dental school is reallllly different than undergrad.

Also, a lot of people come in thinking they'll do OMFS, but be sure to keep your options open after you see how Fall Quarter goes :angelic:, and also after you've experienced the other specialties 🙂
 
TanMan said:
To add to previous post, It's not that they "might" have charts/powerpoints. They DO have a whole powerpoint about the "worst/laziest class in the history of UCLA". Interestingly enough, some of those from the "worst class" ended up becoming some of your faculty.
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Were you class of 2010-2011-2012? I feel like you're from one of them and I know what faculty you're talking about...lol
 
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artist2022 said:
Hey hey I didn't ask any of my faculty yet :laugh: I just used your previous posts & the things you said about your classmates being my faculty, there are very few!
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Things have changed drastically due to all the loopholes that were present in the old system. I know they closed a lot in restorative, especially in competencies. A lot of the old guard has retired, but I see some of the old faculty is still there.
 
How do you study during the quarter system since there’s a lot of info for dental school? What changes did you make from your UG years?
 
NAKIRI said:
How do you study during the quarter system since there’s a lot of info for dental school? What changes did you make from your UG years?
Click to expand...
My undergrad was on a quarter system so I didn't have to make many changes cause I was already used to the speed. I really haven't changed my study habits either haha. Here's more detail: Advice for 1st Year Dental Student
 
I have a few questions for you! 🙂

1. Do you cook and take your lunch to school, or do you buy it on campus?
2. Do you have any favorite places to buy food on campus?
3. Do you use a regular notebook to take notes in class or do you use an iPad or laptop?
4. How many times a week do you wear scrubs?
Thank you so much!!!! 😀
 
futuredentista2023 said:
I have a few questions for you! 🙂

1. Do you cook and take your lunch to school, or do you buy it on campus?
2. Do you have any favorite places to buy food on campus?
3. Do you use a regular notebook to take notes in class or do you use an iPad or laptop?
4. How many times a week do you wear scrubs?
Thank you so much!!!! 😀
Click to expand...
1. I cook! Campus food/fast food can get expensive so I meal prep as best as I can.
2. Med Cafe is the closest thing to the dental school besides the student store so... Everything else (fast food wise, like subway, panda, etc) is on the undergrad campus which is a bit of a walk.
3. I have a touchscreen PC but many of my classmates have iPads/surfaces, and yet others take notes on notebooks.
4. This changes quarter by quarter. Fall quarter it was twice a week for Anatomy Lab, winter quarter i think none?, and spring quarter it was like 3-4 times the entire quarter. If you do events at schools or in the clinic, you have to wear scrubs though.
 
artist2022 said:
1. I cook! Campus food/fast food can get expensive so I meal prep as best as I can.
2. Med Cafe is the closest thing to the dental school besides the student store so... Everything else (fast food wise, like subway, panda, etc) is on the undergrad campus which is a bit of a walk.
3. I have a touchscreen PC but many of my classmates have iPads/surfaces, and yet others take notes on notebooks.
4. This changes quarter by quarter. Fall quarter it was twice a week for Anatomy Lab, winter quarter i think none?, and spring quarter it was like 3-4 times the entire quarter. If you do events at schools or in the clinic, you have to wear scrubs though.
Click to expand...

did you use any meal prep cook books? I'm trying out some meals now before school starts.
 
LookatThisDebt said:
How many credits do you take each quarter in the first year?
Click to expand...
So each of our classes don't have units associated with them (that I could find), but I think a rough estimate would be the avg. # of hours spent in lab/lecture a quarter. So, Fall quarter it's 23 "units", Winter is 27, and Spring is 33. Second year is worse :dead:
 
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