Preparing for D1

[climber1216]

Hello! I am finishing my senior year of undergrad and beginning my D1 in the fall. I was wondering on how I could best prepare to get a jump on the game to make things a bit easier? A dentist said he would help teach me how to do a wax up. Is there some material I could preview over the summer to make things easier? (i.e. maybe there is a list of 100 drugs students struggle learning all at once and I could preview them over the summer or leaning all of the instruments, etc.).

Also any other tips on how to best take advantage of my D1 or things you wish you might have known sooner? since I am moving out of state I am currently looking for housing and ways to best connect with my incoming class makes (I assume they are also eager to meet one another). There is a Facebook page where we can ask questions, but it feels very formal. Some overall guidance/ tips before entering dental school would be very helpful and much appreciated.

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[GoDental101]

Hello! I am finishing my senior year of undergrad and beginning my D1 in the fall. I was wondering on how I could best prepare to get a jump on the game to make things a bit easier? A dentist said he would help teach me how to do a wax up. Is there some material I could preview over the summer to make things easier? (i.e. maybe there is a list of 100 drugs students struggle learning all at once and I could preview them over the summer or leaning all of the instruments, etc.).

Also any other tips on how to best take advantage of my D1 or things you wish you might have known sooner? since I am moving out of state I am currently looking for housing and ways to best connect with my incoming class makes (I assume they are also eager to meet one another). There is a Facebook page where we can ask questions, but it feels very formal. Some overall guidance/ tips before entering dental school would be very helpful and much appreciated.

Nope…nothing just relax. Enjoy your break.

 

[bananaboatsunblock]

Get a job and make some money before starting dental school. You'd be surprised how much you can make working part time for a tutoring company. Dental school will be stressful enough, so having some spending money to buy takeout or for some retail therapy will be nice.

 

[0rgansm]

You really don’t have to prepare for dental school unless you’re planning to do OMFS afterwards

 

[D1Bound]

Hello! I am finishing my senior year of undergrad and beginning my D1 in the fall. I was wondering on how I could best prepare to get a jump on the game to make things a bit easier? A dentist said he would help teach me how to do a wax up. Is there some material I could preview over the summer to make things easier? (i.e. maybe there is a list of 100 drugs students struggle learning all at once and I could preview them over the summer or leaning all of the instruments, etc.).

Also any other tips on how to best take advantage of my D1 or things you wish you might have known sooner? since I am moving out of state I am currently looking for housing and ways to best connect with my incoming class makes (I assume they are also eager to meet one another). There is a Facebook page where we can ask questions, but it feels very formal. Some overall guidance/ tips before entering dental school would be very helpful and much appreciated.

Interested in ortho or OMS? Go ahead and learn pharmacology and physiology well before school starts. Anything else would help but those right there are steak and potatoes

 

[climber1216]

I am very interested in OMFS. However, I’ve heard so many horror stories on how hard it is that I’m unsure if I want to peruse it. I do want to keep my options open either way.

 

[D1Bound]

I am very interested in OMFS. However, I’ve heard so many horror stories on how hard it is that I’m unsure if I want to peruse it. I do want to keep my options open either way.

Same. I hear the infamous "100-hour weeks" "60-hour shift awake" stuff a lot. There are lighter weeks and then there are horrible weeks. You have to look at it in terms of a career of 30+ years though and decide that way. I would try and stay open to stuff like endo or ortho if you could keep loans reasonable, but OMS has a lot of cool medicine in it and is extremely well compensated so it's definitely a sweet field.

 

[Rick Harrison]

Interested in ortho or OMS? Go ahead and learn pharmacology and physiology well before school starts. Anything else would help but those right there are steak and potatoes

I'm also an incoming D1 and am almost 100% positive I want to pursue OMFS. Do you really think I should start trying to learn pharmacology and physiology this early?

 

[D1Bound]

I'm also an incoming D1 and am almost 100% positive I want to pursue OMFS. Do you really think I should start trying to learn pharmacology and physiology this early?

Could you wait until July/August and learn information the same as everyone else? Sure. I just don’t see a reason to do that when you could learn it now while you don’t have lab and other dental classes taking up your time

 

[Rick Harrison]

Could you wait until July/August and learn information the same as everyone else? Sure. I just don’t see a reason to do that when you could learn it now while you don’t have lab and other dental classes taking up your time.

What resources would you recommend to start?

 

[D1Bound]

Ninja Nerd is awesome!

 

[0rgansm]

Just do sketchy micro and pharm, ideally doing the anki cards alongside

 

[Jaa_]

Could you wait until July/August and learn information the same as everyone else? Sure. I just don’t see a reason to do that when you could learn it now while you don’t have lab and other dental classes taking up your time

If OP was to do this now, they would forget most of the info by the time they got to their pharm/physio courses anyway. There is very little return on trying to start so much so early. I would recommend against this.

 

[axiumgod]

Don’t pre-study. Out of all the people at my school with a good CBSE, the number who pre-studied is exactly zero.

 

[PerioDont]

Interested in ortho or OMS? Go ahead and learn pharmacology and physiology well before school starts. Anything else would help but those right there are steak and potatoes

Disagree, not worth doing at this point.

OP I agree about saving money, also get a good fitness routine if you don't have one already.

You don't have to do too much, but I would read up on study strategies (everything by Cal Newport is amazing), and watch youtube etc on how med students study. how to use anki, scheduling efficiency with your studying. The Checklist Manifesto is also a great book

 

[Chicago_predental]

Ninja Nerd is awesome!

love Ninja Nerd!

 

[climber1216]

Disagree, not worth doing at this point.

OP I agree about saving money, also get a good fitness routine if you don't have one already.

You don't have to do too much, but I would read up on study strategies (everything by Cal Newport is amazing), and watch youtube etc on how med students study. how to use anki, scheduling efficiency with your studying. The Checklist Manifesto is also a great book

That’s great advice! Thank you

 

[0rgansm]

If OP was to do this now, they would forget most of the info by the time they got to their pharm/physio courses anyway. There is very little return on trying to start so much so early. I would recommend against this.

pharm/physio in dental school is a joke, I don't think it's worth waiting for

 

[doktorinprogres]

For those pursuing OS I strongly recommend going ahead with moving through sketchy micro and/or pharm with requisite anki decks. The anki deck part is key otherwise you will forget it. If however, you actually finish those resources with the decks and then let it lapse, it is much much easier to re-learn than trying to learn for the first time while handling dental school. My 2 cents.

Also aside from antihypertensives, local anesthetics, and some select systemic drugs that are very common ie metformin, most dental schools pharmacology training is a joke.

 

[chlrbwls]

Whether you will be specializing or not, i would recommend reading up and gathering resources for said specialty. But dont study it if you dont want to

Last thing you want to do is spend precious time collecting study resources when you could have studied it from day 1

So get familiar with Anki and what decks are out there. (lolnotacop, zanki, anking etc)


Get pathoma videos and sketchy pharm/ micro videos so when you actually are in the course at the dental school you can start watching the videos so that it makes your studying that much more efficient

My two cents

 

[Big Time Hoosier]

Just enjoy yourself now before the long grind begins.

Big Hoss

 

[AEROKNIEDAM]

This will be your one of the last long stress-free breaks you'll get in your life. If studying will ease your mind, sure go ahead, but make sure you spend good amount (personally, all your time) enjoying your life and trying out what you've always wanted to try out.