new d1 student with some questions

[choer88]

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Hi all! Will b attending dental school this year and i'm very excited! Just had some questions? First, when I went over a certain dental school for a visit, I overheard a D3 student talking to a professor about 'declaring' a specialty. I didn't quite understand what this meant. I'm just curious if one must declare a specialty, because I was under the impression that you could apply to whatever program you wanted. If students do declare, when do most choose to do so?

Secondly, how important are study groups in dental school? in college, i didn't really resort to them much. Thanks for your time!

 

[NAVY DDS 2010]

Hi all! Will b attending dental school this year and i'm very excited! Just had some questions? First, when I went over a certain dental school for a visit, I overheard a D3 student talking to a professor about 'declaring' a specialty. I didn't quite understand what this meant. I'm just curious if one must declare a specialty, because I was under the impression that you could apply to whatever program you wanted. If students do declare, when do most choose to do so?

Secondly, how important are study groups in dental school? in college, i didn't really resort to them much. Thanks for your time!

I cannot speak for schools other than mine, but At UTSD, I really don't feel people who study in groups do any better than those who study alone. A lot of the top people in the class are loners when it comes to studying. What I feel you should do is find out what technique works best for you. If that means study in a group, then find some people who like to study that way. Otherwise, study alone.

 

[Doc Smile]

Hi all! Will b attending dental school this year and i'm very excited! Just had some questions? First, when I went over a certain dental school for a visit, I overheard a D3 student talking to a professor about 'declaring' a specialty. I didn't quite understand what this meant. I'm just curious if one must declare a specialty, because I was under the impression that you could apply to whatever program you wanted. If students do declare, when do most choose to do so?

Secondly, how important are study groups in dental school? in college, i didn't really resort to them much. Thanks for your time!

Declaring a specialty is just a fancy way of saying "this be the specialty I going to pursue"

 

[Doc Smile]

Declaring a specialty is just a fancy way of saying "this be the specialty I going to pursue"

Like declaring a major. but it affects the rest of your life.

 

[Noble6]

I got tired of hearing professors emphasize studying in groups, like you can't be successfull if you don't.

Studying in groups can be really good if you A) find the right group [some groups can severely slow you down or lead you the wrong direction, whereas some may move too fast] and B) have a flexible schedule that allows you to be available when the group wants to study.

For me, I didn't have a flexible schedule AND I never really found a good group that fit MY learning style so it really was never beneficial to me. I did just fine studying on my own.