LIKES & DISLIKES & REGRET

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Just wondering, what do you LIKE and DISLIKE about your dental education? Any REGRET?

(please let us know what school you are from too...if possible)
 
I'm about to start on Monday so take my advice with a grain of salt. I'm in Pittsburgh, love the city, love the school building, love the labs. I don't like how last minute everythig feels with what we are learning.

And I regret no enjoying summer as much as I should have.
 
I find that the thing I dislike the most is not so much my dental education, but once in clinic all the hops one seems to have to go through to treat a patient. Having to get individual consults in different disciplines, writing a written anaylsis per patient, scheduling and confirming appointments, and so forth are not bad but eat up a lot of time.

I guess the biggest dislike directly realted to dentistry is the lab work in the clinic. It never ends, and lab work makes you lonely, lol!
 
Just wondering, what do you LIKE and DISLIKE about your dental education? Any REGRET?

wish I would have known how hard it really was.

I am so overwhelmed that I want to just give up.
 
likes - I'm happy that I got a reward after all that horrific madness
dislikes - everything else
 
Like - that it is easier than undergrad, and the material that we study applies to what we are doing.

dislike - that faculty don't seem to agree on treatment plans, or clinical protocals.

regret - I regret that I didn't get a assist a dentist before coming to dental school. The ones that did have an advantage when it comes to clinical procedures
 
Likes: I wake up happy to go into school. All I have now are clinical procedures with scattered rotations. I liked that during the first two years, it was like high school all over again. You know everyone and actually interact with your classmates a lot (unlike a large undergraduate school). I like that my education applies to what I do daily. While, things seem irrelevent when you're doing the "basic sciences" during dental school, it all pans out to be very applicable (not counting brachial plexus et al.) I like how my school prepared me VERY WELL clinically. Though, there is still a ton to learn after dental school, I am 100% confident I could graduate today, enter private practice and succeed in my endeavors beyond dental school.

Dislikes: every school has its issues. Administration, curriculum unnecessaries, whatever. For Tufts, it seems to be that administration can be too progressive at times. Essentially, just when you figured out how to work the system, they decide to try something new based on student feedback from previous surveys and such. While, it's nice to be on the forefront of education, sometimes it happens without any real need.

Regrets: that I didn't think of this profession earlier.
 
Empty pockets, that bad? What schools are you attending?

Dadoh, what school are you attending?
 
Likes: The clinical education (great clinical education at my school), my patients (most of them), the school (facilities, technology, etc.), life is easier than it was in undergraduate.

Dislikes: New school so policies change monthly on some things, having to jump through hoops to please certain departments.

Regrets: None that are overarching that would cause me to question my decision to attend dental school, or attend dental school in Arizona.
 
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Likes: most patients; dentistry itself is fascinating and there is so much new, fun stuff to learn after you get out of school

Dislikes: lack of exposure to a variety of procedures while in ds (I never once did a flipper, a bridge, bleaching trays, an all-ceramic crown, an anterior crown, a post and core, a class IV restoration, and so much more); UConn administration

Regrets: not going to a diff ds.
 
Likes : My school has clinics that are probably better than some other schools. Good professors.. good patient pool
Patient interaction is always rewarding.

Dislikes: Dealing with secretarial job (we need to schedule our own patients and are responsible for getting chairs accordingly), Diff faculties have diff opinions on how the treatment should be. Your patient's treatment plan can change from one appt to another.

Regrets : I shoudl've studied harder in first two yrs of dental school. As I started my clinical years, I realized that I didn't know A LOT of stuff.
 
Likes : My school has clinics that are probably better than some other schools. Good professors.. good patient pool
Patient interaction is always rewarding.

Dislikes: Dealing with secretarial job (we need to schedule our own patients and are responsible for getting chairs accordingly), Diff faculties have diff opinions on how the treatment should be. Your patient's treatment plan can change from one appt to another.

Regrets : I shoudl've studied harder in first two yrs of dental school. As I started my clinical years, I realized that I didn't know A LOT of stuff.

What school are you attending?
 
Likes: Well, I love dentistry, overall. I am so glad that I persevered and got my degree. The rewards are just beginning for me now.

Dislikes: Dental school basically sucks. Just read the boards here. Patients are great anywhere, however. Same for classmates....I was fortunate to be in with a good bunch.

Regrets: That I didn't go to dental school earlier. I wouldn't feel so guilty about considering a specialty (given that I have a family and need to start making some $$$). I would have fared better at a different dental school, in all likelihood. There are absolutely phenomenal teachers at UConn. In fact, most of them are great. They just need to get rid of the few evil ones.

Just wondering, what do you LIKE and DISLIKE about your dental education? Any REGRET?

(please let us know what school you are from too...if possible)
 
Likes: Well, I love dentistry, overall. I am so glad that I persevered and got my degree. The rewards are just beginning for me now.

Dislikes: Dental school basically sucks. Just read the boards here. Patients are great anywhere, however. Same for classmates....I was fortunate to be in with a good bunch.

Regrets: That I didn't go to dental school earlier. I wouldn't feel so guilty about considering a specialty (given that I have a family and need to start making some $$$). I would have fared better at a different dental school, in all likelihood. There are absolutely phenomenal teachers at UConn. In fact, most of them are great. They just need to get rid of the few evil ones.
So you would recommend specialize asap if possible rather than later?
 
Likes: That I'm finally free from UConn

Dislikes: UConn.

Regrets: Going to UConn ds.
 
like: I go to a "cheap" dental school
dislike: being restricted to a schedule, the city I'm in, and putting life on hold for 4 years.
 
dental school is the hardest thing i have done so far in my life. No one is ever prepared for how difficult the entire process will be. There should be no doubts because its too much work and cost a ridiculous amount of money. every dental school sucks in their own way but its doable if you try your best. I graduated from dental school in june and am now doing my perio specialty. it all sucks but its a means to an end. good luck!
 
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Likes: Most of my classmates and the fun times we spent both at school and out

Dislikes: Constant check offs and waits and hoops in clinic (but necessary with novice clinicians), Changes that occurred while in school (revamp to paperless system, change to central sterilization system)

Regrets: Our reactions to the changes...we didn't take it well at the time, but looking back, it was hard and annoying and sucked we had to be the ones it happened to, but we could have rolled with it better.
 
Likes: the rules were laid out in the beginning.

Dislikes: professors were always trying to trip students up. I felt like I was being hazed for 4 years.

Regrets: that I wasn't nicer to my classmates. However, I didn't realize that they weren't douchebags until my 4th year.
 
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