Had I known...

[duh?]

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Hi people. If you don't mind sharing your wealth of experience,
1. What are the most important lessons you've learnt about Dental school and surviving as a Dental student?
2. What are some of the misconceptions about D-school that you went in with and how did you (learn to) correct them?
3.What is the single, MOST important piece of advice you can give to us pre-matriculants at this stage of our education?
Basically, what are some of the things you wish someone would have told you about dentistry or dental school before you enrolled? Thank you for your responses. 👍 😀

 

[phremius]

Hi people. If you don't mind sharing your wealth of experience,
1. What are the most important lessons you've learnt about Dental school and surviving as a Dental student?
2. What are some of the misconceptions about D-school that you went in with and how did you (learn to) correct them?
3.What is the single, MOST important advice you can give to us pre-matriculants at this stage of our education?
Basically, what are some of the things you wish someone would have told you about dentistry or dental school before you enrolled? Thank you for your responses. 👍 😀

1) that dental school is high school

2) that dental school is hard. This is the biggest myth that's perpetuated by dental students. No! It's bull ****! It's hard to do well yes, but to do ok and pass? Easier than undergrad.... provided you do the work. You will not fail, and if you do fail, you're definitely subpar in terms of studying habits/abilities.

3) When in doubt, shut the hell up.

 

[duh?]

Thanks Phremius! 👍

 

[BeachLuvr]

1. What are the most important lessons you've learnt about Dental school and surviving as a Dental student?
--> Doing well in dental school is more than just smarts...it's mostly time management. If you can come up with a plan before things get overwhelming, you'll be better off.
2. What are some of the misconceptions about D-school that you went in with and how did you (learn to) correct them?
--> I thought dental school would be harder than it is. I mean...it's not easy, but the hard part is in the sheer amount of material being covered. For me, it wasn't the material itself that was difficult (it actually can be quite interesting) ... it's more the pace. Having a good schedule in place and sticking to it can make your life worlds better.
3.What is the single, MOST important piece of advice you can give to us pre-matriculants at this stage of our education?
--> Hmmm... the excitement, vigor, and anticipation you have now...bottle that feeling up and remind yourself of it later....when the nights get long, the testing schedule intense, and your waxups are driving you crazy. Stay humble, and remember that all of your classmates are going through the same things. You all can be a huge encouragement to each other.

Best wishes!

Beachluvr

c/o 09 UTDB-Houston

 

[Sweeti8286]

Hi people. If you don't mind sharing your wealth of experience,
1. What are the most important lessons you've learnt about Dental school and surviving as a Dental student?
2. What are some of the misconceptions about D-school that you went in with and how did you (learn to) correct them?
3.What is the single, MOST important piece of advice you can give to us pre-matriculants at this stage of our education?
Basically, what are some of the things you wish someone would have told you about dentistry or dental school before you enrolled? Thank you for your responses. 👍 😀

1. Manage your time well! Don't wait til the last minute to study- otherwise you're gauranteed to have all nighters. (So far the latest I've went to bed was 2:30AM with procrastination til the last minute...I am going to change that this semester hopefully.)

2. D-school isn't as hard as people made it out to be. As long as you put in the time and effort, you will succeed. It's just how well you do relative to others is what makes things hard. But that doesn't matter- as long as you pass, the sun will shine and life goes on.

3. I would say, put in the effort to learn and do well in your upper biology classes...like biochemistry, immunonology, physiology, etc. It will give you a good headstart or at least a good background to help you through the bookwork during first two years of dental school. As far as things I wish people told me about dentistry before I enrolled--I just learn as I go. So far, nothing too surprising or odd that I've come across in the classes or during assisting in the clinics--just the usual.

 

[psiyung]

Hi people. If you don't mind sharing your wealth of experience,
1. What are the most important lessons you've learnt about Dental school and surviving as a Dental student?
2. What are some of the misconceptions about D-school that you went in with and how did you (learn to) correct them?
3.What is the single, MOST important piece of advice you can give to us pre-matriculants at this stage of our education?
Basically, what are some of the things you wish someone would have told you about dentistry or dental school before you enrolled? Thank you for your responses. 👍 😀

I thnk you'd be better off asking 4th year students about their experiences. I had a blast my first year, but school starts getting politically motivated after that for some reason.

 

[duh?]

Thank you so much BeachLuvr, Sweeti8286 and psiyung. 👍 👍 👍

 

[teefRcool]

great thread

 

[Darksunshine]

1) that dental school is high school

2) that dental school is hard. This is the biggest myth that's perpetuated by dental students. No! It's bull ****! It's hard to do well yes, but to do ok and pass? Easier than undergrad.... provided you do the work. You will not fail, and if you do fail, you're definitely subpar in terms of studying habits/abilities.

3) When in doubt, shut the hell up.

LOL, so true. I would also add, JUST RELAX, dental students are WAY too uptight. 😉

 

[BeachLuvr]

LOL, so true. I would also add, JUST RELAX, dental students are WAY too uptight. 😉

That's for dang sure ~

 

[aphistis]

I thnk you'd be better off asking 4th year students about their experiences. I had a blast my first year, but school starts getting politically motivated after that for some reason.

I was kinda thinking the same thing. I don't want to discourage anyone since personal experience will always vary, but looking from a little further into the curriculum, it's worth noting that most of the folks saying dental school isn't hard are D1's. I would've said the same thing two years ago, but my opinion is a little different now. In my experience, pre-dents and early dental students tend to think that the rigor of the academic component is the only factor influencing dental school's difficulty. Heck, I was one of them. Unfortunately, that isn't true by a long shot.

When I tell someone dental school can be difficult, I'm only barely, if even at all, thinking about scribbling lecture notes & filling multiple-choice bubbles. Most of the difficulty comes from having to put out fires that appear unexpectedly out of nowhere, that aren't your fault, but that you're still expected to deal with & work around. The only experience I've had that adequately compares was Army basic training (boot camp, to the jarheads 😉).

It's tough to effectively describe the hassle of dental school since so few people I've met have a comparable experience they can relate it to. Yes, almost everyone gets to the end, but that's not the same as breezing through it without a care or worry.

 

[psiyung]

I was kinda thinking the same thing. I don't want to discourage anyone since personal experience will always vary, but looking from a little further into the curriculum, it's worth noting that most of the folks saying dental school isn't hard are D1's. I would've said the same thing two years ago, but my opinion is a little different now. In my experience, pre-dents and early dental students tend to think that the rigor of the academic component is the only factor influencing dental school's difficulty. Heck, I was one of them. Unfortunately, that isn't true by a long shot.

When I tell someone dental school can be difficult, I'm only barely, if even at all, thinking about scribbling lecture notes & filling multiple-choice bubbles. Most of the difficulty comes from having to put out fires that appear unexpectedly out of nowhere, that aren't your fault, but that you're still expected to deal with & work around. The only experience I've had that adequately compares was Army basic training (boot camp, to the jarheads 😉).

It's tough to effectively describe the hassle of dental school since so few people I've met have a comparable experience they can relate it to. Yes, almost everyone gets to the end, but that's not the same as breezing through it without a care or worry.

👍 👍

 

[BallDontLie]

I was kinda thinking the same thing. I don't want to discourage anyone since personal experience will always vary, but looking from a little further into the curriculum, it's worth noting that most of the folks saying dental school isn't hard are D1's. I would've said the same thing two years ago, but my opinion is a little different now. In my experience, pre-dents and early dental students tend to think that the rigor of the academic component is the only factor influencing dental school's difficulty. Heck, I was one of them. Unfortunately, that isn't true by a long shot.

When I tell someone dental school can be difficult, I'm only barely, if even at all, thinking about scribbling lecture notes & filling multiple-choice bubbles. Most of the difficulty comes from having to put out fires that appear unexpectedly out of nowhere, that aren't your fault, but that you're still expected to deal with & work around. The only experience I've had that adequately compares was Army basic training (boot camp, to the jarheads 😉).

It's tough to effectively describe the hassle of dental school since so few people I've met have a comparable experience they can relate it to. Yes, almost everyone gets to the end, but that's not the same as breezing through it without a care or worry.

Could you give us a little more detail?? I'm curious to know what kind of things you are talking about...

 

[duh?]

I was kinda thinking the same thing. I don't want to discourage anyone since personal experience will always vary, but looking from a little further into the curriculum, it's worth noting that most of the folks saying dental school isn't hard are D1's. I would've said the same thing two years ago, but my opinion is a little different now. In my experience, pre-dents and early dental students tend to think that the rigor of the academic component is the only factor influencing dental school's difficulty. Heck, I was one of them. Unfortunately, that isn't true by a long shot.

When I tell someone dental school can be difficult, I'm only barely, if even at all, thinking about scribbling lecture notes & filling multiple-choice bubbles. Most of the difficulty comes from having to put out fires that appear unexpectedly out of nowhere, that aren't your fault, but that you're still expected to deal with & work around. The only experience I've had that adequately compares was Army basic training (boot camp, to the jarheads 😉).

It's tough to effectively describe the hassle of dental school since so few people I've met have a comparable experience they can relate it to. Yes, almost everyone gets to the end, but that's not the same as breezing through it without a care or worry.

Thanks for your input Aphistis. Would you please elaborate on your statements to give us a better idea? Thanks.

 

[gryffindor]

Could you give us a little more detail?? I'm curious to know what kind of things you are talking about...

Ever read the Harry Potter books by J. K. Rowling? Some of us read them during dental school and couldn't stop thinking about how similar the dental school experience is to the Hogwart's school year. Buying supplies & wardrobe for school, annoying classmates around 24/7, teachers out to get you, memorizing pages of useless minutia, a slew of end of the year finals all at once and hoping you pass them to move on, having your potions blow up in your face and you have to start over, meeting friends who stick with you through good & bad, finding 1 teacher who really makes a difference in your education, etc. etc.

It sounds corny, but did anyone notice this?

 

[grant555]

I was kinda thinking the same thing. I don't want to discourage anyone since personal experience will always vary, but looking from a little further into the curriculum, it's worth noting that most of the folks saying dental school isn't hard are D1's. I would've said the same thing two years ago, but my opinion is a little different now. In my experience, pre-dents and early dental students tend to think that the rigor of the academic component is the only factor influencing dental school's difficulty. Heck, I was one of them. Unfortunately, that isn't true by a long shot.

When I tell someone dental school can be difficult, I'm only barely, if even at all, thinking about scribbling lecture notes & filling multiple-choice bubbles. Most of the difficulty comes from having to put out fires that appear unexpectedly out of nowhere, that aren't your fault, but that you're still expected to deal with & work around. The only experience I've had that adequately compares was Army basic training (boot camp, to the jarheads 😉).

It's tough to effectively describe the hassle of dental school since so few people I've met have a comparable experience they can relate it to. Yes, almost everyone gets to the end, but that's not the same as breezing through it without a care or worry.

This is one of the most cogent posts I have read in a long time since it effectively relates the hardships of the dental school experience to dental students themselves while simultaneously highlighting the difficulties in explaining the rigors of the curriculum to those who have not experienced it first-hand.

One of the most frustrating facets of dental school is the inability to speak to others about the difficulties involved due to lack of time and/or lack of an experienced ear. Well done.

 

[duh?]

bump.

 

[psiyung]

Ever read the Harry Potter books by J. K. Rowling? Some of us read them during dental school and couldn't stop thinking about how similar the dental school experience is to the Hogwart's school year. Buying supplies & wardrobe for school, annoying classmates around 24/7, teachers out to get you, memorizing pages of useless minutia, a slew of end of the year finals all at once and hoping you pass them to move on, having your potions blow up in your face and you have to start over, meeting friends who stick with you through good & bad, finding 1 teacher who really makes a difference in your education, etc. etc.

It sounds corny, but did anyone notice this?

Heh. Dejavu my good man. My life in dental school has been exactly what you described and then some. There are some factors involved in dental school that I have never encountered in my life. I want everyone to note that I was a hard working undergrad student who labored through four years of a pretty tough school. So in no way should you guys think that I am some sort of baby for whining about some of the ridiculous rules that are "invisibly" applied to the whole dental experience. My biggest problem has not come in the bookwork, but the unfair lab and clinical grading that is done at my school. I swear to CHIIIIRIST, I do better work than a lot of my colleagues, and yet get lower grades than they do. The amount of ass kissing that some of my classmates do is surreal and I have NO DOUBT that this is one of the reasons why my ranking has slipped over the past year. So, the number one rule of dental school survival is this: kiss as much tail as possible.

 

[Darksunshine]

Heh. Dejavu my good man. My life in dental school has been exactly what you described and then some. There are some factors involved in dental school that I have never encountered in my life. I want everyone to note that I was a hard working undergrad student who labored through four years of a pretty tough school. So in no way should you guys think that I am some sort of baby for whining about some of the ridiculous rules that are "invisibly" applied to the whole dental experience. My biggest problem has not come in the bookwork, but the unfair lab and clinical grading that is done at my school. I swear to CHIIIIRIST, I do better work than a lot of my colleagues, and yet get lower grades than they do. The amount of ass kissing that some of my classmates do is surreal and I have NO DOUBT that this is one of the reasons why my ranking has slipped over the past year. So, the number one rule of dental school survival is this: kiss as much tail as possible.

I have heard that recommendation from a lot of the 4th year dental students. It is some what defeating to hear them say that when I am sure that we all wish we were being graded strictly on the criteria and merit of our work. Although I know that clinical classes do call for some level of subjectivity because some of dentistry is perception, and artistic skill, BUT it sounds like some faculty don't take that into account as much as "tail" kissing.

 

[v&andy_yankee]

yup, it's exactly like hogwarts

 

[sjdent]

1. What are the most important lessons you've learnt about Dental school and surviving as a Dental student?

- Manage your time wisely and hit the books running.
- There are some seriously annoying people in every class. They most likely are all applying to specialities.
- Don't take it TOO seriously. You'll make yourself crazy. Try your best and it will be good enough.
- College is NOT easier than dental school.


2. What are some of the misconceptions about D-school that you went in with and how did you (learn to) correct them?

---That dental school is mostly "working with your hands" and "it's all about artistry." HA! I suck at sciences and am probably the only person here that seriously struggled in dental school! I did fine in lab and on clinic but the first couple years of biochem, anat, and path just about broke me. When I passed part 1, I practically cried! It's definitely an equal mix of hand work and class work. Don't let anyone fool you about how gosh darn easy it is. Well, it's not THAT easy, people! It's not like you can come drunk to class every day....unless you're a freakin' genius. Most people put in some serious time and discipline the first couple years. How did I correct these problems? Well, I studied damn hard and managed my time wisely. Good lord, I'm burned out though! 😱

3.What is the single, MOST important piece of advice you can give to us pre-matriculants at this stage of our education?

---I think the best thing you could do is spend as much time in a dental office as you possibly can...find a dentist who will mentor you and answer all your Q's. Spend time really soaking up what he is doing day to day. Ask lots of friends who have gone to dental school all about their experiences. Take all the extra sciences you can while still in college to prepare you - wish I had! Good luck! 🙄

 

[duh?]

I have learnt a lot from y'all's input. I think i'm getting a better idea of what dental school may be like. I understand that I will not really know all until i start but you people have given a lot of invaluable advice and information. Thank you so much! Anybody else willing to tell about their own experiences? I am so grateful to all the people that have contributed to this. 👍

 

[dentalman]

1. Help your fellow students out. It will come back to you.
2. You will have NO IDEA what dentistry really is until third year of dental school. (Okay, maybe a little during second year).
3. Do as well as you can on Boards part I. I thought I was doing general dentistry, but then wanted to specialize. If I had slacked on Boards part I, it would be much harder. On the same note - do some research even if you don't want to.

 

[Rube]

Hi people. If you don't mind sharing your wealth of experience,
1. What are the most important lessons you've learnt about Dental school and surviving as a Dental student?
2. What are some of the misconceptions about D-school that you went in with and how did you (learn to) correct them?
3.What is the single, MOST important piece of advice you can give to us pre-matriculants at this stage of our education?
Basically, what are some of the things you wish someone would have told you about dentistry or dental school before you enrolled? Thank you for your responses. 👍 😀

1. Study 6 nights a week. Take 1 night off to have fun.

2. The clinical requirements can be just as challenging as the academic ones.
Its not just fun-time arts and crafts. Although, you should try and have fun anyway.

3. Go and work as a dental assistant in a dental office. See what dentistry is really all about. If you like this experience, you'll be equipped to put things into proper perspective when things get tough in school or when you're classmates start telling you specializing is the only way to go or whatever. Perspective is the key to dealing with the hype.

 

[darius99]

On the same note - do some research even if you don't want to.

why do u suggest research? u mean in case u decide to specialize?

 

[dentalman]

Yes. Only for that reason. So if you are sure you don't want to, then you really don't have to.

 

[Lephisto]

Ever read the Harry Potter books by J. K. Rowling? Some of us read them during dental school and couldn't stop thinking about how similar the dental school experience is to the Hogwart's school year. Buying supplies & wardrobe for school, annoying classmates around 24/7, teachers out to get you, memorizing pages of useless minutia, a slew of end of the year finals all at once and hoping you pass them to move on, having your potions blow up in your face and you have to start over, meeting friends who stick with you through good & bad, finding 1 teacher who really makes a difference in your education, etc. etc.

It sounds corny, but did anyone notice this?

Buffalo is definitely like that...

Gryffindor: regular dental students
Ravenclaw: people who study far too much for their own good
HufflePUFF: potheads who do shockingly well in school
Slytherin: anyone from long island


death eaters: anatomy professors
azkaban: our lovely pre clinical lab in a basement with no windows
ministry of magic: the ADA
Hagrid: Dr. Ferry
hogsmead: any bar
quidditch: beer pong and flipcup
mudblood: a person without dentists or doctors as parents

sadly, I'm a mudblood in the house of hufflepuff who loves quidditch

and obviously puffed way too much before writing this post

 

[phremius]

Buffalo is definitely like that...

Gryffindor: regular dental students
Ravenclaw: people who study far too much for their own good
HufflePUFF: potheads who do shockingly well in school
Slytherin: anyone from long island


death eaters: anatomy professors
azkaban: our lovely pre clinical lab in a basement with no windows
ministry of magic: the ADA
Hagrid: Dr. Ferry
hogsmead: any bar
quidditch: beer pong and flipcup
mudblood: a person without dentists or doctors as parents

sadly, I'm a mudblood in the house of hufflepuff who loves quidditch

and obviously puffed way too much before writing this post

this is really funny!

 

[duh?]

Buffalo is definitely like that...

Gryffindor: regular dental students
Ravenclaw: people who study far too much for their own good
HufflePUFF: potheads who do shockingly well in school
Slytherin: anyone from long island


death eaters: anatomy professors
azkaban: our lovely pre clinical lab in a basement with no windows
ministry of magic: the ADA
Hagrid: Dr. Ferry
hogsmead: any bar
quidditch: beer pong and flipcup
mudblood: a person without dentists or doctors as parents

sadly, I'm a mudblood in the house of hufflepuff who loves quidditch

and obviously puffed way too much before writing this post

NICE!

 

[hockeydentist]

NICE!

So whos this at buffalo

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Ralphfiennesvoldemort.JPG

 

[gryffindor]

Buffalo is definitely like that...

Gryffindor: regular dental students
Ravenclaw: people who study far too much for their own good
HufflePUFF: potheads who do shockingly well in school
Slytherin: anyone from long island


death eaters: anatomy professors
azkaban: our lovely pre clinical lab in a basement with no windows
ministry of magic: the ADA
Hagrid: Dr. Ferry
hogsmead: any bar
quidditch: beer pong and flipcup
mudblood: a person without dentists or doctors as parents

sadly, I'm a mudblood in the house of hufflepuff who loves quidditch

and obviously puffed way too much before writing this post

Poor Lephisto, if you are in first year, you will only realize more and more the similarities between Buffalo and Hogwarts.

4 houses = 4 clinic tiers
Sorting hat = day you find out which clinic tier you are in
OWLS & NEWTS = NBDE, NERB

Voldemort = the associate deans (academic & clinical) who stand between you and graduation.

Admit it people, you all know a Hermione in your classes.