D3 - I survived the first 2 years of dental school. AMA!

[8_man]

I also just finished with Summer clinic-currently on vacation so I have some time to kill. Ask away!

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[roma14]

What's the best study tip you can give for staying on top of the heavy science course load during the first couple years? Thanks

 

[Life of Pablo]

How many hours of lol each week were you able to balance with classes?

 

[FanOfCostco]

How many hours of lol each week were you able to balance with classes?

I can answer this one for him. The same amount of hours he’s sitting in class.

 

[8_man]

What's the best study tip you can give for staying on top of the heavy science course load during the first couple years? Thanks

In general:
Exams come in waves, and it gets worse closer to finals week (typically). You're looking at 8-15 finals in the span of a week or two. It's important to study hard for your first round of midterms to secure a high score. This will give you some buffer room later on when you don't have enough time to study for all your classes.

Specifics:
For me, I skip writing study guides and go straight to making flashcards on Quizlet. Some people swear by Anki, but just use whatever you're more comfortable with. Reason I do this is because I definitely did not have enough time to spend typing out notes and reading it over. I would just make flashcards, memorize, and then dump as I move onto the next exam.

 

[8_man]

How many hours of lol each week were you able to balance with classes?

I suppose if you factor in 15 min queue times and assume 30 min per game...

403 games last year = 302.25 hours

223 games this year = 167.25 hours, and we're a little over halfway through the year. Not on pace to break record though.

 

[deleted903013]

How difficult is lab work compared to lecture? Does everyone seem to get a handle on it eventually if they put in the time?

 

[8_man]

How difficult is lab work compared to lecture? Does everyone seem to get a handle on it eventually if they put in the time?

Each lab has their own learning curves, so my experience might not be the same for others. I did have some difficulty in the beginning, with fixed prosth lab being the hardest. But with enough practice, you'll get the hang of it. Pretty much everyone does, so I wouldn't worry about it.

Overall, I think that doing well in lecture is straightforward. We've been doing it all throughout undergrad (and masters programs for some). The hardest part about dental school is time management and staying motivated, which can be difficult when you are spending long hours in the lab trying to drill a prep for the 10th time. So to answer your question, I think lab is a lot harder than lecture. But once you get the hang of using a handpiece, you'll be able to reallocate your time towards just studying.