Required ATTENDANCE??

[LegendDMD]

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My school makes it a point to show up to class (not including laboratory classes). We have an attendance sheet that is passed aimlessly around every lecture and people spend more time making sure they get the attendance sheet then they do on the lecture. I know med schools don’t have required attendance and I feel that is how my school should be conducted. I was curious to see how other dental schools dealt with attendance.

 

[adamlc18]

During the first year, I think we might have had attendance taken once. Attendance is strongly encouraged but definitely not required. Clinic rotations are a different story. Attendance is taken there.

 

[DcS]

My school makes it a point to show up to class (not including laboratory classes). We have an attendance sheet that is passed aimlessly around every lecture and people spend more time making sure they get the attendance sheet then they do on the lecture. I know med schools don’t have required attendance and I feel that is how my school should be conducted. I was curious to see how other dental schools dealt with attendance.

Are you at UMDNJ? That was actually a big turnoff to me. Not the fact that I would have to go to class every day, but moreso the "big brother" feeling I got. Besides, sometimes there are things that are more important than dentistry that need to be taken care of.

 

[LegendDMD]

Are you at UMDNJ? That was actually a big turnoff to me. Not the fact that I would have to go to class every day, but moreso the "big brother" feeling I got. Besides, sometimes there are things that are more important than dentistry that need to be taken care of.

Your assumptions were correct. I do go to UMDNJ. Just out of curiosity, how did you know that I went to UMDNJ? Did someone mention it during a tour or you have friends that complain about this from here. If I had known this, I would of definitely broaden my choices of dental school.

 

[crazy_sherm]

I can see how it's annoying and one would feel like the school's trying to nag them. But at the same time, you have to try and see the school's perspective on things. Their students are paying a lot of money to attend dental school in the hopes of becoming licensed dentists. The school is not out to fail anyone and wants to make sure everyone will get a solid education and pass boards. Even though you might be one to attend every lecture, what about the slacker next to you that might need that extra help with staying focused? I personally would rather attend a supportive school rather than one that could care less if you fell through the cracks.

 

[DcS]

Your assumptions were correct. I do go to UMDNJ. Just out of curiosity, how did you know that I went to UMDNJ? Did someone mention it during a tour or you have friends that complain about this from here. If I had known this, I would of definitely broaden my choices of dental school.

I just assumed UMDNJ because that is the only school I have heard that does this and I interviewed there so it specifically applied to my process.

I had a friend who went there but I seem to think it was mentioned at the interview. It's been some years so there's a good chance that my friend told me though.

 

[Happy613]

I just assumed UMDNJ because that is the only school I have heard that does this and I interviewed there so it specifically applied to my process.

I had a friend who went there but I seem to think it was mentioned at the interview. It's been some years so there's a good chance that my friend told me though.

I am a medical student at umdnj, and I have to tell you the dental students at our school have it rough. The whole mandatory attendance thing is insane.

They make the dental students wear scrubs all day, and mandate that they be there for at least 70% of all lectures. Its silly since we all have the same professors and attendance at the same lecture when its in a lecture hall over in the med school is not required. In fact I never went to lecture and did very well.

 

[kato999]

It's required at Arizona, we used to have one of the secretaries come in the back and write down all of the names of people who were skipping, right in the middle of class. Pretty sad. I do think attendance is important, but if you are not in danger of failing any class lecture attendance should be optional. Most of us got through undergrad with decent enough grades when we weren't forced to go to school.

Obviously clinic attendance is a different story (too bad it's not mandatory for our patients)

 

[north2southOMFS]

My school makes it a point to show up to class (not including laboratory classes). We have an attendance sheet that is passed aimlessly around every lecture and people spend more time making sure they get the attendance sheet then they do on the lecture. I know med schools don’t have required attendance and I feel that is how my school should be conducted. I was curious to see how other dental schools dealt with attendance.

Its easy, have your friends sign you in.

 

[psiyung]

My school makes it a point to show up to class (not including laboratory classes). We have an attendance sheet that is passed aimlessly around every lecture and people spend more time making sure they get the attendance sheet then they do on the lecture. I know med schools don’t have required attendance and I feel that is how my school should be conducted. I was curious to see how other dental schools dealt with attendance.

It's the same BS here. We had this poor guy get a 69 in a natural science class, and the poor guy has to repeat the whole year because the teacher wouldnt give him a point because he skipped class sometimes

 

[toofache32]

It's the same BS here. We had this poor guy get a 69 in a natural science class, and the poor guy has to repeat the whole year because the teacher wouldnt give him a point because he skipped class sometimes

They took attendance at almost every class at my dental school. Be careful having your buddies sign in for you. There was one class that only about 20-30 people (out of 80) went to. But the sign-in sheet always had about 70 signatures. The course director noticed this and after lecture one day he had every student sign in again in front of him on the way out of class, so the others got busted.

We had an ortho prof who took attendance even though said he didn't care if you showed up or not. One of my classmates went by his office to argue a test question (essay style). The prof pulled out the attendance sheet and said he wouldn't listen to his argument because he never came to class. Bastard.

I always went to class because I took my own notes to supplement the "class" notes which were sometimes crappy. I got a lot of test questions correct from my own notes because I wrote down some things didn't make it into the class notes. I guess that's what made me a gunner.

 

[Biogirl361]

I wouldnt mind required attendance as long as you were allowed a reasonable amount of skip days... for example I think that 70% someone mentioned is completely reasonable to allow for sickness or other things coming up or just for plain not wanting to come sometimes. also, most profs at least in my experience are pretty straightforward in telling you that attendance will help determine if you get bumped up to the next grade.. so.. I wouldn't feel bad if someone failed by 1 point and didn't get moved up... maybe if they came to class they wouldn't be failing in the first place, its not like it was the profs fault they failed...

 

[nothen2do]

I wouldnt mind required attendance as long as you were allowed a reasonable amount of skip days... for example I think that 70% someone mentioned is completely reasonable to allow for sickness or other things coming up or just for plain not wanting to come sometimes. also, most profs at least in my experience are pretty straightforward in telling you that attendance will help determine if you get bumped up to the next grade.. so.. I wouldn't feel bad if someone failed by 1 point and didn't get moved up... maybe if they came to class they wouldn't be failing in the first place, its not like it was the profs fault they failed...

"You're as cold as ice"

 

[adamlc18]

I always went to class because I took my own notes to supplement the "class" notes which were sometimes crappy. I got a lot of test questions correct from my own notes because I wrote down some things didn't make it into the class notes. I guess that's what made me a gunner.

So it's the going to class and taking notes that makes someone a gunner. Now I know which classmates to watch out for!

 

[psiyung]

I wouldnt mind required attendance as long as you were allowed a reasonable amount of skip days... for example I think that 70% someone mentioned is completely reasonable to allow for sickness or other things coming up or just for plain not wanting to come sometimes. also, most profs at least in my experience are pretty straightforward in telling you that attendance will help determine if you get bumped up to the next grade.. so.. I wouldn't feel bad if someone failed by 1 point and didn't get moved up... maybe if they came to class they wouldn't be failing in the first place, its not like it was the profs fault they failed...

I see a future dental professor in the making

 

[ackbar]

wow... d schools that takes attendance... unbelievable! It's like back in Catholic high school all over again...

I'm glad i'm not going to a small/attendance taking school.... this should be something that the schools are upfront with you about at interviews about...

 

[airvent]

You go through the whole pain in the arse admission process and your big concern once you're accepted is how to get out of going to class. Do you actually want to learn anything or just get passing grades and get a degree?

 

[psiyung]

You go through the whole pain in the arse admission process and your big concern once you're accepted is how to get out of going to class. Do you actually want to learn anything or just get passing grades and get a degree?

Who says you have to attend class to learn anything? Now if you are referring to lab work or clinical correlations I will agree with you. But who gives two-****s about class (lectures) when you have the notes and the textbook right in front of you?

 

[DcS]

You go through the whole pain in the arse admission process and your big concern once you're accepted is how to get out of going to class. Do you actually want to learn anything or just get passing grades and get a degree?

Come back when you get into dental school. You have no idea how many useless classes you will have to sit through (or skip and go play golf).

 

[ackbar]

You go through the whole pain in the arse admission process and your big concern once you're accepted is how to get out of going to class. Do you actually want to learn anything or just get passing grades and get a degree?

what pain in the ass admissions process?? I filled out a bunch of boxes on on a webpage, put in a credit card #, took the DAT without studying for it, went to my interviews, voila....

completely stress-less.... seriously.

 

[PERFECT3435]

what pain in the ass admissions process?? I filled out a bunch of boxes on on a webpage, put in a credit card #, took the DAT without studying for it, went to my interviews, voila....

completely stress-less.... seriously.

just curios, where do you go?

 

[airvent]

Ok nevermind then

 

[LegendDMD]

Its easy, have your friends sign you in.

easier said then done....especially when people in your class tells administration about it..

 

[gryffindor]

also, most profs at least in my experience are pretty straightforward in telling you that attendance will help determine if you get bumped up to the next grade.. so.. I wouldn't feel bad if someone failed by 1 point and didn't get moved up...

Ha, leave the undergrad notions of "attendance bumping up your grade" behind.

Faithful attendance in dental school does nothing for your dental school grades, even if you fail by one point. We had classes where if you missed more than 1 class, your grade automatically got lowered.

 

[Biogirl361]

Ha, leave the undergrad notions of "attendance bumping up your grade" behind.

Faithful attendance in dental school does nothing for your dental school grades, even if you fail by one point. We had classes where if you missed more than 1 class, your grade automatically got lowered.

i didn't mean that attendance always helps your grade, because most of my classes had 500+ people and definitly nobody cared if you went to every class or not!! (which i liked ) i just meant that if the profs do take attendance, they usually told us what the situation was... if we would be marked down for not going to a certain number of classes... or if "bumping up" would be determined by attendance... or whatever they were planning on doing. they usually don't just wait until you failed and then say oh by the way, i would have bumped you up if you went to class.
anyways like everyone else i prefer if they don't take attendance, if you can pass without it then more power to you, and if a class is early and/or useless i like skipping now and then as much as anyone. i just also don't get too bent out of shape if they do take attendance as long as they're up front about how the attendance relates to your grade.

 

[St. Appolonia]

My first post...hope it goes ok.
I think with regards to straight didactic work attendace should be optional. There is unfortunatly rarely anything a prof can tell you abaout anatomy that can't be learned in a book. However, I understand why attendance is mandatory. I think it would be hard to justify the salaries of the very expensive faculty for classes that students don't attend and still pass. It is not just about busting our humps (although undoubtedly they enjoy it). It is about maintaining the very cushy status quo. I personally think making TA available during what would normally be class tome to help any straggers would be a more efficient system. Not likly though. This obviously doesn't applt to pre-clinic and clinic. Speaking of attendance, we are doing these crazy board review classes, and I can't help thinking that I'm being punished for paying attention the first and second time around.