Info Despirately Sought-NBDE1 Registration

[whiteE8]

Hi, all.

I am trying to be registered for NBDE 1 that's held in the end of 2003.
I've requested an application form from ADA along with the certification form that has to be filled out and signed by the dean of my school. (since my dental school is a non ADA accredited)
Also, an application form from ECE has arrived.

I will be finishing all the NBDE 1-covered subjects in the end of this year and as soon as I finish all of them, I am planning to take the exam.

Now, I am curious if my NBDE 1 application will still be processed if it is filed in the middle of completing all the subjects required. I am also wondering if the school dean will sign the certification form although the subjects required are in the middle of completion.

Any experienced advice will be greatly appreciated!

Sincerely,
whiteE8

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[mightymolar]

Hi there. Welcome back to the forum. The ADA will register you for the Part 1 if you have your dental school dean's certification that your class has completed the course of study. This probably includes all the basic dental science subjects like histology, pathology, microbiology, anatomy, physiology, biochemistry and dental anatomy (tooth morphology). My guess is that you will need ECE verification of your academic courses completed if your dean won't and can't authroize what ADA had requested. If you haven't received your Part 1 instruction booklet from ADA, then you should log on to www.ada.org and look for Education and Testing section and find National Dental Board Examinations. There you will be able find most answers to your questions regarding registeration for NDBE Part 1.

Also bear in mind that Part 1 exams are only held in the US. So if you do sit the exam, make sure you pick the right spot! I know a lot of Korean dentists (from Korea) fly to Hawaii or Los Angeles to sit the exam (entering as bona fide tourists of course)...

Good luck and post your message if you have any further questions regarding Part 1 exams. I sat and passed my Part 1 last December. It wasn't that hard but it sure hell wasn't easy!

Cheers,

Mightymolar

 

[whiteE8]

Thanks lots M Molar!

I really appreciate your informative replies.

So were you meaning that ECE evaluation will only be required if my dean doesn't sign the certification form and i still wanna take the exam?

The thing is, by the time the registration application is filed, i won't be completely done with the courses required for part 1. So i was just wondering if i could still be registered for the exam. (As you might already know, each academic year here finishes every November. And the exam is in Dec. so..you know what i mean..)

Do deans normally hesitate to sign the forms according to what you hear? How was your dean at Otago? (I believe you went to Otago Dental; im sorry, if i am wrong...)

Also, i am worried cuz our biochem course here isn't intense enough to enable students to easily do NBDE part 1's biochem questions. How shall i go about studying for biochem?

Your reply will be greatly appreciated, MMolar!

Thank you so much!

 

[mightymolar]

1. In the ADA's Part 1 Candidate Guide booklet (see page 4), it tells you that a dental student attending non-accredited dental school need to have certification on a form provided by the Joint Commission of NBDE. The completed certification form must include the seal of the school and the signature of the dean or the registrar and submitted separately with the completed application (plus fees). So I guess that means you don't have to apply for the ECE verification... just need to ask the Joint Commission about the form that they want you to use for dean or registrar's signature.

2. If you don't feel your biochemistry is good enough for the exams, you should put in extra hours into it! The US curriculum and your (Adelaide?) curriculum will differ. So be more proactive and be ready to frequent that health science library more often and study more than your current classmates. I did my dental degree at Otago. I graduated almost 3 years ago. So my knowledge of the basic sciences was kind of ancient! However, having done my Primary Examinations of Royal Australian College of Dental Surgeons a couple of years ago helped with my Part 1 preparation. I was light years ahead of the others who sat the same exam.

3. A lot of students here use Dental Decks for Part 1 and 2 preparation. Their website is www.dentaldecks.com. These are flashcards to help you memorize stuff. I would say they are very helpful in general. However, do the past papers and familiarize yourself with the multiple choice questions (1 question per minute) because most of Aussie/NZ dental education is tested on essay-type questions, you might feel unfamiliar with the MCQ format.

4. Be realistic too. I would say concentrate on your current dental school. Concentrate on passing your exams and get good grades. Don't get too hang up on Part 1 exam. Enjoy life too. You are only young once. You didn't goto dental school to be square and have no fun at all! They're, after all, only exams. If you fail it, then you can take it again and again until you pass. It will happen!

Cheers,