stats knowledge

[japolloniac09]

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Hey guys, I might be doing some research here and there throughout dental school. Just wondering how much stats should I have under my belt. Would having a basic stats course be enough, plus it's been a long time since I've done statitistics. Think I'll be all right? I haven't really researched a lot in undergrad, so I don't know what to expect or how important knowing detailed stats is if I'm planning on just doing dentistry.

Thanks.

 

[DDSSlave]

Hey guys, I might be doing some research here and there throughout dental school. Just wondering how much stats should I have under my belt. Would having a basic stats course be enough, plus it's been a long time since I've done statitistics. Think I'll be all right? I haven't really researched a lot in undergrad, so I don't know what to expect or how important knowing detailed stats is if I'm planning on just doing dentistry.

Thanks.

Really depends on the nature of the research. For most biochem research you may not touch stats. Biomaterials on the other hand can be predominantly statistics based. Outside the lab, statistics isn't necessary.

 

[ItsGavinC]

Hey guys, I might be doing some research here and there throughout dental school. Just wondering how much stats should I have under my belt. Would having a basic stats course be enough, plus it's been a long time since I've done statitistics. Think I'll be all right? I haven't really researched a lot in undergrad, so I don't know what to expect or how important knowing detailed stats is if I'm planning on just doing dentistry.

Thanks.

Chances are that you won't be the author of a paper for a long time, and I doubt you'll even be a co-author for a long time. If you are merely a student and it is your first project, then you will probably only be acknowledged in the project/paper.

Typically it takes multiple papers or contributions before you are mentioned as author/co-author. You will likely be assisting a research project by a professor or dental resident, and they will most likely be running all necessary statistics.

But even still, you should be fine with a minimal stats course. Even that, in my opinion, is completely uncessary.

 

[Smilemaker100]

Hey guys, I might be doing some research here and there throughout dental school. Just wondering how much stats should I have under my belt. Would having a basic stats course be enough, plus it's been a long time since I've done statitistics. Think I'll be all right? I haven't really researched a lot in undergrad, so I don't know what to expect or how important knowing detailed stats is if I'm planning on just doing dentistry.

Thanks.

Dear japolloniac09,

When I did my undergrad, I took a basic course in statistics but it didn't serve me pratically speaking. I participated in a pilot study as an undergrad , however, I was not the one who did the statistical computations, it was the post-doctoral student in public health who did this. As a graduate student, I took a course entitled " Principles of Inferential Statistics in Medicine" which was offered by the graduate program in the department of epidemiology & biostatistics.

To be honest with you, I think that if I had to do certain stats calculations today such as the chi-squared test, t-test etc. 😴 , I would have to review my notes. As an undergrad, I wouldn't worry too much about the extent of stats knowledge you have unless you are undertaking an honor's project in which you have to present original research which imply stats. However, if you do want to get heavily involved in research or do graduate work, I would highly suggest taking stats courses which are offered in the epidemiology department, and if possible, those courses designed for those in medical research because certain stats are specific for the health field such as : sensitivity and specificity of tests, mantel-haenzel estimates, etc.

Even for those in the field of dentistry who aren't involved in research should review their stats in order to understand certain research articles published in journals.

Good luck!!!!
Here are some good references which my teacher recommended when I took my stats course in the department of epidemiology:

1)A Primer of Epidemiology by G.Friedman . McGraw-Hill (1974)
(A quick introduction to epidemiology)

2)Medical uses of Statistics by J.C Bailar & F.Mosteller

3)Biostatistics in Clinical Medicine. by J. INgelfinger and Mosteller et al. Macmillan (1983)
(Statistics are explained through single patient management)

4)Fundamentals of Biostatistics by B.Rosner . Duxbury (1994)
(Another basis book on biostatistics with lots of examples)

5) Statistics: Concepts & Controversies. D.Moore (1985)
(Presents ideas of statistics, rather than techniques. Nontechnical introduction to statistics)

6) Statistical Methodology in the Pharmaceutical Sciences. D.A Berry (1990)
(This book is a more advanced book on medical statistics as used in the pharmaceutical industry, including repeated measures, clinical trials, bioavailability, dose-response, non-linear regression, survival analysis)

 

[captaintripps]

Chances are that you won't be the author of a paper for a long time, and I doubt you'll even be a co-author for a long time. If you are merely a student and it is your first project, then you will probably only be acknowledged in the project/paper.

Typically it takes multiple papers or contributions before you are mentioned as author/co-author. You will likely be assisting a research project by a professor or dental resident, and they will most likely be running all necessary statistics.

But even still, you should be fine with a minimal stats course. Even that, in my opinion, is completely uncessary.

Not sure that's exactly right; get in on the right project and one could readily be included as an author. In my experience - I have been included as author on published papers deriving from my undergraduate, graduate and professional activities.
Learning statistics will be useful in the critical analysis of the literature as a health professional.