Let me think back my 3rd year. It's the time when real clinic started. No more typodont and no more manikin head. It was not an easy transition for every dental student anywhere no matter was you go. Things can be really frustrated esp when patients did not show up for their appointments. In clinic, there are no more written exam to take and no paper to write on to show how much you know. Basically, you patient's teeth is like the exam paper. If patient no shows, you can't even turn in the exam, even though you know all the stuffs. At UCSF, 3rd year students still have classes to take, all of them are specialty courses to prepare for NDB II. Classed from 8 to 9am and 1 to 2pm (M-F). Also, clinic time for 3rd year is 2days per week from 9 to 12pm and 2 to 5 pm. There are also perio clinic rotation 1 half-day/wk, plus other rotation like pedo, ortho, O.S, in selected days/wks throughout the quarter. The biggest problem for our three year students is that they don't get enough chair time. Furthermore, students need to take different responsibilities during the 2days/wk clinic time like E.R, NPV, radiology and assisting others. In my opinion, 3rd year was a though year not the part that actually treating patient but the works that our students have to do in order the get our fair chance to see patient was the toughest. I think students at school were not treated very nice. I feel like people working at UCSF(not the faculties) have the same attitude problem as those ppl working for DMV or DPT. They don't treat us with respect and they won't do anything to make your life easier. There are a lot of little problems in the clinic system that still need improvements (Like not enough faculty, staff, excessive paperwork.....) . These little things affect how clinic runs and which directly affect your quality of dental education in returns. On the other hand, there are great faculties in our school who are really delicated and willing to help. Dental school is tough but it can be better if the school have more resources. (cont later) GAB
exp at UCSF (3rd yr)
- Thread starter GAB
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