How was your WREB/NERB experience?

[El Salvaje]

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Hey Guys,


I know this isn't the typical thread that gets tons of responses in the dental forum like "who makes more money X or Y" or "how much money did you make starting out?" or "what's the easiest way to make the most money working the least amount?" Etc. However, I wanted to know how everyone's WREB/NERB experience went and whether anything surprised the, or what they would have done differently. This thread could potentially be something future and current students look back on to guide them with their licensure examinations. Nobody has a crystal ball that can predict where a certain career will go and even less so as to how they will be compensated but I know that when looking back on these threads I was able to apply most of their advice (even as far back as 2006) to my own exam. So if anyone wants to share what they did, how they performed and what they would have done differently then I'm sure future classes of dental students will appreciate the effort.

Thank you,

Savaje

 

[bjpenn]

I pretty much aced my NERB. I was stressing about patients as late as the week before the exam. I had a perfect class II lesion, but the tooth had a lesion on the other side. I didn't want to have to complete both lesions on the day of the exam(bc that's the rules), so I ended up going to another clinic session, grabbing a chair instead of waiting, and restored the lesion.

Tips:
-Make sure you double/triple check your lesions with your faculty especially if they are board examiners
-Just do the perio section even if it's not required, because you never know. Get faculty to check if your patient is eligible.
-Get backups in case your patients don't show. I just had one backup.
-PAY THEM if you have to. I told them I would give them 100, but ended giving them 150 because they stay a long time with their mouth open.
-Get a good underclassman assistant and PAY THEM. Get one that you know will encourage you, help you calm down because you will be thinking of so many things
-Get a bag, and fill it with all the materials you need the day before. I had my rubber dam(I took like 3-4) punched already, all the polishing brushes, composite, bite paper. I remember others scrambling for materials, and sometimes they run out.
-Organize all your paper work, and PRE-FILL as much as you can the night before, put stickers where they need to go.

During the exam:
-Remove any demineralization!!!
-Check occlusion!!! Even on your class 3!!
-Use your assistant to deliver/pick up patient from examiners.

I can't believe I remember this.

 

[Dental990DDS]

I pretty much aced my NERB. I was stressing about patients as late as the week before the exam. I had a perfect class II lesion, but the tooth had a lesion on the other side. I didn't want to have to complete both lesions on the day of the exam(bc that's the rules), so I ended up going to another clinic session, grabbing a chair instead of waiting, and restored the lesion.

Tips:
-Make sure you double/triple check your lesions with your faculty especially if they are board examiners
-Just do the perio section even if it's not required, because you never know. Get faculty to check if your patient is eligible.
-Get backups in case your patients don't show. I just had one backup.
-PAY THEM if you have to. I told them I would give them 100, but ended giving them 150 because they stay a long time with their mouth open.
-Get a good underclassman assistant and PAY THEM. Get one that you know will encourage you, help you calm down because you will be thinking of so many things
-Get a bag, and fill it with all the materials you need the day before. I had my rubber dam(I took like 3-4) punched already, all the polishing brushes, composite, bite paper. I remember others scrambling for materials, and sometimes they run out.
-Organize all your paper work, and PRE-FILL as much as you can the night before, put stickers where they need to go.

During the exam:
-Remove any demineralization!!!
-Check occlusion!!! Even on your class 3!!
-Use your assistant to deliver/pick up patient from examiners.

I can't believe I remember this.

I assisted my D4 friend a couple of weeks ago, and I still have three more years before taking the NERB. I like the tips you posted, will save them for my future exam.

 

[irishmom]

Would you advise using an underclassman as an assistant or an actual assistant. I have friends that are assistants that may help if I asked/paid them.

 

[bjpenn]

I used an underclassman, but having an actual assistant can only help. I tried to get an actual one, but she was already committed

 

[Fido00]

I used an underclassman and did just fine. The most important part of the assistant is having someone how knows the system, knows the layout of the clinic, and is able to keep YOU calm. I told my assistant that she needed to encourage me, keep me calm, and keep the paperwork straight. Further, your assistant needs to shepherd the patients from the waiting room to the treatment room, to the grading area.

Make sure to have your paperwork in order
Know the rules of the game backwards and forwards.
Be confident in your needs for modifications, and act accordingly.
Don't act cocky, the graders and floor monitors are dentists too. They want what is best for the profession, and being colleagial and friendly (but don't suck up).
You've done these procedures many times, and in your career you will do them thousands of times, so that will be the easy part.
Have someone to get you food during the day.
Its only one weekend. It makes for good stories in the future. Almost everyone passes, and it usually is poorly correlated with ability.