Hi
I'm a foreign dentist. I took my exam ( part I) last June 9th in Pittsburgh, PA. I was the only one taking the board in that centre. There were lockers you could use. They gave me "plastic sheet" and markers. During the tutorial I wrote down primary and permanent calcifications and eruptions, some graphics ( CLASS I for example), nomencalture.
Some questions were really easy, I knew the answer before reading the options. With other questions I needed to think, but I was sure about the answer, but some others were really tricky and answer choices were really similar. At the end of the first part ( 200 questions) were the TESTLETS...for me the worst part. The patient's histories were really long, with lot of details, and every time that I was going to answer a question I had to read again the patient's history. It took me a lot of time.
The break is one hour. You can take the whole hour or less. I took one hour. I needed to go outside.
In the second part, TESTLETS were first.
I finished on time.
I have a LOT of questions about NERVES, collagen, VIRUS, insulin-glucagon, circulatory system, respiratory system ( equations), DNA, TMJ,immunity, allergy, recesive and dominant diseases.
A lot of questions with "EXCEPT" and "THE STATEMENT IS TRUE/FALSE, THE REASON IS TRUE/FALSE AND THEY ARE/AREN'T RELATED"
Study Dental Anatomy in detail!!!........lot of questions about differences between teeth and "excepts": very fine differences............I underestimated DA.
I did'nt have diagrams.
The material that I used was:
Kaplan (once) It was the first resourse that I used. It took me a lot of time because I was learning English and specific terminology at the same time. I'd have liked to have more time to read it again. I went through DENTAL DECKS ( 2006-07) twice, and read (like a newspaper) one more time Biochemistry/ Physiology and Microbilogy/ Pathology.
I think that old papers are REALLY IMPORTANT!!! Unfortunatelly I didn't have time to see ALL I have. I was averaging 80% of correct answers in old papers.
I purchased CRACK THE NBDE: questions are tough, but some answers aren't correct. It was very useful as a mock exam: I practiced 7-HOUR exams.
I found WIKIPEDIA a GREAT RESOURCE!!
One week after my exam ( SATURDAY, JUNE 16TH) I got the results: 85
Your # correct National Mean
ANATOMIC SCIENCE 72 66.2
BIOCHEM/ PHYSIOLOGY 74 64.2
MICROBIOLOGY/PATHOLOGY 71 64.9
DENTAL ANATOMY/OCCLUSION 77 74.6
I was a little disappointed at the beginning. This exam involved a lot of effort and sacrifice. Not only mine, but from my son and my husband.
Now I'm thinking about taking PART II and trying to get experience here in the United States either as a Dental Assitant or volunteer.
I hope this help! Good luck everybody!!!
I'm a foreign dentist. I took my exam ( part I) last June 9th in Pittsburgh, PA. I was the only one taking the board in that centre. There were lockers you could use. They gave me "plastic sheet" and markers. During the tutorial I wrote down primary and permanent calcifications and eruptions, some graphics ( CLASS I for example), nomencalture.
Some questions were really easy, I knew the answer before reading the options. With other questions I needed to think, but I was sure about the answer, but some others were really tricky and answer choices were really similar. At the end of the first part ( 200 questions) were the TESTLETS...for me the worst part. The patient's histories were really long, with lot of details, and every time that I was going to answer a question I had to read again the patient's history. It took me a lot of time.
The break is one hour. You can take the whole hour or less. I took one hour. I needed to go outside.
In the second part, TESTLETS were first.
I finished on time.
I have a LOT of questions about NERVES, collagen, VIRUS, insulin-glucagon, circulatory system, respiratory system ( equations), DNA, TMJ,immunity, allergy, recesive and dominant diseases.
A lot of questions with "EXCEPT" and "THE STATEMENT IS TRUE/FALSE, THE REASON IS TRUE/FALSE AND THEY ARE/AREN'T RELATED"
Study Dental Anatomy in detail!!!........lot of questions about differences between teeth and "excepts": very fine differences............I underestimated DA.
I did'nt have diagrams.
The material that I used was:
Kaplan (once) It was the first resourse that I used. It took me a lot of time because I was learning English and specific terminology at the same time. I'd have liked to have more time to read it again. I went through DENTAL DECKS ( 2006-07) twice, and read (like a newspaper) one more time Biochemistry/ Physiology and Microbilogy/ Pathology.
I think that old papers are REALLY IMPORTANT!!! Unfortunatelly I didn't have time to see ALL I have. I was averaging 80% of correct answers in old papers.
I purchased CRACK THE NBDE: questions are tough, but some answers aren't correct. It was very useful as a mock exam: I practiced 7-HOUR exams.
I found WIKIPEDIA a GREAT RESOURCE!!
One week after my exam ( SATURDAY, JUNE 16TH) I got the results: 85
Your # correct National Mean
ANATOMIC SCIENCE 72 66.2
BIOCHEM/ PHYSIOLOGY 74 64.2
MICROBIOLOGY/PATHOLOGY 71 64.9
DENTAL ANATOMY/OCCLUSION 77 74.6
I was a little disappointed at the beginning. This exam involved a lot of effort and sacrifice. Not only mine, but from my son and my husband.
Now I'm thinking about taking PART II and trying to get experience here in the United States either as a Dental Assitant or volunteer.
I hope this help! Good luck everybody!!!
