Attendance

[PashaJ]

I was wondering how attendance was at other schools. 8 weeks into the semester, of the 115 students we have only about 20-30 show up consistently while the others only come for Histo, BioChem and Physio.

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[ItsGavinC]

Mandatory attendance here at ASDOH. All 54 of us are here at 8am, each and every morning.

That is one of my few gripes about the school.

 

[Yah-E]

Mandatory attendance for all dental courses, basic sciences everyone skips if they wishes. We have sign up sheets for every dental courses.

 

[Pi__Guy1]

Some classes have sign up sheets here. But lots of students here skip or dip out early if the lecturer sucks. Last year we had 8am every morning so lots of people skipped. This year some of us have classes 12-8:30pm so attendance has been up so far. I like it better this way. I'm a night guy so waking up 8am everyday would just drain me. Academically, Second year is so much better....

 

[Midoc]

At UDM all classes are mandatory but there is only one prof who routinely has a sign in sheet. On the other hand, other profs are known to give bonus quizes when attendance is low. The most difficult question on the bonus quizes is usually what is your name.

 

[UBTom]

Almost all the classes here at UBSDM have sign-in sheets. People do occasionally miss classes but only few do it intentionally.

 

[Hot-n-Aml]

Here at UPitt...sign-up sheets are the norm in all classes. I can't remember how many times attendance was stressed at orientation....


Hot-n-Aml
______________________________________________
UPitt, SDM, Class of 2007

 

[anamod]

Spent the whole mornig until noon in bed today. Dental classes are mandatory. General science are in my mind optional if I can learn it from the note co-op at ourschool. No sign in sheets here, I think that, I would have a real hard time with that idea.

 

[Supernumerary]

No attendance policy at my school, but nobody's missed a class yet - although I did skip out on the first hour of my research class the other day. Otherwise, we've just got a bunch of gunners. It's a wonder we don't have 60 people sitting in the first row.

 

[PashaJ]

As I said, we had maybe 20 people show up for Preventive Dentistry yesterday. Only one class has a sign up sheet (Intro to Dental Practice) but attendance is fair in the science courses because our tests come from the lectures. Class average on our exams are high too (90 for Anatomy and 85 for Physio...dont know about BioChem yet).

 

[ItsGavinC]

I'm with you, SDN.

There are some classes that I think I would benefit from by attending lecture. Others I feel are a complete and utter waste of my time.

Further, all of our lectures are available to us for download (we actually have them before the professor even begins lecturing), so it isn't hard to follow the lecture from home or anywhere else I might feel comfortable.

Thus far the profs haven't deviated substantially from their lectures. Remember that at ASDOH we have the same course all week long (roughly 35 hrs. of lecture), so I figure that ALL the exam questions and ALL important material for me to be up to par in the field, will come from those lectures.

Ho hum.

 

[aphistis]

None of my professors have taken attendance yet, to my knowledge. I could probably get away with skipping Molecular Cell Biology, Dental Materials and Tooth Morphology lectures, but I haven't worked up the gumption yet. All of you with strict attendance policies have my sympathy.

 

[ItsGavinC]

Our dental materials lecture is deathly boring. The professor has a lot of knowledge (he personally worked with GV Black), but it is DRY, DRY, DRY.

 

[aphistis]

Originally posted by ItsGavinC
Our dental materials lecture is deathly boring. The professor has a lot of knowledge (he personally worked with GV Black), but it is DRY, DRY, DRY.

Thank God, Gavin--I was afraid I was the only person who felt that way

 

[ItsGavinC]

You aren't alone Bill.

Furthermore, our professor is a Ph. D in engineering. The course is like a cross beteween physical chemistry and mmm, boredome I suppose.

Still, I know that the material is important (to a degree), but I can't bring myself to do it.

Luckily, Dent. Materials is one of our "soft" courses (we only have it Wed. afternoons for the rest of the year), so I can put off learning it for a couple months still.

 

[aphistis]

Right, same here. I guess it really says something about the course's relevance to clinical dentistry, when they can't even line up a dentist to teach it. Ours is twice a week through the end of November; and good riddance when it's gone.

 

[ItsGavinC]

Thought I'd post to bump this subject up because I'm dying here.

I simply MUST find a way to sneak off to the library and study. I'd like to sneak off to the library and never return to lecture hall this semester, but surely some of my classmates would notice and point it out to the faculty.

I'm not trying to be a rebel, as some of my classmates are sure of, but rather I am learning NOTHING by sitting here and listening to lecturers read off their slides.

I have ALL the slides printed out and in a binder, so I'd like to just go study on my own for 3 hours.

The way I see it, that 3 hours of studying would equate to the same learning I get out of 10-15 hours of sitting in lecture.

Ugggh. Any suggestions?

BTW, I cannot study with noise, or I would just sit on the back row of lecture and get my stuff done. It has to be quiet or I can't concentrate. When I can't concentrate, I get on SDN. Check out how many postings I have today and you'll see how bored I am.

 

[critterbug]

earplugs do wonders my friend.

There are special kinds that you can buy that will completely shut out external noise. I suggest you invest in a pair.

And, it is inconspicuous. Just sit in the back, and no one will know.

But I feel your pain. I have never been an auditory learner. I have always gotten more out of reading textbooks and notes than I did out of lecture. In my opinion, lectures were always like reviews if you had already read over the material and maybe had specific quesitions on topics that were hazy.

 

[swiminh2o]

Originally posted by ItsGavinC


BTW, I cannot study with noise, or I would just sit on the back row of lecture and get my stuff done. It has to be quiet or I can't concentrate. When I can't concentrate, I get on SDN. Check out how many postings I have today and you'll see how bored I am.

Gavin,
Get some earplugs my friend. You could then study in class sans the noise

 

[critterbug]

Remember,

Our friend swiminh2o is an audio expert. You should be thankful you are getting his advice. Next time it will be $50.

 

[swiminh2o]

Originally posted by critterbug
Remember,

Our friend swiminh2o is an audio expert. You should be thankful you are getting his advice. Next time it will be $50.

At least.....

 

[Bcat]

We have no sign in sheets but usually about 75% of us attend. All of our lectures are digitally recorded and posted online the same day so we can view them later anyway.

 

[anamod]

Just don't go. I have not been totthe classes we have had from 8-12 for three weeks straight now accept for test days. i wake up at 10:00 head to the gyn and than eat lunch and arrive to the dental classes at 1:25 each day.

 

[aphistis]

Originally posted by SDN9876
what's hsdm?

Harvard School of Dental Medicine.

 

[anamod]

Oh they take attendance on random days. And they say that it may affect your grade, and they think this should scare me. But for someone who really could care less about grades this means nothing to me. Actually since I have stopped going to class I have done better in school. I'm more rested and alert and concentrate better.

 

[ItsGavinC]

Originally posted by anamod
Just don't go. I have not been totthe classes we have had from 8-12 for three weeks straight now accept for test days. i wake up at 10:00 head to the gyn and than eat lunch and arrive to the dental classes at 1:25 each day.

Umm, yeah, I did that once and it turned into a class discussion (during our biweekly class meeting) about ME!

People actually felt that I wasn't a team player because I wasn't in class.

WTF?! Last I recalled they weren't paying my tuition, they weren't taking the Boards for me, and they sure as hell aren't married to my wife and raising my kid for me, so what right do they have to comment on my attendance/study habits?

What I think it boils down to is that 50% of the class would leave if they could, but they don't have the stones to do it. I did and they are somewhat jealous.

And don't get me wrong, I love our curriculum and our subject matter. I just don't get anything via auditory.

 

[Zurich5]

Gavin,

That is a bit sketchy if you ask me. I wouldn't worry about it one bit though. None of your classmates will get to drive your lx some day either.

 

[PashaJ]

Gavin,
Transfer over here to BU. I'm presently in a class (BioChem) with...let me count...37 people in it (out of 115). Of course it's a review session and we had a Physio exam yesterday (therefore people partied last night plus the two baseball games=skip the early class). You'd be welcome here, in fact people talk about why would you go to class.

 

[ItsGavinC]

Pasha, thanks for the invite, but the attendance here is my only gripe. I love this school and all that it offers me.

Thanks, though

 

[quantumhead]

Grumble,

Growl.....grumble.

Oh, never mind....better not to show up then show up 10 minutes late and squeeze past me and make all kinds of noise, and bother me.

OH BY THE WAY, if you were wondering I am not a "GUNNER"! AM I?

A gunner only cares about grades....I could give a hoot about what grade I get. I just wanna learn the material.

and, HEY, Dental Materials is a little important. Sticking stuff to teeth and all, kind of.....ya know....need to know about it. The more you know, the less you mess up.

Anyway, I am having a bad day I guess. Grumble... snort...ppsth

 

[ItsGavinC]

Originally posted by quantumhead

and, HEY, Dental Materials is a little important. Sticking stuff to teeth and all, kind of.....ya know....need to know about it.

Well yeah, dental materials as a concept is important, but probably not in the way it's presented at most schools.

 

[Midoc]

Or you could do what I just did this morning. We had a pool going as to how many times this prof would say uh or um. $2 to get in. I lost by one point. If she had said um/uh 104 times in 2 hours I would have won but she only said it 103 times!

 

[ShawnOne]

I hate lecturers that say "um..uhh" after every other word. There is nothing that drives me more crazy! Makes me want to become violent.

 

[ShawnOne]

For anybody out there who doesn?t like sitting through lectures, take a look at USC. NO lectures, NO assigned books.

The purely PBL curriculum requires students to meet with their group, of eight people, 3 times weekly, MWF, where they discuss the PBL case. After establishing a list of ?what we need to know? and dividing the work between the group, students go about their way and find the answers whichever way they choose (internet resources, library, fathers old textbooks, whatever). Then students meet again and discuss it. 1 case every week or so.

Attendance is mandatory for the meetings, a few hours each, 3 times weekly, which is relieving compared to 8-5 M-F.

 

[ItsGavinC]

Excellent ideas, everybody. I just got back from the library, and don't think many people noticed that I skipped out on lecture. I studied ALL the material for today in only 1.5 hours, and answered all of the prof's review questions perfectly.

I feel so great that it's amazing. I'm not confused on the material, I'm not stressing, and I'm not worried about studying all night.

What a trip!

 

[Comet208]

Gavin,

Do any of your classmates read your posts on here? if even one does, they probably all know by now that you have skipped the class and where you have been!

Comet

 

[ItsGavinC]

I don't think any of my classmates read on here. One did awhile back (when we got acceptances), but I don't think he browses here any longer.

Quite honestly, many of my classmates have no idea about other schools, other curriculums, current concerns in dental education, GPA trends, admissions processes, post-grad studying, board exams, or any number of things that SDN is a wealth of.

I'd recommend it to them but far too many would think I'm nerdier than I already am.

But further, I wouldn't have a problem if any of them read here. As I've said before, one of our "class meetings" turned into a "rip on Gavin" session because I skipped class.

Everything I say here I'll say to anybody's face. Although SDN is often an anonymous platform, it really isn't for me. This can be testified to by the hordes of people who have met me, and by 3-4 interviewees each week who ask to meet me. I'm not hiding from anyone, I truly enjoy SDN and enjoy all of you!

 

[critterbug]

Gavin

Its hard to believe that other dental students wouldn't love this website. As well as dentaltown. I mean, I think that SDN and dentaltown are the single best resources for dental students and dentists alike ( outside of dental school of course ).

I love to learn about dentistry. SDN and detnaltown are both great environments for that. It shocks me that your other classmates haven't joined the SDN community, even th9ough you have told them about it

I guess I'm just a nerd