Study Time

[hokiedds]

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Dental students, on average, how many hours will you spend studying on a week when you dont have any tests? On one that you do have tests? Also, I'm curious as to how you are graded during clinic in your third and fourth year.

 

[unlvdmd]

Dental students, on average, how many hours will you spend studying on a week when you dont have any tests? On one that you do have tests? Also, I'm curious as to how you are graded during clinic in your third and fourth year.

I study about 4 hours each day, test or no test. When there is a test, I just spend the weekend focusing just on that. As far as grades in clinic, it is all subjective. Our system is out of 4, and you get marked off for stuff in incriments of .25 or 1 depending on how bad it is.

 

[zdaddy08]

Dental students, on average, how many hours will you spend studying on a week when you dont have any tests? On one that you do have tests? Also, I'm curious as to how you are graded during clinic in your third and fourth year.

I dont study at all on off test weeks. test weeks get about 4-5 hours for 5 days. as I'm sure you guessed, I'm not out for an ortho residency... 😀

 

[hokiedds]

I dont study at all on off test weeks. test weeks get about 4-5 hours for 5 days. as I'm sure you guessed, I'm not out for an ortho residency... 😀

Like my dad tells me "What do you call the person who finishes last in their dental school class?....Doctor"

If you're not out to get into a specialty, why kill yourself to pull off an A in every class?

 

[zdaddy08]

Like my dad tells me "What do you call the person who finishes last in their dental school class?....Doctor"

If you're not out to get into a specialty, why kill yourself to pull off an A in every class?

keep on testifying, my brother....let the others kill themselves and each other to specialize 👍

 

[budge311]

Like my dad tells me "What do you call the person who finishes last in their dental school class?....Doctor"

If you're not out to get into a specialty, why kill yourself to pull off an A in every class?

Would you want to go to a dentist who graduated last in his class? Or didn't care about doing the extra effort? Or just skated throught dental school doint the bare minimum? I'm not saying that you have to murder yourself, but there is a difference.

Think about it.

I'm an undergraduate and there is a guy I know who is also pre-dental and he never goes to class and only does the things he has to do to get by (including asking me what question were on the ochem test so he didn't have to study, just memorize the answers) and I pray that this guy doesn't get into dental school because I know that if he graduates he'll be a crappy dentist.

Sorry for the long post, but I hope that you are not like my friend and you care about what you are doing. 👍

 

[hokiedds]

Getting good grades in your lecture classes doesn't necessarily translate into being a good dentist, and getting Bs and Cs doesnt mean you are going to be a bad dentist. Who says you need to be number 1 in your class to be a great dentist? From my own experience, quite a few dentists are on equal footing when it comes to clinical skills, but what really separates the great dentists from the ok ones is that they know how to relate to patients, to make them feel comfortable with being at the dentist office. Many people are very afraid of going to the dentist, and if you can treat the patients right and take away that fear, you're going to be very successful. Learning those kind of interpersonal skills isn't something that comes from studying yourself blind to make an A in biochem or gross anatomy.

 

[budge311]

Getting good grades in your lecture classes doesn't necessarily translate into being a good dentist, and getting Bs and Cs doesnt mean you are going to be a bad dentist. Who says you need to be number 1 in your class to be a great dentist? From my own experience, quite a few dentists are on equal footing when it comes to clinical skills, but what really separates the great dentists from the ok ones is that they know how to relate to patients, to make them feel comfortable with being at the dentist office. Many people are very afraid of going to the dentist, and if you can treat the patients right and take away that fear, you're going to be very successful. Learning those kind of interpersonal skills isn't something that comes from studying yourself blind to make an A in biochem or gross anatomy.

I second that! 👍

 

[ItsGavinC]

Dental students, on average, how many hours will you spend studying on a week when you dont have any tests? On one that you do have tests?

0-3 hours a week when we don't have an exam.

 

[ItsGavinC]

Would you want to go to a dentist who graduated last in his class? Or didn't care about doing the extra effort? Or just skated throught dental school doint the bare minimum? I'm not saying that you have to murder yourself, but there is a difference.

Think about it.

No, I wouldn't choose somebody like that, but as a prospective patient you would have no way of knowing what grades somebody pulled, or what their rank was in dental school.

What you WILL care about is whether or not the dentist keeps his appointment with you, how friendly his staff is, how painless his injection are, and whether or not previous patients walk out with a smil on their face.

 

[DIRTIE]

Is the cirriculum that different at AZ and UNLV that one person can study 4 hrs a day and the other less than 1? Or is it other interests. Whats the deal, I am very curious to know.

 

[cusp of carabelli]

i study hard for midterms so that i can have insurance in case i screw up on the final... 😛

 

[xkurkox]

I just love people who look like they havent slept all week during no test weeks. Get a life! As far as clinic what you got in biochem means nothing. I study avg 4 hours a day during test weeks and that just fine for Bs, if it wasnt for this laptop and wireless internet some of those Bs might have been As.

 

[sheepfsh]

There are people who study all day and everyday. They seem to like that and would not change anything. Thats cool because they have a goal and they are satisfied with how they spend their time.
I am not one of those people. I like to take breaks, go to the movies, etc... I usually study about 3 hrs/day. As far as clinical work it is subjective so it is a matter of how well you can preform w/ your hands.
There is no right or wrong way on how you approach your school work. It is a matter on what fit you the best.

 

[zdaddy08]

Would you want to go to a dentist who graduated last in his class? Or didn't care about doing the extra effort? Or just skated throught dental school doint the bare minimum? I'm not saying that you have to murder yourself, but there is a difference.

Think about it.

I'm an undergraduate and there is a guy I know who is also pre-dental and he never goes to class and only does the things he has to do to get by (including asking me what question were on the ochem test so he didn't have to study, just memorize the answers) and I pray that this guy doesn't get into dental school because I know that if he graduates he'll be a crappy dentist.

Sorry for the long post, but I hope that you are not like my friend and you care about what you are doing. 👍

just because i dont kick my own ass on quantum physics for dental school (dental materials) doesn't mean that i can't be a good dentist...it's just not worth it to me to spend all that extra time to get the "A"....i think "B" dental students can be good dentists...

...by the way, i was your undergrad buddy 👍

 

[Jack Worthing]

Ditto on all those things said about the dissociation between grades and quality dentistry. To add my two cents, though: I think i still had to come to grips with the fact that it takes a damned amount of effort, discipline, and desire to learn what I need to know even on a basic level. Maybe it's just me, i'm so naturally lazy. So I'm compensating: the more I grab the bull by the horns, and the more I force myself to enjoy the task of "absorb and regurgitate" (1st year in 3 words), the more productive I am.

I like how one 3rd year medical student put it recently, when some first years were complaining about a difficult class: "Suck it up -- it's Medicine!" We could say the same of dentistry.

Of course, to balance things out-- I also subscribe to the view that dental/medical school is the time to really live well. Don't "live like a doctor" now only to "live like a student" later, but i mean-- live healthily, exercise, socialize, volunteer at the clinic, because the other part of dental school (other than books) is learning to be a professional among a community of professionals.

I haven't found a good balance yet, myself, but I keep trying to see what works and what doesn't.

 

[Jack Worthing]

As for clinic, I'm 6-7 months away from doing that.. but from what I've observed: You have to get your procedures looked at by your profs and they say "very nice job, but ..." and then a string of suggestions and also verbal quizzing on what you should know about the procedure/treatment plan. The actual grading seems to be done alternatingly on a pass/fail or a numerical basis.

There are awards in my school for highest competency in general dentistry clinic, or in peds clinic, and so on, so there's some incentive. Most importantly, apps for post-grad programs rely heavily on recommendations from clinical professors. So they are the eyes and ears for the post-grad adcoms on your quality of work and your potential to be succeed in post-grad training.

 

[DcS]

Some of the absolute best students in clinic are probably in the worst 15% grade wise. Didactics really have very little impact on clinical ability, as has been stated above.

 

[Jack Worthing]

Some of the absolute best students in clinic are probably in the worst 15% grade wise. Didactics really have very little impact on clinical ability, as has been stated above.

I agree with DcS 100%. I hadn't thought of putting it that way-- but it's SO true.

 

[dr_benj]

Study 0 hours when no tests. Test week usually study about 2-3 hours total per exam. We often have 3 exams per week and i never study more than about 8-9 hours that week.....often less. No C's so far. Mostly B's and some A's.

 

[ItsGavinC]

Is the cirriculum that different at AZ and UNLV that one person can study 4 hrs a day and the other less than 1? Or is it other interests. Whats the deal, I am very curious to know.

First year we have a different course each week, so we have at least one exam a week (often more).

Second year we have simlab courses, with competencies due every now and then, and the exams often spaced 6-8 weeks apart. There really isn't any NEED to study for those dental-related courses, at least not until when the test is on your doorstep.

There have been some exceptions where I've studied all day, but overall we have it pretty cush.

 

[PERFECT3435]

study about 1-2 hrs on weeks that have no exams. we have 1-2 single tooth indirect quizes per week and so 1-2 hrs for that is plenty.

on exam weeks, i spend at least 4 hrs a day mon-wed. thurs, i dont do anything but study. yep. i start at 12 noon and normally study till 2am till i cant study anymore. then off to take the test.

all this will have to change once we start second year since we'll no longer have biweeklies. they will become monthly exams and so studying 2-3 hr a day would become a MUST.

 

[ItsGavinC]

6-7 hrs/day usullly
10 hrs/day during x-am tims

Although, you shudnt use me as an exemplary - I'm a slow areder and it teakes me for-ever to mumorize deetails.

What year are you? I can't imagine studying 6-7 hours a day on weeks there aren't even exams. I understand you learn differently (we all do), but that would really drain me after a week or two.

6-7 hours a day is crazy (but good for you if it works!).

Remember, time spend studying is NOT a direct indicator of how well the material was learned or what grades one ought to expect. One hour of quality time will trump 3 hours of poor studying.

 

[PERFECT3435]

I am a firs year. It dose take me a bit longer to study because I have a learning diasbility and am middly dyslexia.

no offense but you sound fishy to me.

 

[JMJRDH1]

Remember, time spend studying is NOT a direct indicator of how well the material was learned or what grades one ought to expect. One hour of quality time will trump 3 hours of poor studying.

Could please differentiate between one hour of quality time vs. three hours of poor studying?

Thanks a bunch!

 

[Ruprick]

0-3 hours a week when we don't have an exam.

Gavin, it sounds like things have gotten easier for you since your first year! I recently read through much of your first year blog and it sounds like you studied non-stop every day! What happened? 🙂

 

[grant555]

Some of the absolute best students in clinic are probably in the worst 15% grade wise. Didactics really have very little impact on clinical ability, as has been stated above.

This seems to be a common viewpoint. Howard's Dean, Dr. Rouse, said that the last person in the class could potentially be the best dentist, but I have a personal desire to kill the boards and everything else, so I am already studying . This is probably spill over from my time at Baylor where mostly everyone preached studying 6 hrs a day. From my summer months there, the majority of the students seemed to study like soldiers. I don't blame them. It is a very challenging school with a great reputation.

Also, I had a modest upbringing, and there is no way I can spend a $150K on an education and not do my best. This is especially sobering since no one in my family has gotten to this level of education.

Moreover, with so few minority dentists, I feel I have a certain responsibility to do well, and I think it would be an absolute disgrace for me to half-step at any dental school. Lastly, since some 1440 people applied to Howard this year, some perhaps more or equally qualified than myself, it would be hypocritical of me to give anything less than a 100%. The school didn't have to take me and could've easily chosen someone else. However, this is just my humble opinion, and I have no quarrell with others who feel differently. Take care and GOD Bless. 👍

 

[The Godfather]

I am a firs year. It dose take me a bit longer to study because I have a learning diasbility and am middly dyslexia.

And you're not funny either vb,k, or whichever banned troll you are. Can we all pitch in and get buy this guy a date so he'll go one day without polluting this forum?

 

[zdaddy08]

And you're not funny either vb,k, or whichever banned troll you are. Can we all pitch in and get buy this guy a date so he'll go one day without polluting this forum?

I, on the other hand, tink he vury funnie! 👍