AMA - D2 at NYUCD

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Bifenthrin said:
In D1, it was pretty much 5 days a week for me. Between anatomy labs that I had Mondays and Wednesdays, and the operative dentistry lab that's Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday... no choice. Now in D2, it's 4 days a week of lab, and Fridays usually have something mandatory. -_-

Also.. in D1 I had lab until 8PM on Thursdays, and then at 8AM on Fridays. I started off commuting but it was just unrealistic with that sort of schedule. Plus there are 7 AM seminars at least once a month (sometimes more, depending on your group practice). I'd strongly suggest living walking distance from the school.
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seems like a pretty hectic schedule, how many hours do you study on a regular basis, because I plan on commuting to?
 
It depends on the week. If I have an exam that week, I'll study however long is necessary to get through the material and understand it. If I don't have an exam that week, the chances of me studying are zero to none. But I do spend a lot of time in the lab perfecting my hand skills. I usually go in on weekends to do that though.
 
Thanks so much for all of the great info! How did you find a place to live near the school and did the estimate for room and board that the school gives you a realistic budget?
 
Thank you for taking an initiative and starting this thread, OP!!! Was it difficult for you to adjust to NYC pace? You said you live in Manhattan, are you walking distance away from the school? I imagine it's expensive to rent a place there..
 
What would be the biggest advice you can give to incoming D1's?

By the way thank you for doing this.
 
I actually moved closer to the school in November of D1. I started off commuting from my parents' place in Brooklyn, but 1.5 hours each way was killing me. So I just looked at a few apartments in walkups in the area, realized that I hated walkups, and just went and asked at one of the big building developments near school if they had any studios available. They did, they showed it to me, I liked it, so I signed a lease on the spot. My loans come out to around $3,000 a month for personal expenses including rent (in D1 it was exactly 3,000, this year it's more like 2,950 or so). If I was living with roommates, it would be more than enough. As it is, most of that goes to my rent and utility bills (electric and internet). So in D1 I supplemented with my savings from when I worked. This year, my parents have been helping me out a bit and bringing me groceries every weekend. Mom usually also slips me like sixty bucks every weekend so that I have money to go out for food or drinks with friends, or to a movie or something if I have time.

I grew up in NYC. So adjusting to the pace wasn't an issue for me at all. I do live walking distance from the school, about 7-10 minutes depending how fast I walk. It's definitely super convenient and super awesome.

My biggest advice to incoming D1's is to just relax while you still can. Don't try to spend the summer pre-studying, you'll wind up burning out before you even start. And just... figure out the most effective and efficient way for you to study, and stick to it. Don't waste 20 hours studying with method A if method B gets you better results and takes you 15 hours. Time management is essential, so learn to manage your time.


Also, realize everyone studies differently. Like studentdent00 for example, from what they said, are probably not the kind of person who can cram and do well. And that's ok. Some people need to study every day to truly absorb and retain the material. Some people are able to get away with cramming for an exam and pulling off a passing grade. I happen to be a crammer; I only need to actively read through something once to be able to recall most of it. It doesn't get me A's, but it gets me B's. I'm sure if I studied daily and went over material more than once, I'd have A's... but that's not important to me. What's important to me is maintaining my sanity with copious amounts of downtime.
 
I noticed D1 is the only year that's not 12 months, and I assume you don't receive aid for the 2 months you're not in class. How do students come up with rent and other living expenses for those 2 months? Do people just borrow more than they need when they are receiving aid and then use the extra to hold them over? And since I'll be moving in before classes start, and thus before my first disbursement, I assume first & last month rent, security, and broker fees (if I end up using one) will have to come out of pocket? Thanks for doing this btw. I've been keeping up with this thread and all your answers have been really helpful.
 
If you're moving in before loan disbursement, yeah, it'll have to come out of pocket. The loans you get in D1, there are two disbursements: one in August, one in January. The one in January has to tide you over until mid-July and it's smaller than the one in August. Overall though, in D1 my loans that would be used for living expenses totaled $36k exactly. The school knows what they're doing, don't worry.


And yeah, I only read it once and pull a B. I'm not a genius, I just have a really good short term memory.
 
How long to you anticipate to pay back your loans? I feel like NYU is a great place to be, but the price tag along with it doesn't seem worth the cost. Is it also true that for clinical's it is based on production at NYU?
 
For clinical, it's based on the amount of procedures. There are certain amounts of every procedure you need to complete to be eligible for graduation, so that they know you're capable.

As for how I'm going to pay back my loans... I'll get a job and make payments. 😛 I plan to do PAYE which I should qualify for with the loans I'll be graduating with. And of course it's worth the cost... we have one of the most rigorous curricula of any dental school, and one of the best clinical educations.
 
My classmates are pretty cool. People are generally pretty helpful, yeah. We have gunners who aren't so helpful, but I feel like gunners anywhere won't be helpful.. so... yeah. But overall, we've got a really good group.
 
Do you know if there are a lot of people getting off the waiting list each year?
 
Do dental students at nyu usually take part in extracurriculars activities? What are some extracurriculars to keep in mind during our first year?
 
I don't know the numbers when it comes to how many people get in off the waitlist. But I can say this: I got in off the waitlist in mid-May. So I know there is plenty of movement. I think there's one person in my class who got in off the waitlist like a month before school started. I know guy who graduated already who got in off the waitlist a week before the start of classes (he lived in NYC so he didn't have to worry about finding housing and the like).

As for extracurriculars.. we have a ton of clubs and stuff that provide outreach and volunteer opportunities. We took first place in this year's All University Games. There's a group of guys in my year who do sporty stuff together, like.. an intramural team or something. Plus NYU has a ton of parties organized by various clubs and student council.

As for myself.. I go to some of the parties, but not all of them. I'm in one club actively. Other than that, I prefer to spend my free time doing my own thing, whether that's hanging out with friends or just Netflixing until my brain turns to mush.
 
Bifenthrin said:
I don't know the numbers when it comes to how many people get in off the waitlist. But I can say this: I got in off the waitlist in mid-May. So I know there is plenty of movement. I think there's one person in my class who got in off the waitlist like a month before school started. I know guy who graduated already who got in off the waitlist a week before the start of classes (he lived in NYC so he didn't have to worry about finding housing and the like).

As for extracurriculars.. we have a ton of clubs and stuff that provide outreach and volunteer opportunities. We took first place in this year's All University Games. There's a group of guys in my year who do sporty stuff together, like.. an intramural team or something. Plus NYU has a ton of parties organized by various clubs and student council.

As for myself.. I go to some of the parties, but not all of them. I'm in one club actively. Other than that, I prefer to spend my free time doing my own thing, whether that's hanging out with friends or just Netflixing until my brain turns to mush.
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Is there anything in particular you have done to get off the waitlist? Like call or email them? If so, how often?

Thanks!
 
Has second year been significantly harder than D1? I heard the first two years are the most demanding/time consuming and it lets up a bit in D3/4
 
I called them every few weeks until I got in.

Second year has actually been easier for me than D1, as odd as that sounds. In D1, exams weren't spaced out; we had at least two exams at the same time, always. First semester was 3 finals in one day, second semester was 4 finals in one day. Plus I was still adjusting.

This year, exams are spaced a bit more. We might have 2 or 3 in a week, but they're not on the same day, which is a lot easier for me to handle. I'm also finding this year's courses a lot more interesting (I hate anatomy, biochem, histology, and the like). As for the lab, this year is definitely a lot more intense and difficult in terms of lab, but it's doable.
 
To all the NYU students participating in this thread: Thank you so much for all of the insight!! I interview there this coming Monday and am extremely looking forward to touring the school!
 
Nope, not required to wear scrubs. I'd suggest wearing them to lab though cause things can get messy sometimes. We're just not allowed to wear jeans or open shoes in the lab.
 
dope amine said:
You can also run Windows on a Mac.
776.gif

Just throwing out that it's an option.
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dude where can I find that video on youtube. It was so long ago that I watched it haha.
 
Thank you for doing this!

Is the student and faculty population as incredibly diverse and international as NYUCD makes it seem?

And, have you had the opportunity to research? If so, could you elaborate a little on what research is like and the facilities?
 
We have a lot of diversity, yeah. A lot of international faculty. A lot of students from different backgrounds. You're not going to find any place more diverse than a university in the middle of NYC.

I do not do research. I did it my entire senior year in undergrad for my thesis, and it made me seriously hate my entire existence. So... really really no research for me.
 
What are a few examples of the bigger/more interesting student organizations or clubs at NYUCD? (besides ASDA, of course) And what do they do?
 
I'm an incoming D1, and have a Macbook Pro that I purchased in 2014 (no CD drive). I've read about students getting iPads and whatnot. Do you think something like that would be very useful or would the Macbook be enough?
 
I think the Macbook should be fine. I don't have an iPad and I'm getting along just fine without it lol. However, if you really want one, you could totally use dental school as an excuse. 😉
 
Something else I thought of: Are students allowed to take photographs of the plastinates? Perhaps to make your own labeling exercises or something? I've seen some do this in my college anatomy lab and then use those pictures to quiz each other outside of class. Also how did you like the plastinates for anatomy?
 
I'm not sure if it's allowed, but I don't really see why not.

I didn't like them at all. But that's because I didn't like anatomy in general. I scraped by with a C+ in anatomy and considered that a miracle.
 
Actually, that is for people who are so behind on their requirements that they do not graduate on time and wind up having to repeat the year, as far as I'm aware. It doesn't happen often, but it does happen sometimes.
 
Bifenthrin said:
Actually, that is for people who are so behind on their requirements that they do not graduate on time and wind up having to repeat the year, as far as I'm aware. It doesn't happen often, but it does happen sometimes.
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Isn't that for foreign trained dentists?
 
StumpMT said:
I'm an incoming D1, and have a Macbook Pro that I purchased in 2014 (no CD drive). I've read about students getting iPads and whatnot. Do you think something like that would be very useful or would the Macbook be enough?
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Don't you still have to buy their specific computer?
 
W
Bifenthrin said:
So I'm pretty bored tonight, taking a break from studying since I had an exam earlier today. Decided I may as well do something that could be useful to someone, so ask me anything. 🙂
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What were your stats when you applied?
 
3.2 oGPA, 2.9 sGPA, 3.7 MA GPA, 21 AA 20 TS and 19 PAT. Plus five years as a dental assistant and a year of research in neurotoxicity. Application was mailed October 26th.
 
I'll be moving there with my wife. She'll be working full-time and paying half of the rent, and I'll pay for the other half with loans. Do you happen to know how a guarantor would work in that situation? How do students who are paying for everything via loans and know nobody find a guarantor for their housing?
 
Ummmmmm. I know Waterside doesn't require a guarantor if you show them your acceptance letter. The rest I'm not sure honestly, you might need a guarantor.
 
Ok this might be my last question :/ Do they recommend collecting teeth? I've read some schools have their students do that but I wasn't sure about NYU.
 
StumpMT said:
I'll be moving there with my wife. She'll be working full-time and paying half of the rent, and I'll pay for the other half with loans. Do you happen to know how a guarantor would work in that situation? How do students who are paying for everything via loans and know nobody find a guarantor for their housing?
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I got an apartment with just loans, but that was buffalo lol. Gave my acceptance letter ect. No cosinger neither.
 
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Yes, they do recommend collecting teeth. Don't worry too much if you can't get them, classmates will share. You wind up needing them in like May of D1 and then again in November or December of D2. Worst comes to worst, find me. I have a huge jar of teeth sitting in my bathroom cupboard that I didn't use and will no longer need since I'll be working on actual patients in a month. The dentist who collected teeth for me collected over 100 hahaha.
 
Bifenthrin said:
Yes, they do recommend collecting teeth. Don't worry too much if you can't get them, classmates will share. You wind up needing them in like May of D1 and then again in November or December of D2. Worst comes to worst, find me. I have a huge jar of teeth sitting in my bathroom cupboard that I didn't use and will no longer need since I'll be working on actual patients in a month. The dentist who collected teeth for me collected over 100 hahaha.
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Awesome. Thanks for this thread and all of the quick replies!
 
Tell us more about nyu !

What should we know!

How about ny natives what should we know?
 
Do you know of any students with low averages?

Example 3.0gpa's & below 20 DAT scores
 
Read through the thread about what you should know about NYU.

As for NY Natives.. aren't you one? :laugh:

I don't know people's GPA and DAT pre-NYU, we don't really go around discussing that stuff... I know plenty of people with sub 3.0 GPA's at NYUCD though... so... hah. Not sure if that's encouraging.
 
Bifenthrin said:
Read through the thread about what you should know about NYU.

As for NY Natives.. aren't you one? :laugh:

I don't know people's GPA and DAT pre-NYU, we don't really go around discussing that stuff... I know plenty of people with sub 3.0 GPA's at NYUCD though... so... hah. Not sure if that's encouraging.
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Funny ain't ya....

Encouraging, what you think!

Of course !

Imagine an old man like me, with 3.2 gpa overall including science.!

Yes NY native , but do other NY natives tend to live on the island to stay closer or do they commute from the other boroughs ?

What could I do to touch up my app, for nyu to like me?

On a scale of 1-10 how do you like nyu so far? And could you answer these questions:

http://www.forums.studentdoctor.net...ns-About-Your-Dental-School?-(Part-2).870235/
 
All NY schools are my main schools to go to...

Are you oos?
 
Old huh? That's definitely not my impression based on your posts. 😉

It varies in terms of NY natives and living situations. I'm from one of the outer boroughs and I tried commuting, hated it, and moved into the city. I know plenty of people who have done the same. Commuting blows and is extra hard the first two years.

Scale of 1-10, I'd say a 7. There are certain things I'm not happy with, which I addressed in this thread. Overall it's good though.

I could answer those questions, yeah. But there's 30 of them and I'm incredibly lazy... 😛
 
Bifenthrin said:
Old huh? That's definitely not my impression based on your posts. 😉

It varies in terms of NY natives and living situations. I'm from one of the outer boroughs and I tried commuting, hated it, and moved into the city. I know plenty of people who have done the same. Commuting blows and is extra hard the first two years.

Scale of 1-10, I'd say a 7. There are certain things I'm not happy with, which I addressed in this thread. Overall it's good though.

I could answer those questions, yeah. But there's 30 of them and I'm incredibly lazy... 😛
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Not bad not bad....

Congratulations either way. . Make your patients happy!!!

Last question is there a lot of students whom dorm together in the city?

If so what is the cost for each person?


And what can I do to improve my app?

Geez..

[emoji99][emoji99][emoji99][emoji4][emoji4][emoji4]
 
Considering I haven't seen your app, I can't tell you how to improve it lol...

Tons of people live with roommates. We don't have dorms. Costs vary between like 1k a person if you're cramming four people in a two bedroom somehow, to like 1.7k a person if you're splitting with one roommate.
 
Bifenthrin thank you for starting this thread ....

It is so informative
....,

Are all tests multiple choice?

Of the classmates you have, whom do you know have the lowest grades and you were surprised to see make it in
 
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