pursuit of oral surgery?

[roadtodmd1]

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I just finished my first year and I want to go into oral surgery, but I am currently not at the top of my class. I am at about the 50% percent tile. I know this is an uphill battle but at the same time I do not want to give up. any advice on what to do?

 

[LFA20]

Keep studying until there’s no tomorrow

 

[roadtodmd1]

i think at this point im already going to have to do an intern year. Should I just focus on doing well in my classes and then studying for the CBSE around third or fourth year?

 

[SilkyJ]

1. Improve your class rank. If you stay at the 50th percentile for the next three years, you will find it very difficult to match.
2. Get a good score on the CBSE. You should aim for at least 65, preferably 70+.
3. Accept that even if you do 1 and 2, there’s still a good chance you’ll have to do an intern year. Many people, including candidates with impeccable academics, fail to match the first time around and do an intern year. It’s not easy to match, even with excellent credentials. There’s no shame in doing an intern year to improve your application.
4. Find some time to do a few externships over the next couple years. It will give you a better understanding of what to expect in residency, and programs won’t take you seriously if you haven’t done any externships or at least spent time shadowing at your home program.

 

[deleted913442]

PM me if you can. it isn't letting me PM you

 

[FunnyGirl1116]

Consider applying for oral surgery through the military. It's relatively less difficult to get in compared to the civilian world.

Plan when you are going to take the CBSE very judiciously.

And spend your entire dental school career focused on oral surgery--shadow the oral surgeons in your school, do oral surgery research, join the oral surgery club...

 

[LFA20]

Consider applying for oral surgery through the military. It's relatively less difficult to get in compared to the civilian world.

Plan when you are going to take the CBSE very judiciously.

And spend your entire dental school career focused on oral surgery--shadow the oral surgeons in your school, do oral surgery research, join the oral surgery club...

you have to be under hpsp/hscp in order to apply for military residencies. We only train active duty dentists.

 

[Life of Pablo]

i think at this point im already going to have to do an intern year. Should I just focus on doing well in my classes and then studying for the CBSE around third or fourth year?

Throwing in the towel that fast?

You definitely have enough time to improve your class rank.

 

[GimmeTheScalpel]

1. Improve your class rank. If you stay at the 50th percentile for the next three years, you will find it very difficult to match.
2. Get a good score on the CBSE. You should aim for at least 65, preferably 70+.
3. Accept that even if you do 1 and 2, there’s still a good chance you’ll have to do an intern year. Many people, including candidates with impeccable academics, fail to match the first time around and do an intern year. It’s not easy to match, even with excellent credentials. There’s no shame in doing an intern year to improve your application.
4. Find some time to do a few externships over the next couple years. It will give you a better understanding of what to expect in residency, and programs won’t take you seriously if you haven’t done any externships or at least spent time shadowing at your home program.

There isn’t a *good* chance of doing an intern year with “impeccable academics” and not *many* people with those credentials go unmatched. Small minority.
But yes, good class rank and strong CBSE are most important. 65 isn’t enough anymore. Aim for 75 to be competitive.

 

[ThirdMolarz]

I recommend figuring out now how to study more efficiently because 1) whatever you're doing now isn't working out too well and 2)when you throw CBSE on top of that, it's another ball game. Hope that didn't come across too harsh

 

[NativeOMFS]

When it comes time to apply, don't limit yourself to only places you want to go. Apply everywhere. It will be costly, but if you really want OMFS, then understand that all of the options should be accredited. I learned that you can make the most of any program if you commit yourself. If you don't get in, then all of the places you've applied have your application for an internship already. Then you don't have to send out materials again.

I put my credit card down to apply to nearly 30 programs, got one interview. They liked me at the interview, called me match day to offer me the internship before other places started to think about interns. Two months into my internship they promoted me to categorical year one resident. That one place made me a surgeon, and don't know if or how long it would have taken for me to become a surgeon otherwise.

 

[NativeOMFS]

How did that happen? A categorical resident dropped out/got laid off before they offered you a formal position? That is amazing.

The program accepted 3 non categorical one year interns, and had one resident per year. When we started, there was the fourth year (chief), and then the second and first year residents. I don't know the true story, but the person who was supposed to be the third year was dismissed/left. So there is an open 3rd year spot. Instead of trying to recruit a third year transfer, they chose to have two first year residents. They didn't tell us that when we started, but after a "working interview" during July and August, they told us (the interns) the first week of September that one of us was about to be a first year resident.

Rare circumstance. I consider myself lucky to have been in that situation without knowing it, and am glad I tried never to complain, did everything I was asked and made good relationships with the people in the program.

 

[drguesswho]

I am looking for a study partner to prepare for CBSE. If anyone is seriously interested PM me. Thanks!

 

[GimmeTheScalpel]

I am looking for a study partner to prepare for CBSE. If anyone is seriously interested PM me. Thanks!

@PatsMan1

 

[roadtodmd1]

I recommend figuring out now how to study more efficiently because 1) whatever you're doing now isn't working out too well and 2)when you throw CBSE on top of that, it's another ball game. Hope that didn't come across too harsh

Believe it or not I ended up with a 88-89.5% in quite a few classes and did my best to have it rounded but it did not work. For lab classes I put my blood, sweat, and tears into practicing and getting advice from professors and tutors and my scores are still low. I'm putting in a lot of effort and not seeing any results (1st year). My background is in molecular biology and we did all systems so I had to learn everything myself. Not saying thats an excuse but it was difficult for me to catch up to everyone.

 

[ThirdMolarz]

I struggled at first too. I'm sure you have a great work ethic, and I want you to make it. Idk what next year will look like with covid changing things up, but 2nd year had a lot of unnecessary fluff that took a lot of time. For example, some people, myself included would spend nights in sim lab practicing for weekly operative assessments. That kind of stuff, you wouldn't really have time for. It's different now though with a lot of free time for us. Hope you've been taking advantage of it

 

[deleted972255]

Believe it or not I ended up with a 88-89.5% in quite a few classes and did my best to have it rounded but it did not work. For lab classes I put my blood, sweat, and tears into practicing and getting advice from professors and tutors and my scores are still low. I'm putting in a lot of effort and not seeing any results (1st year). My background is in molecular biology and we did all systems so I had to learn everything myself. Not saying thats an excuse but it was difficult for me to catch up to everyone.

I had the same thing happen to me-a few times I was 0.2-0.5% away from an A in a 2-3 classes. That alone caused me to drop 5 spots in my rank-I know how annoying it can be. But in the end, CBSE trumps all. If you get an 80 or 85+, you will get in somewhere, definitely one of the 4 yr programs at least.

 

[roadtodmd1]

I struggled at first too. I'm sure you have a great work ethic, and I want you to make it. Idk what next year will look like with covid changing things up, but 2nd year had a lot of unnecessary fluff that took a lot of time. For example, some people, myself included would spend nights in sim lab practicing for weekly operative assessments. That kind of stuff, you wouldn't really have time for. It's different now though with a lot of free time for us. Hope you've been taking advantage of it

I have been practicing my waxing everyday on my time off. I started reading first aid USMLE book as well.

 

[MolarPower]

Believe it or not I ended up with a 88-89.5% in quite a few classes and did my best to have it rounded but it did not work. For lab classes I put my blood, sweat, and tears into practicing and getting advice from professors and tutors and my scores are still low. I'm putting in a lot of effort and not seeing any results (1st year). My background is in molecular biology and we did all systems so I had to learn everything myself. Not saying thats an excuse but it was difficult for me to catch up to everyone.

Def happened to myself too and I know depressing it can be. But as others have suggested study hard for the CBSE and read up on many of the study strategies written by many successful posters here about the CBSE and just crush it! And I understand about putting in a lot of work into a class and not getting a grade you wanted but ThirdMolarz is correct. Assess your studying and see where you can make improvements on. IMO everyone can make adjustments on their studying no matter how well one is doing. Things simply as being confident when taking a test helps me personally a lot! When taking exams understand why you got a question right or wrong and why the other options would be incorrect. Do more question banks on a topic (google them for different subjects). For me personally doing Anki has been game changer and wish I did it earlier in dental school. Perhaps try that out and see if it helps. Don't give up so early on. Keep on eye on your goal of matching to stay motivated!

 

[roadtodmd1]

Def happened to myself too and I know depressing it can be. But as others have suggested study hard for the CBSE and read up on many of the study strategies written by many successful posters here about the CBSE and just crush it! And I understand about putting in a lot of work into a class and not getting a grade you wanted but ThirdMolarz is correct. Assess your studying and see where you can make improvements on. IMO everyone can make adjustments on their studying no matter how well one is doing. Things simply as being confident when taking a test helps me personally a lot! When taking exams understand why you got a question right or wrong and why the other options would be incorrect. Do more question banks on a topic (google them for different subjects). For me personally doing Anki has been game changer and wish I did it earlier in dental school. Perhaps try that out and see if it helps. Don't give up so early on. Keep on eye on your goal of matching to stay motivated!

how do you find anki decks for things your studying in school? everyone always talks about how helpful anki is but I honestly havent used it before. Thanks

 

[MolarPower]

how do you find anki decks for things your studying in school? everyone always talks about how helpful anki is but I honestly havent used it before. Thanks

It was helpful for me and I liked making my own cards about facts I thought were important/would show up on exams. I recommend looking thru the AnKing Youtube videos on how to optimize the settings. Anki does have a slight learning curve at first but overall I like the spaced repetition aspect of it but it only works if you do all your reviews for the day and don't let them pile up. For CBSE a lot of ppl liked using pre-made decks which are pretty solid.