Nova Dental Students

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almon

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Hello All,
Are there any current NSU students who would be willing to answer some questions about the curriculum for me? I am a pre-dental student considering the school and just wanted to learn more about the program. Thanks!

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I guess the main question is what do you want to know??

I will give a little run down.

I am currently a D2 so anything beyond that is a little out of my area, but I do have some minor knowledge about clinic.

D1 year = a LOT of basic type sciences (Biochem, anatomy [gross + H & N], physiology, pathology, histology...etc). First semester you will get some dental related courses, but VERY little (you will have dental anatomy + lab and a perio course and some pointless rotations). Second semester you get a little more dental (occlusion + lab, operative [i.e. drill and fill] + lab, cariology, perio again [a theme that will continue for sometime], and a perio rotation where you get to work on classmates). You take about 30 credits each semester in the first year. You WILL have summer school (about 10 credits?). At the end of the first you YOU CAN, and likely will, take the boards part 1. The first you is very brutel (esp 2nd semester).

D2 year (where I am at) = so far it is a LOT more clinical. We take fixed and removable prosth + labs for each, pharmacology, radiology, perio rotation, endodontics + lab, perio, pediatrics, anesthesiology...to name some). The only real tough class this year, from what I understand, is pharmacology which kicks EVERYONES butts pretty hard. This is when you actually start doing crown preps and actually making crowns, a lot of impression and models are made, more wax-ups, and the list continues. Bottom line you will start REALLY working like a dentist, or maybe a lab tech, haha. You actually start working with patients this year too, VERY little. I have seen one patient for a recall on medical history/basic check-up and I get to see two patients next semester for cleanings. D2 year is better but again the second semester is tough. At the end of this year you do a whole boot camp where they run through all the clinical stuff you need, operative + radiology + endo + perio...etc. It is like a pre-clinic boot camp that is pretty tough. Some of the staff do not speak english so well and that can make it hard at times, but it is only some and you can still learn from them if you are willing. The wet lab is too small and they REALLY need more spaces for radiographs during endo lab, but I think most schools have problems like this, you just have to find some way to survive.

D3 and 4 = clinic + some classes (i think about 10-15 credits). It is hard to get a chair at times and sometimes it is even hard to get patients. They will take practical hands on tests (crown prep and provisional, class 2 prep and filling...etc) on a regular basis. I hear that they have certain projects to complete (i.e. complete 20 fillings and 5 RC's before graduation), but I guess this is switching to be more practical based (not sure what the end result will be).

Misc: there are about 100 students from start and second year you get some IDG's (international dental grads) who come into your class taking the total to about 130 give or take a few. They have sign-off sheets to check progess in lab and they are usually collected at the end, so you can get behind as long as you can find a way to get caught back up (not so true during the first year). Besides that I don't know what to say!

"And thats all i have to say about that"
 
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