Grad vs. Undergrad classes

[coolslugs]

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Hi everyone...I am just wondering...

What do you think of these classes compared to when you took them at a undergraduate institution? More difficult/easier? Do you spend more time studying for each class? How are the content, depth, and format of the exams? Any studying tips or useful studying guides?

Biochemistry
Human Anatomy
Physiology
Histology
Microbiology
Pharmacology

Thanks!! 🙂

 

[zoralsurgeon]

Hi everyone...I am just wondering...

What do you think of these classes compared to when you took them at a undergraduate institution? More difficult/easier? Do you spend more time studying for each class? How are the content, depth, and format of the exams? Any studying tips or useful studying guides?

Biochemistry
Human Anatomy
Physiology
Histology
Microbiology
Pharmacology

Thanks!! 🙂

Hey! I’m glad you asked this…I was wondering about this as well but didn’t ever post! PS- you got to take pharmacology at your undergrad?? Mine doesn’t even offer it! I wish they did! What book did you use??? I really want to buy a book to teach myself some yet this summer (yep, I’m a geek, lol)…

 

[zoralsurgeon]

Hey! I’m glad you asked this…I was wondering about this as well but didn’t ever post! PS- you got to take pharmacology at your undergrad?? Mine doesn’t even offer it! I wish they did! What book did you use??? I really want to buy a book to teach myself some yet this summer (yep, I’m a geek, lol)…

 

[coolslugs]

Hey! I’m glad you asked this…I was wondering about this as well but didn’t ever post! PS- you got to take pharmacology at your undergrad?? Mine doesn’t even offer it! I wish they did! What book did you use??? I really want to buy a book to teach myself some yet this summer (yep, I’m a geek, lol)…

I actually only took Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry at my undergrad. I am about to start a grad program...I am just trying to get a feel for grad level classes.

 

[robhmnt]

Those courses are mostly conceptual in undergrad. I remember learning more about concepts in undergrad physiology, and very few details. For example, it would take an entire session for the professor to teach how and why the interpleural fluid pressure changes (and folks would still be confused), while the same thing was taught at D-school in about ten minutes. The rest of the time is obviously spent on shooting you with tons of details, which you will have to memorize for the tests. what about concepts if you don't understand them? Go figure them out in the book, which obviously takes time. So basically, you should get to learn the difficult concepts (cos you will definitely get tough conceptual questions on the tests), and memorize tons of information on the sidelines. This increases the volume by at least 5-folds, IMO. It's still doable though. Just depends on how dedicated you are.

Same with biochem. In undergrad, you mainly learn the enzymes, reactants, and products of the TCA cycle, while in D-school you have to memorize different types of inhibitors of each enzyme, complex, etc also. Basically, the volume of the junk material increases by multiple folds.

 

[USCbiograd]

Those courses are mostly conceptual in undergrad. I remember learning more about concepts in undergrad physiology, and very few details. For example, it would take an entire session for the professor to teach how and why the interpleural fluid pressure changes (and folks would still be confused), while the same thing was taught at D-school in about ten minutes. The rest of the time is obviously spent on shooting you with tons of details, which you will have to memorize for the tests. what about concepts if you don't understand them? Go figure them out in the book, which obviously takes time. So basically, you should get to learn the difficult concepts (cos you will definitely get tough conceptual questions on the tests), and memorize tons of information on the sidelines. This increases the volume by at least 5-folds, IMO. It's still doable though. Just depends on how dedicated you are.

Same with biochem. In undergrad, you mainly learn the enzymes, reactants, and products of the TCA cycle, while in D-school you have to memorize different types of inhibitors of each enzyme, complex, etc also. Basically, the volume of the junk material increases by multiple folds.

I agree, the courses in Dental school are much more memorization oriented than conceptual. You are essentially given at least a thousand facts to memorize, and on the test you will have to account for around 100 of these facts. The biggest surprise to me in the transition to dental school, was that amount of work/random nature of the tests. When I was an undergraduate/graduate (I did a master's degree before D-school) student I always thought that professional school students were just whining a lot when saying how much material that they covered. But the unfortunate truth is that the majority of your classwork will consist of memorizing thousands of facts with little to no conceptual work involved.

 

[Locutus of Borg]

Well, in my undergrad, I took a full year course on immunology. The exam covered everything from September to April, totaling 4000+ Power Point slides worth of material. Nearly all of it was dry memorization of cytokines, inflammatory pathways, immunogenetics, transplantation, autoimmunity, tissues, molecular structures of Igs, and tumour immunology. Is this easier than d-school courses?

 

[USCbiograd]

Well, in my undergrad, I took a full year course on immunology. The exam covered everything from September to April, totaling 4000+ Power Point slides worth of material. Nearly all of it was dry memorization of cytokines, inflammatory pathways, immunogenetics, transplantation, autoimmunity, tissues, molecular structures of Igs, and tumour immunology. Is this easier than d-school courses?

Most likely. The amount of material that you all covered in a full year would likely be equivalent to the amount of material covered in less than a semester in a dental school course. You will need to study 3-4 hours a day (outside of class time, which will be 8-5pm most days) just to keep up with the material, and you will still feel behind.

 

[zoralsurgeon]

Most likely. The amount of material that you all covered in a full year would likely be equivalent to the amount of material covered in less than a semester in a dental school course. You will need to study 3-4 hours a day (outside of class time, which will be 8-5pm most days) just to keep up with the material, and you will still feel behind.

Lol! You are making me intimidated!!! lol!!! Is it like this for the first 2 years primarily? Then we start actually...doing work on patients, correct?

 

[USCbiograd]

Lol! You are making me intimidated!!! lol!!! Is it like this for the first 2 years primarily? Then we start actually...doing work on patients, correct?

That is correct, but there are some early clinics in the first 2 years (dental assisting, etc.). Don't worry once you get accepted to dental school, you will be so happy just to be there that you'll put up with just about anything.

 

[zoralsurgeon]

That is correct, but there are some early clinics in the first 2 years (dental assisting, etc.). Don't worry once you get accepted to dental school, you will be so happy just to be there that you'll put up with just about anything.

haha🙂 I am accepted for fall 2011! (In a combined program🙂) Thanks for your words of encouragement! I am PUMPED! Just shadowed my OMFS today (Usually 3 times a week) and saw some awesome things...the best was 9 extractions with 2 immediate implants with bone grafts....in an hour..impressive, eh? lol

 

[Lopyswine]

haha🙂 I am accepted for fall 2011! (In a combined program🙂) Thanks for your words of encouragement! I am PUMPED! Just shadowed my OMFS today (Usually 3 times a week) and saw some awesome things...the best was 9 extractions with 2 immediate implants with bone grafts....in an hour..impressive, eh? lol

what's a combined program?

 

[zoralsurgeon]

what's a combined program?

Simply put, I was accepted into an undergraduate program (with 2 other students in my state), where we obtain a BS in Biology with a Human Biology Option. I opted to also pursue a BA in Business. Anyway, upon successful completion of this and the DAT (Took the DAT as a sophomore in May) we have automatic acceptance to our DS. Thus, I will be attending DS in 2 years, class of 2015 🙂

 

[Lopyswine]

Simply put, I was accepted into an undergraduate program (with 2 other students in my state), where we obtain a BS in Biology with a Human Biology Option. I opted to also pursue a BA in Business. Anyway, upon successful completion of this and the DAT (Took the DAT as a sophomore in May) we have automatic acceptance to our DS. Thus, I will be attending DS in 2 years, class of 2015 🙂

you are posting this often on a forum and you not even starting school for 2 years???

 

[zoralsurgeon]

you are posting this often on a forum and you not even starting school for 2 years???

well I created the account in May when I ran across this studying for the DAT which I took in late May. And since then, I set my settings on instant notification, so when someone replies to a post in any forum it lets me easily post again..I mean I hang out mostly in the DAT and pre-dent sections, but sometimes a topic sparks my interest in here...I hope you don't mind...I'm just trying to learn new things!! Can't hurt, right 😛?! This summer I took 4 business courses to come 2 classes away from completing my business degree – so that was my job. In my free time, I hike, play tennis, basketball, golf, shadow my OMFS, and get on the net…SDN…and facebook in particular, lol…I visit the DS usually a few times a month...shadow the students; talk with the prof's...and hang out with some friends that are in DS on the weekends..idk; I just enjoy the SDN atmosphere...I didnt think 2.4 posts a day was often...but hey...lol....Oh, and 2 years..you make it sound like its a long time...if the last 2 go as fast as the first 2, DS will be here in no time...so i better be prepared, lol...which, is why i am indeed, here.