Are you wondering how hard D1 might be?

[dreaming2k5]

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Here's the study Guide I wrote for myself in order to do just "okay" in my anatomy exam this past week. I wish I could've done better, but I think that requires referencing the textbook and even more study time.

Lecture on Tooth Histology - 9/22
Oral histology - 9/26
GI Part 1 & 2 - 9/28
GI Part 3 - 10/03
Reproductive Organ - 10/03
Embryogenesis - 10/03
Respiratory Organ - 10/05
Urinary Organ - 10/05
Neural Histology - 10/06
Eye Histology - 10/06

Exam 2 - 10/11

How did I do ~ after Exam 2, "A" is no longer possible, and I'd be lucky to scrap by with B. Unlike schools with block exams, BUSDM have weekly tests... so it's a constant barrage of exams. Physiology Exam #2 is tomorrow. I dunno which is better, block or weekly. 😕

 

[jackbauer!]

maybe you should have spent less time writing the study guide and just studied! 32 pages must have taken forever....

just my opinion,
jb!

 

[abzirian]

maybe you should have spent less time writing the study guide and just studied! 32 pages must have taken forever....

just my opinion,
jb!

Writing the study guide is studying - It helps me anyway..

 

[DDSY]

That study guide is pretty impressive, but do you find yourself spending too much time writing it? Are you skimping a lot of details simply to write it? Do you feel that writing an outline is well worth the effort--in terms of being able to recall the info much better?

Considering the vast amounts of detail you have to memorize (I could just imagine), a B doesn't seem so bad.

 

[DDSY]

Personally, I like weekly better. . . It keeps you on your toes. Blocks seem like a nightmare is terms of studying a large amount of info days before the exam.

 

[1992Corolla]

I think it depends on where you go...we have it semi difficult the first year here at Temple, and then they lay it on thick year 2. Add clinic + classes year three...

It also depends on the student. It helps to take anatomy, biochem, histology, physiology, etc. before you start dental school so it isnt all new stuff all the time. The only new stuff this year for me is dental materials and restorative.

gluck

 

[PickMe]

we have weekly exams at penn. i wouldnt say the material is hard, but there is just soooo much. plus being in class all day doesnt give you so much time to study.

 

[dmonee6]

Block testing seems scarier to me than having one test a week. UF has block testing and my friend is always freaking out about studying and how many tests he has in a short span of time. I'm sure either way sucks tho!

Nice outline... i do the same thing for all my masters classes. I've typed up reviews for all my biochem, histo, gross anatomy, physiology, and neuroanatomy tests. Typing up the guide really helps me to remember the info. Doesn't hurt that I'm allowed to record the lectures on my computer and listen to them while going thru my study guide

 

[MaxAnn]

I think it depends on where you go...we have it semi difficult the first year here at Temple, and then they lay it on thick year 2. Add clinic + classes year three...

It also depends on the student. It helps to take anatomy, biochem, histology, physiology, etc. before you start dental school so it isnt all new stuff all the time. The only new stuff this year for me is dental materials and restorative.

gluck

This is great advice. Many of the recommended courses should be required courses before starting dental school.

 

[blue_moon01]

I think it depends on where you go...we have it semi difficult the first year here at Temple, and then they lay it on thick year 2. Add clinic + classes year three...

It also depends on the student. It helps to take anatomy, biochem, histology, physiology, etc. before you start dental school so it isnt all new stuff all the time. The only new stuff this year for me is dental materials and restorative.

gluck

Its a good thing I took all those classes already except histology which I'm homeschoolin myself right now.

 

[ItsGavinC]

As another poster said, it depends on where you go to school, and to a lesser degree how prepared you are prior to entering dental school, and your natural aptitude.

Some find dental school to be easier than undegraduate.

 

[dreaming2k5]

That study guide is pretty impressive, but do you find yourself spending too much time writing it? Are you skimping a lot of details simply to write it? Do you feel that writing an outline is well worth the effort--in terms of being able to recall the info much better?

I did start with just reading the PDF handouts, and tried to remember the stuff from that - but after hours of just looking at the material, I felt as if I didn't study at all! I think I remember watching a video about how to study, and they talk about how absorbing material via just reading and re-reading isn't as good as if you work with the material. Passive vs active reading I suppose? Oh yeah, we learned that in Kaplan DAT class!

So yeah, I was reading and wasn't really absorbing until I started writing the study guide. I didn't skimp on any detail, rather went further and gathered information if I was confused about something (like where did the definitive egg sac came from. I didn't just straight up copied from the lecture slides word by word, but rather wrote down my interpretation of what's on the slide (note the middle school writing skillz!). I think it was worth the effort, cause I do feel I would've failed miserably otherwise.

 

[DDSY]

Yes, that sounds like a good way of studying. Active learning is definitely superior to just simple reading.

The biggest concern I have though is that it appears to me that you could cover so much more information by reading than by typing the info, considering how limited the time is in dental school for studying. But I understand your view--retention is key in dental school. And if you're able to reconstruct the info, it's definitely better than memorizing tons of fragmented info.

 

[INFNITE]

best way of learning: work with your classmates. Form study groups, get feedbacks from other people. Before exam: do practice questions together. You really learn a whole lot from doing that in comparison to just reading on your own.

 

[FutureFreshDDS]

What really worked for me in the first two years of D-school was to skip as much class as possible and listen to lectures that were recorded by classmates. I could stop the lecture at anytime to write the details down on the handouts. I rarely bought a book and only studied from the lectures and handouts. This was good enought to get me As in the majority of my courses. What you have to do is cut out all the bul**** and not waste your time. There is just too much stuff they expect you to review before the final.

 

[lemoncurry]

any dental students have to dissect the brachial plexus or is that just med students?

 

[Hopin']

any dental students have to dissect the brachial plexus or is that just med students?

we did....

 

[Hopin']

any dental students have to dissect the brachial plexus or is that just med students?

we did....

 

[dddsmack]

we did....

where?

 

[INFNITE]

We have to dissect the brachial plexus in a few months for our third exam block

 

[dreaming2k5]

In BU, it appears the dental students don't get to dissect anything... all we get are prosected samples to study from. Would you say that's a good or bad thing?

 

[lemoncurry]

I'd say that's a bad thing if you have never dissected a cadaver. I'm lucky that I'm taking Anatomy now and we have new cadavers to dissect.

 

[LIer2010]

Why is it a good thing to dissect cadaver for a dental student? I know we have to, and it seems like a big waste of a time. Unless it's head and neck.

 

[lemoncurry]

my opinion is this: because, as a dentist, you will be working on people and will have to inject them, poke them, cut them, and get "all up in their space," I think it is good experience to actually get your hands inside a cadaver and cut. I think it's something that helps with the adjustment of working on live people.

 

[litlmisa]

we did-we covered anatomy (excluding head and neck) in the five week preterm.

my first day of class was part orientation, part lecture and part lab-we had a dissection on the thorax on fresh cadavers. long story short-i got over my "all in there space" fear when a piece of tissue went flying and landed on my lip!

yeah ds is fast, intense and the best part is that you are finally where you have worked very hard to be and the material is finally relevant to what you are interested in. It's like waiting for a movie to hit theaters, then you have to wait in line and hope you get the seat you want. Then when the movie starts you are blown away and can't wait to reach the happy ending-but you can't forget about all the important stuff in the middle.