Are your classes small? Can you ask questions during class? Do you take tests only? Quizzes? Do you guys have presentations? Do teachers drop your lowest test grade? Do you work by yourself in lab or does an instructor watch over you? Do you guys enjoy d-school or would you do something else if you hadn't invested x amount of time and money in d-school?
This is for Columbia
1. not really, 76 (actually 78 since a few people had to repeat the 1st year), but Columbia is a medium sized school. Not too big, not too small.
2. Yes, not normally during large med/dental lectures for dental only classes, feel free to ask questions. The faculty is very nice and helpful.
3. Tests...pretty much. There are some projects, but most classes only have tests and practicals.
4. Quizzes...we have it weekly for dental anatomy & occlusion, but for most classes, no.
5. Presentations...Not currently, but i don't know if we will need to do presentations or something like that during 3rd or 4th years.
6. drop lowest test grade? quizzes, yes, major exams, no (although they let you retake it if you fail).
7. We work mostly by ourselves, but there are multiple instructurs around in the lab that we can ask questions or help whenever we need it. They just won't watch over your shoulder every given minute.
8. I enjoy it in the sense that I know I want to be a dentist and dental school is the only way to get to my goal, but obviously I don't enjoy the workload of dental school ( i doubt anyone does). I do like my classmates though, and you just have to know how to balance work and play when necessary.