Current state of UCLA patient pool

[UNCafDDS]

Reading over older ULCA threads, I see mention of dental students having trouble finding patients and meeting graduation requirements. Newer threads indicate that the requirements have changed and that the patient pool issue is not as challenging as it used to be.

I am not clear on what changed, and whether or not current students are having issues meeting graduation requirements. Are students responsible for finding their own patients... how does the process work?

Can any current students or recent graduates weigh in? Thank you!

@artist2022 - do you have any current info on this as a D1?

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[artist2022]

For some reason, your tag did not link to me. Yes, students have to find their own patients, and schedule them too, etc. I don't really know what changed but I found out that in my team of a D4/3/2/1, the patients we get will be given to the D4 to fulfill their requirements so that there is never a fear of not meeting requirements. Not sure if that's how it is for the other teams, but for my specific one with my specific D2/3/4 and faculty mentor, that's how it is.

 

[UNCafDDS]

@artist2022 - thank you! How do you find your own patients? I have no idea how this works - you advertise? You find friends who are not dental students? I am not from CA, so if I attend UCLA I will not know anybody when I arrive. Just wondering how dental students go about getting enough patients for their team.

 

[artist2022]

@artist2022 - thank you! How do you find your own patients? I have no idea how this works - you advertise? You find friends who are not dental students? I am not from CA, so if I attend UCLA I will not know anybody when I arrive. Just wondering how dental students go about getting enough patients for their team.

No idea. I'm from here so I'd bring my friends & family but I'm not entirely sure yet. D1 is just didactic classes, D2 is when we start going into clinic. Might've been better to ask this in the UCLA thread..

@californiway21, @acesofseven, @changtw

 

[themuffinman11]

I heard majority of LA patients go to USC for some reason

 

[coldicecream]

i remember during my interview day, they mentioned they don't have trouble finding patients. Also, they are expanding their community clinic outreach to 8 weeks so it will be easier to connect and find patients.

 

[2TH MVR]

Sorry, but I find it ridiculous that students have to find their own patients. Dental school is hard enough.

 

[themuffinman11]

Sorry, but I find it ridiculous that students have to find their own patients. Dental school is hard enough.

and imagine if you're not from the area lol

 

[Life of Pablo]

Reading over older ULCA threads, I see mention of dental students having trouble finding patients and meeting graduation requirements. Newer threads indicate that the requirements have changed and that the patient pool issue is not as challenging as it used to be.

I heard majority of LA patients go to USC for some reason

What makes it tough is the area that UCLA is in. It's pretty much right next to Beverly Hills so there aren't as many underserved people (the type of patients dental schools typically attract). On the contrary, USC is in an area with many more underserved people, so they have a larger patient pool. I wouldn't worry too much about it as long as most D4s are graduating on time.

 

[Likkriue]

I would jump off a cliff If I had to try to find my own patients. Thankfully all of Long Island NY belongs to stony brook lol.

 

[Mr.Scalpel]

I'm a D3 at UCLA and I have more patients than I can handle right now. If my D4 needs something for his requirements, he has priority. You belong to a group of 2-3 students that are given access to a pool of patients for which you are either primary/secondary provider. You don't have to/need to find your own patients, but you can bring in as many as you want (which you can do at any school).

In terms of how you go about it, I'll give you an example. I was ordering at Starbucks the other day and ended up giving my card to the barista because she was telling me how difficult it was for her to afford to go to the dentist. Very casual and normal conversation.

Yes, students have to find their own patients,.

 

[artist2022]

You don't have to/need to find your own patients, but you can bring in as many as you want (which you can do at any school).

Okay this was just what I was told at like interview day/beginning of school but again I'm only a D1 so it's good to know I don't have to worry about this when I get into clinic. I just found out about how CPC teams work with D4's getting priority only this week via that Life Course project and didn't know that it was for every team- my D2 didn't know either.