Board Pass Rates

[J2AZ]

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Where can I find dental school pass rates for Step I and II of the boards?

 

[Dr.SpongeBobDDS]

Where can I find dental school pass rates for Step I and II of the boards?

You have to be careful about comparing board scores and pass rates among dental schools. Many schools will give the entire class a mock board and weed out the lower end of the spectrum. They don't necessarily tell students they CAN'T take the exam but strongly encourage them to wait until the next time around.

This allows the school to use only the scores and pass rates of the "good" students in official documents and admissions propaganda. This is especially important for the expensive private schools who use this as one of their main techniques for convincing potential applicants that it is a good idea to go into a quarter million dollars of debt for school.

If you are just looking to pass, I wouldn't worry about average board scores at all. From everyone I have talked to the NBDE is EASY to pass; look at old exams and you will find that a good college senior could probably pass every section but dental anatomy without ever stepping foot in a dental school. If you're looking to specialize it might help to go to a school with a fancy name, but I still wouldn't base my decision on published board scores.

Hope that helps.

 

[lnn2]

From everyone I have talked to the NBDE is EASY to pass; look at old exams and you will find that a good college senior could probably pass every section but dental anatomy without ever stepping foot in a dental school. If you're looking to specialize it might help to go to a school with a fancy name, but I still wouldn't base my decision on published board scores.

Hope that helps.

When will people realize that nothing is easy in dental school? 🙄 Even the simplest courses such as Dental Professionalism, Stats, Public Health, you still have to study just to pass. If u want an A then u sure have to go the extra mile. Don't take my words for it, ask any top 10% student, they'll tell you how much time they had to put into studying. Ask any bottom 10% student, they'll tell you how many time they almost **** in their pants worrying about failing a course 😀
I doubt that "a good college senior could probably pass every section but dental anatomy" They still have to memorize the old exams (11 of them = 4,400 questions ) over 1,100 flash cards 😱 That's definitely not an easy task! Courses in d school are more in depth than undergrad. Ask a good senior undergrad about the 12 cranial nerves, foramens, innervations, gangions, sympathetic, parasympathetic, post, pre. Subgingival bacteria vs supragingival bacteria, lymph sys.....And those are the simple things, just the tip of the iceberg. Wait untill you have to study for the board, you'll b!tch and moan every time you get a chance 😀

Where can I find dental school pass rates for Step I and II of the boards?

Schools with good scores posts its scores on their websites. School with low scores keep it within the family You'll have to pull it out of their @ss to see it.

I'm guessing that the pass rate is around 90%

Wanna specialize, choose school which stresses on didactic/board scores, or bust your @ss from day one 😀 My school's mandatory board review class is a stinking joke 😡 We played Jeopardy during some of the review sections 😕 The materials were so broad and so clueless! I hope that they'll hire Kaplan to teach the upcoming class for their sake! But then again, I don't think that Admin. cares much about the ranking/board scores. You're pretty much on your own, like everthing else in d school

BTW, it's Part I or part II for dental school. Steps are for Med school

 

[DcS]

In my dental school there are certainly some classes that are easy, although that is certainly not in the norm. As far as top 10% students, not all have to put in as much time as you assume. Everything in dental school pertains to the individual, you can't cover everyone with a blanket statement regarding studying etc IMO, nor can you generalize conditions at all schools from what it's like at yours.

 

[lnn2]

In my dental school there are certainly some classes that are easy, although that is certainly not in the norm. As far as top 10% students, not all have to put in as much time as you assume. Everything in dental school pertains to the individual, you can't cover everyone with a blanket statement regarding studying etc IMO, nor can you generalize conditions at all schools from what it's like at yours.

Dude, read my post again! When/What/Where exactly did I "assume", "blanket statement", "generalize"? talking about reading comprehension!

Are u telling me that a straight A student spends the same amount of time studying and attending classes (taking notes, paying attention) as a C student? Man, get real.

Just to make it clear, so called easy classes, IMO are classes that you only have to study the night before and still can score an A, no daily/weekly quiz. Easy classes, by no means, are easy A classes. Now count on your fingers how many are there? Please let me know your definition of an "easy" classes!

 

[DcS]

I'm saying student 1 can study as much as student 2, and student 1 may earn an A while student 2 gets a C. I'm sorry but I rarely study for more than 1 or 2 days for my exams, even the hardest ones, and am either in the top 10% of my class or very close to it. I wouldn't consider my school (UNC) a cakewalk either. My point just was just because you personally consider it unlikely to study 1-2 days and be in the top of your class, doesn't mean it's not possible for someone else to do it. I know plenty of people in my class who study their balls off to get by with Cs, those who live in the library and get As, those who do little and get As, and those who do little and get Cs. It is completely dependent on each individual.

 

[lnn2]

I'm saying student 1 can study as much as student 2, and student 1 may earn an A while student 2 gets a C. I'm sorry but I rarely study for more than 1 or 2 days for my exams, even the hardest ones, and am either in the top 10% of my class or very close to it. I wouldn't consider my school (UNC) a cakewalk either. My point just was just because you personally consider it unlikely to study 1-2 days and be in the top of your class, doesn't mean it's not possible for someone else to do it. I know plenty of people in my class who study their balls off to get by with Cs, those who live in the library and get As, those who do little and get As, and those who do little and get Cs. It is completely dependent on each individual.

My congratulations to your folks for having a smart kid!

I'm talking about the MAJORITY. You're talking about the EXCEPTION. Everyone is unique, just like everybody else!

Again, when I said studying 1-2 days before the exams, I meant:
1. You have not been looking at or highlighting the handout materials since the day they were given out.
2. You're only reading/studying the materials for the very first time 1-2 days before the exam
3. If you had looked at those materials previously and again 1-2 days before the exam then it's called REVIEWING!

If you can study Gross/Head Neck/Neuro anatomy/Path even Biochem/Physio 1-2 days before the exam and still able to score an A, damn you're truely gifted! D school is a cakewalk to u 🙄

Anyone starting the first yr who wants to prove me wrong, follow this study habit, study 1-2 days before exams, and we'll see how far it'll take you.

Nuff said.

 

[tinker bell]

If you only study 1-2 days before the exam, you can pass with a C. Assuming you are a good crammer, last minute person.

If you study every awaken minute of your life, live in library, you'll get A.

However, it's hard to get an F. You have to go surfing or throwing hoop every afternoon, never show up to class to get a failure grade.

I've looked at boards exams. They're not harder than any midterms you get in your dental school. However, if you don't have time to shuffle all of those tiny details in the last minute, you are not gonna score very high. But again, to completely fail the exam, you shouldn't even be a dentist then. To pass above 90, you have to study hard and use more than just the decks.

Plan your schedule wisely, and you'll be fine.

 

[ItsGavinC]

I doubt that "a good college senior could probably pass every section but dental anatomy" They still have to memorize the old exams (11 of them = 4,400 questions ) over 1,100 flash cards 😱 That's definitely not an easy task!

I think they could. Afterall, a "pass" is only getting ~40/100 correct--not a difficult task at all.

 

[Dr.SpongeBobDDS]

My congratulations to your folks for having a smart kid!

I'm talking about the MAJORITY. You're talking about the EXCEPTION. Everyone is unique, just like everybody else!

Again, when I said studying 1-2 days before the exams, I meant:
1. You have not been looking at or highlighting the handout materials since the day they were given out.
2. You're only reading/studying the materials for the very first time 1-2 days before the exam
3. If you had looked at those materials previously and again 1-2 days before the exam then it's called REVIEWING!

If you can study Gross/Head Neck/Nero anatomy/Path even Biochem/Physio 1-2 days before the exam and still able to ace them, damn you're truely gifted! D school is a cakewalk to u 🙄

Anyone starting the first yr who wants to prove me wrong, follow this study habit, study 1-2 days before exams, and we'll see how far it'll take you.

Nuff said.

I'm going to have to agree with DCS on this one. We live in a very egalitarian society where we like to think that everyone is pretty much equal and the only thing that really separates us from each other is how hard we work. But that just isn't reality.

As much as it infuriates those among us who have to study hours upon hours for lowly B's and the occasional A, people like DCS are really not that uncommon. There are plenty of folks out there who can still pull A's and high B's only studying the night before and plenty of people who working their butts off for low C's. We'd like to think of people like DCS as exceptions because nobody wants to admit to himself that so many of his peers are smarter than he is. The truth is though, that DCS is probably not Steven Hawking - just a slightly above average dental student. It's just the way things are.

And I stand by my statement that a good college senior armed with the dental decks and old exams could pass boards part one (except maybe dental anatomy) without ever setting foot in a dental school. He may not score that high, but he could certainly pass. Most of the questions are simply not that difficult; sure, there are some tough ones thrown in so the gunners will still have to work for their 90s but most of it seems to be pretty straightforward.

What was it the OP asked again? 😀

 

[DcS]

I'm going to have to agree with DCS on this one. We live in a very egalitarian society where we like to think that everyone is pretty much equal and the only thing that really separates us from each other is how hard we work. But that just isn't reality.

As much as it infuriates those among us who have to study hours upon hours for lowly B's and the occasional A, people like Inn2 are really not that uncommon. There are plenty of folks out there who can still pull A's and high B's only studying the night before and plenty of people who working their butts off for low C's. We'd like to think of people like Inn2 as exceptions because nobody wants to admit to himself that so many of his peers are smarter than he is. The truth is though, that Inn2 is probably not Steven Hawking - just a slightly above average dental student. It's just the way things are.

And I stand by my statement that a good college senior armed with the dental decks and old exams could pass boards part one (except maybe dental anatomy) without ever setting foot in a dental school. He may not score that high, but he could certainly pass. Most of the questions are simply not that difficult; sure, there are some tough ones thrown in so the gunners will still have to work for their 90s but most of it seems to be pretty straightforward.

What was it the OP asked again? 😀

I agree with the above. Thank you for seeing my point of view, and I also agree that a college Sr could pass boards armed with decks and old exams...assuming they were crazy enough to have the motivation.

 

[trypmo]

I agree with the above. Thank you for seeing my point of view, and I also agree that a college Sr could pass boards armed with decks and old exams...assuming they were crazy enough to have the motivation.

Oh, so you mean it's not normal to have a set of dental decks before you get to dental school? 😉

 

[Dr.SpongeBobDDS]

Oh, so you mean it's not normal to have a set of dental decks before you get to dental school? 😉

 

[ItsGavinC]

Oh, so you mean it's not normal to have a set of dental decks before you get to dental school? 😉

Only if you have a set and haven't received any acceptances yet.

 

[UNLV OMS GUNNABE]

If you only study 1-2 days before the exam, you can pass with a C. Assuming you are a good crammer, last minute person.

If you study awaken minute of your life, live in library, you'll get A.

Plan your schedule wisely, and you'll be fine.

I don't know about anywhere else but where I'm at this statement is not true. Maybe my school is easier, if so then I'm kind of glad because I like to see my kid every once in a while. But I would say that in general you don't have to spend every waking minute studying to get A's. Sure, for certain tests you'll have to study a lot but there are a lot of tests that you can ace in 1-2 days of good studying.

 

[ItsGavinC]

I don't know about anywhere else but where I'm at this statement is not true. Maybe my school is easier, if so then I'm kind of glad because I like to see my kid every once in a while. But I would say that in general you don't have to spend every waking minute studying to get A's. Sure, for certain tests you'll have to study a lot but there are a lot of tests that you can ace in 1-2 days of good studying.

I'm in agreeance with this from my vantage point.

 

[trypmo]

Only if you have a set and haven't received any acceptances yet.

Ah, thanks for clearing that up. 🙄

 

[Dr.SpongeBobDDS]

Dude, you're the one who's getting worked up over nothing. I'm sorry I used you name in that post, I meant to say DCs who had mentioned that he only studied the night before exams and still made good grades. The post makes a lot more sense if you read it that way.

BTW, I like how you couldn't come back with any retort so you come up with every lame personal attack you can think of. My screen name? Egalitarian? Mama's boy?

I though we were having a civilized discussion, not whatever you've made it out to be. Settle down, it's just the internet.

 

[DcS]

We live in a very egalitarian society where we like to think that everyone is pretty much equal and the only thing that really separates us from each other is how hard we work. But that just isn't reality.

This quote makes perfect sense to me, I'm not sure what that nonsensical babbling two posts up was about 😕 In any case, for the amount that I study and the grades that I get, I sleep fine knowing that in my class I can name at least 5 people right off the bat who are absolutely brilliant and I couldn't hold a candle to. I think at this level of our education (our as in dental students collectively), some people have a hard time admitting that even at such a high degree of education, there is still a bell curve of intelligence/learning ability. That's why I think posts about "how much do you study", or "how do be in the top 10% of my class" are useless. What works for one person can be totally irrelevant for another. Some people learn everything by sitting in a class lecture. Others, like myself, can't process audibly, but rather through the reading of material. My best advice to anyone in dental school or applying is what someone above suggested. At this point in your life, you know what works for YOU. Stick with it, trust it, and go with it.

 

[ItsGavinC]

This quote makes perfect sense to me, I'm not sure what that nonsensical babbling two posts up was about 😕 In any case, for the amount that I study and the grades that I get, I sleep fine knowing that in my class I can name at least 5 people right off the bat who are absolutely brilliant and I couldn't hold a candle to. I think at this level of our education (our as in dental students collectively), some people have a hard time admitting that even at such a high degree of education, there is still a bell curve of intelligence/learning ability. That's why I think posts about "how much do you study", or "how do be in the top 10% of my class" are useless. What works for one person can be totally irrelevant for another. Some people learn everything by sitting in a class lecture. Others, like myself, can't process audibly, but rather through the reading of material. My best advice to anyone in dental school or applying is what someone above suggested. At this point in your life, you know what works for YOU. Stick with it, trust it, and go with it.

Excellent post. I agree with everything you said, even to the point of how you can't learn audibly. I find myself in the same boat.

 

[lnn2]

This quote makes perfect sense to me, I'm not sure what that nonsensical babbling two posts up was about 😕 In any case, for the amount that I study and the grades that I get, I sleep fine knowing that in my class I can name at least 5 people right off the bat who are absolutely brilliant and I couldn't hold a candle to. I think at this level of our education (our as in dental students collectively), some people have a hard time admitting that even at such a high degree of education, there is still a bell curve of intelligence/learning ability. That's why I think posts about "how much do you study", or "how do be in the top 10% of my class" are useless. What works for one person can be totally irrelevant for another. Some people learn everything by sitting in a class lecture. Others, like myself, can't process audibly, but rather through the reading of material. My best advice to anyone in dental school or applying is what someone above suggested. At this point in your life, you know what works for YOU. Stick with it, trust it, and go with it.

 

[lnn2]

Dude, you're the one who's getting worked up over nothing. I'm sorry I used you name in that post, I meant to say DCs who had mentioned that he only studied the night before exams and still made good grades. The post makes a lot more sense if you read it that way.

BTW, I like how you couldn't come back with any retort so you come up with every lame personal attack you can think of. My screen name? Egalitarian? Mama's boy?

I though we were having a civilized discussion, not whatever you've made it out to be. Settle down, it's just the internet.

I've deleted my post since it's not applying to me anymore.

Sorry about making fun of u, really! I felt very very bad about it 😀

Let's have more civilized discussions, shall we 😀