How much more time consuming is the average Dental School study/lab load compare

[Stacker]

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How much more time consuming is the average Dental School study/lab load compared to my current undergraduate school load?

I don't think my classes are ridiculous but I do appear to be pushing my schedule.

Taking,
Biochemistry 4 credits, Physics 4 credits, Anatomy 4 credits, Infectious Disease 3 credits, and 1 research credit.

Monday - Classes from 1:30 pm - 7:10 pm. (Study in morning)
Tuesday - Class from 9 am - 11:50 am. Class from 1:30 -2:45 pm. Class from 4:30-7:10 pm.
Wednesday - Class from 12:30 - 4:20 pm. Volunteer at homeless shelter from 7-9 pm.
Thursday - Research from 7 am - 12 pm. Class 1:30 - 2:45 pm.
Friday - Research from 7 am - 12 pm. Class 3:30 - 4:20 pm. Church meeting from 7-9 pm.
Saturday - Study all day or go to research lab.
Sunday - Study all day or go to research lab.

I know that difficulty is relative but I don't find any of my classes hard to grasp, but I do put in the time to memorize and prepare. Study also is relative. I study hard and am attentive to how efficient I am with time. I've increased my stamina from 3 hours of studying without breaks to 4 hours of studying without breaks. I study for each exam with the aim of getting an A.

With this vague idea of what my schedule is and what I'm telling you about how difficult my load is, would you say, more like guess, whether dental school is equally difficult, 1.5x more difficult, 2x more difficult, etc. Biochemistry requires that I memorize about 150 slides per exam (4 exams), Anatomy requires that I memorize around 125 slides (4 exams), Anatomy lab requires that I memorize bones, muscles, and parallels with lecture content, Infectious disease is about the same load as Anatomy except there are only two exams, Physics has parts where concepts are easily understood with logic, others require more time, but this class only requires me to do practice problems and practice with previous exams (which professor provides). Research is very time consuming and I spend on average 10 hours a week helping out with peptide residue effectiveness against gingivitis causing odontopathogens, which I find fascinating and relevant so I enjoy spending more time in this project.

Other academic advice that you wished you'd had known before entering Dental School is also much appreciated.

Today is Friday and so I just got back from a church meeting before posting this. I am about to go study.

 

[John Durian]

Yowza. Tone it down and have some fun man.

From the looks of it, I'd say slides per class is on par with dental school, but level of difficulty and detail may differ. Also expect less time in classes and a shatload more studying outside of class/in lab.

 

[Philippines03j]

You have a pretty good undergrad schedule but Dental School is also very rigorous (even if you just want to get Bs 🙂). I believe we take about 27-29 credits a semester here at my school (Indiana).

We have lab classes and didactic courses to do in dental school. The way it is set up at my school is the D1 first semester has tests every 2 weeks (all classes on 1 test, except lab practicals). D1 second semester has tests every 3 weeks (all classes on 1 test). Then second year we have all our classes on a test every month. I am in my second year and I usually spend 2 solid weeks studying for these exams and by no means am I pulling off the high grades in the class. The week to week and a half after the exam is spent in lab trying to get projects done and get ahead before I have to study for the next exam.

For our Monthly exams (second year of dental school) we seem to have anywhere from 2,000 to 3,000 power point slides per exam.

Enjoy undergrad while you can. You will be in D-School soon enough and you will make the appropriate adjustments once you get here 👍

 

[mentlegen]

Didactic classes are very doable, at least for first semester. What really kills me is pre-clinic. Waxing is the bane of my existence, and try as I might, I can never seem to pass. In all honesty, if you hand skills are even a little shaky, you will be spending the majority of your time in lab.

 

[bing12]

do you have time for your friends?

 

[doc3232]

First of all you are getting jipped on the research lol. If someone sees 1 credit of research then they assume you are there for 3 hours a week. Fix that.

Classes in dental school have about double the information. You will also have double the classes. So didactic-wise, it's about 4x as much info. Labs take up a lot of your time and sometimes you won't have much time to study and it may be tough to balance.

But you shouldn't be worrying about this since you haven't been accepted yet and when/if (mr/mrs pre-health) you go to dental school you will find out that the potential to make time is there.

 

[Stacker]

do you have time for your friends?

I make the best of it by socializing with people during labs, meetings, and volunteering.
I'm not as happy at the moment as I would like to be. My facial expression mostly looks like this all day:
🙂l)

I was hoping D-School would ease up; obviously this was stupid of me to expect things to get easier as you move on to even higher learning.

 

[Stacker]

Could you all give me some very practical study methods that you've developed?

 

[Muggsy Bogues]

Dental school is a 35 hour work week and then you have to study about four hours a night outside of school.

 

[Muggsy Bogues]

Your Saturdays and Sundays blow. You're an undergrad. Research really doesn't matter and getting good grades doesn't requires studying all day Saturday and Sunday.

 

[Cambo21]

My suggestion is balance. You need to have some fun. Dental school is tough, but you have to have a balanced life. You will study 24/7 in dental school if you don't learn when to call it quits.

 

[doc3232]

Could you all give me some very practical study methods that you've developed?

Depends on the person, so I can't really say anything for what will work for you. You have to become more efficient and study the right material.

Dental school is a 35 hour work week and then you have to study about four hours a night outside of school.

this is very accurate, but it depends on the person also. Some can study 2 hours after classes M-F and take weekends off. Others might only get sunday off and be studying the rest of the time.

Your Saturdays and Sundays blow. You're an undergrad. Research really doesn't matter and getting good grades doesn't requires studying all day Saturday and Sunday.

Relative to dental school, undergrad is MUCH easier even if you are taking 20+ units and doing research on the side. Just remember, you're just competing with the top 10% now.

 

[AmpedUp]

It's manageable if your goal is just to pass. But yes, it's a very tough balance to strike from the get-go. At this stage of your academic studies, I wouldn't worry about simulating the schedule on the dental school level. Instead, take classes that will help you succeed in dental school, such as neuroscience, gross anatomy, physiology, histology, immunology, biochemistry, pharmacology, etc. It'll make didactics easier for you. That way you can spend more time in the lab & worry less about other stuff...

 

[Stacker]

Thanks everyone.
I'd like more clarification on what to expect from those 35 credit weeks.

http://www.dentistry.vcu.edu/current/schedules/fall2011/d2015.pdf

Would my 400 level undergraduate Anatomy course be similar Dental school's Anatomy course?

 

[peg lateral]

Thanks everyone.
I'd like more clarification on what to expect from those 35 credit weeks.

http://www.dentistry.vcu.edu/current/schedules/fall2011/d2015.pdf

Would my 400 level undergraduate Anatomy course be similar Dental school's Anatomy course?

In my experience taking an undergraduate upper division anatomy course and dental school gross anatomy, it was not similar at all in level of difficulty. I thought dental school gross anatomy was a lot harder. The tests were much more difficult in my opinion, and plus we didn't have dissection in undergrad, just lecture. So just having to memorize notes and ppt slides in undergrad vs. memorizing probably 2-4x as many ppt slides (depending on the exam) plus committing to memory several hundred terms and structures for every dissection exam-- and couple that with taking biochem, histology, dental anatomy, etc. and you have a much more difficult course in dental school. Gross anatomy is going to be a hard course wherever you go, but the schools that actually make you dissect the body (some schools have bodies already dissected for you or plasticized cadavers from what I heard) the class is probably going to be more difficult just with the added time of having to attend dissections twice a week from 2-5 or 6 or 7 or until you are done. At least that's how it was for us.

Just my opinion and personal experience.

 

[Stacker]

In my experience taking an undergraduate upper division anatomy course and dental school gross anatomy, it was not similar at all in level of difficulty. I thought dental school gross anatomy was a lot harder. The tests were much more difficult in my opinion, and plus we didn't have dissection in undergrad, just lecture. So just having to memorize notes and ppt slides in undergrad vs. memorizing probably 2-4x as many ppt slides (depending on the exam) plus committing to memory several hundred terms and structures for every dissection exam-- and couple that with taking biochem, histology, dental anatomy, etc. and you have a much more difficult course in dental school. Gross anatomy is going to be a hard course wherever you go, but the schools that actually make you dissect the body (some schools have bodies already dissected for you or plasticized cadavers from what I heard) the class is probably going to be more difficult just with the added time of having to attend dissections twice a week from 2-5 or 6 or 7 or until you are done. At least that's how it was for us.

Just my opinion and personal experience.

👍

 

[dentalWorks]

How much more time consuming is the average Dental School study/lab load compared to my current undergraduate school load?

I don't think my classes are ridiculous but I do appear to be pushing my schedule.

Taking,
Biochemistry 4 credits, Physics 4 credits, Anatomy 4 credits, Infectious Disease 3 credits, and 1 research credit.

Monday - Classes from 1:30 pm - 7:10 pm. (Study in morning)
Tuesday - Class from 9 am - 11:50 am. Class from 1:30 -2:45 pm. Class from 4:30-7:10 pm.
Wednesday - Class from 12:30 - 4:20 pm. Volunteer at homeless shelter from 7-9 pm.
Thursday - Research from 7 am - 12 pm. Class 1:30 - 2:45 pm.
Friday - Research from 7 am - 12 pm. Class 3:30 - 4:20 pm. Church meeting from 7-9 pm.
Saturday - Study all day or go to research lab.
Sunday - Study all day or go to research lab.

I know that difficulty is relative but I don't find any of my classes hard to grasp, but I do put in the time to memorize and prepare. Study also is relative. I study hard and am attentive to how efficient I am with time. I've increased my stamina from 3 hours of studying without breaks to 4 hours of studying without breaks. I study for each exam with the aim of getting an A.

With this vague idea of what my schedule is and what I'm telling you about how difficult my load is, would you say, more like guess, whether dental school is equally difficult, 1.5x more difficult, 2x more difficult, etc. Biochemistry requires that I memorize about 150 slides per exam (4 exams), Anatomy requires that I memorize around 125 slides (4 exams), Anatomy lab requires that I memorize bones, muscles, and parallels with lecture content, Infectious disease is about the same load as Anatomy except there are only two exams, Physics has parts where concepts are easily understood with logic, others require more time, but this class only requires me to do practice problems and practice with previous exams (which professor provides). Research is very time consuming and I spend on average 10 hours a week helping out with peptide residue effectiveness against gingivitis causing odontopathogens, which I find fascinating and relevant so I enjoy spending more time in this project.

Other academic advice that you wished you'd had known before entering Dental School is also much appreciated.

Today is Friday and so I just got back from a church meeting before posting this. I am about to go study.

That semester is sorta comparable to first semester DS1 here at detroit (its maybe a little lighter, but very comparable).

However, next term, is a different beast.... I am not exaggerating, I think next term is about 50% harder (more loaded) than this one, and this one is 10 classes with 20 credits.

The cool thing tho is, your mentality adjusts. I am SO MUCH more efficient at memorizing stuff today than I was when DS first started (12 weeks ago). Its hard to explain, but you adjust quickly.

 

[Veloce]

You're taking 16 credits, dental school is usually like 26-30.

If you want to do well in dental school and be a good dentist however, I would suggest that you lighten up on the load, and relax, socialize, and do extracurricular (fun not research) type things.

Even if you do manage to simulate the dental school curriculum, you are just shooting yourself in the foot and competing against people who are taking 12 credits who will have higher GPA's

A lot of the dental students that I see do well don't study as much, but they go to the gym, play a sport, socialize etc after class. I'm convinced these activities help you learn faster, and retain more.

The students I see that are struggling are often in the library every day all day. Though this may have to do with the fact that some people are smarter so they have to study less. It's about studying smart, not studying a lot.

 

[DrRoyal Pains]

You might want to join some organizations and develop some extracurriculars. From what I have heard, it does not look good on your application when all you do is study (and the adcoms will know). It shows you are not personable/anti-social. I personally was a member of about 8 different organizations. You should join your schools pre-dental club, and if they don't have one, talk to someone about starting one. Also, intramural sports teams are great if you have the time (but as of now it doesn't look like you do).