What is the workload in dental school? Advice needed please help.

[Klumzy]

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I got accepted into NYU and really can't wait to start in August....The major problem that I have encountered is deciding where should I live.. Since dental school is expensive I am planning to live with my parents, which is an hour away from the city, I would be driving in everyday and i know that I technically can make it because for my undergrad I drove to school every day for 40 min. for four years. Nevertheless before i make a decision whether i should get an apartment in the city I wanted to ask all of you about the type of work that needs to get done in dental school. Is it primarily hard core studying for the tests and quizzes as well as doing the lab work or are there a lot of papers and lab reports that need to be written up? How frequent are written assignments if there are any due? I'd really appreciate your input on this.
Thanx a bunch!

 

[sonofapizzaman]

I don't have the actual experience (YET! 😀) but I can tell you what I have been told.

I live about an hour from the campus at Buffalo and have a friend that is also pre-dental. We both shadowed the same dentist and she made it clear that she would like to get into Buffalo and will be commuting if she is accepted. The dentist told to to try to get her to reconsider. The way he put it "You guys will often be working on 5 hours of sleep or less per night. Imagine having to spend 2-3 hours of that time in a car instead..."

Remember how time consuming Organic and Biochem were? Imagine taking 8 other classes just like them at the same time! Yikes, I'm scaring myself now...I know how stress can multiply pretty quickly when you're not rested. I wouldn't put yourself in the position. I'd be interested in seeing what others think.

 

[Ostracized]

I've handled a 1-hour commute for the first two years but will be moving close to school for years 3 and 4. I'm just too tired all the time and I don't think I'll be able to manage when I'm seeing patients.

 

[daniely]

It's definitely possible. I had a dentist tell me that when he was in school those that commuted were top of his class. Why? Because they were extremely efficient at time management. Personally, I would just get a place in close to school. What is an extra $1000 bucks a month added on to your massive school loan anyway?

 

[Blue Panther]

What is an extra $1000 bucks a month added on to your massive school loan anyway?

It is $1000*12*4= $48,000 + interest

But in this situation, you have to also consider fuel cost and car maintenance.

 

[kokokaware3]

honestly i will get an apt close to school, that will give me more time to study and more time to rest. with more time and more rest you will do alot better in dental school.

 

[Decan]

I lived with my parents for my first year but I was spending long hours in lab or the library and driving home exhausted, usually fighting to stay awake. I got a place right next to campus my second year and for me it was a phenomenal decision. I can walk to school, come home for lunch, and go to the library or the lab and I don't have to worry about driving home late at night. Its definitely more expensive but I would recommend it.

 

[aries12r40]

I lived with my parents for my first year but I was spending long hours in lab or the library and driving home exhausted, usually fighting to stay awake. I got a place right next to campus my second year and for me it was a phenomenal decision. I can walk to school, come home for lunch, and go to the library or the lab and I don't have to worry about driving home late at night. Its definitely more expensive but I would recommend it.

I agree. After talking to a dentist whose son also goes to the same dental school that I am going to and living in the same neighborhood, I decide that I will need to find an apartment within walking distance to campus. It's not worth to risk your life driving on FWY trying to stay awake. Bside, I also believe that using the 1 hour driving time for sleeping would be beneficial to my study. You not only need to count driving time into your calculation, you need to count 30min wake up time to get ready, finding parking, and the possible traffic cause by accidents or extreme weather condition.

 

[Jake8]

Nothing like the pleasure of rolling out of bed and being in class within 10 mins, or coming home for a quick cup of coffee. I would rather live close to campus for the first two years and then move further away for the last two.

Don't forget to add in the expenses of fuel and car maintenance, buying lunch around the school, or a gym membership. Living close to campus gives me access to all the amenities of campus which would add up fast real fast. I also think I am getting to know my classmates better because we can get together after school without making a production out of it.

 

[Sephisabin]

Parking near school is very hard and not particularly cheap... Everyone who commutes takes public transport... you should probably do the same if you opt not to move out closer to school. That way, at least you can do something with your commute time... study, nap, etc.

 

[Flipper405]

I have to agree with what has been said before - I live about a 5 min walk away from school, and it has been absolutely lifesaving. I cannot imagine having 2 hours taken out of every day for commuting. It's not really comparable to undergrad - the workload is far heavier. On top of maintenance, insurance, and gas, you have to consider how much you would be paying for parking as well. It's not worth the hassle. You could always go back to your parents second year if you feel you have plenty of free time and want to save some money (I wouldn't count on that)

 

[quillow]

Parking near school is very hard and not particularly cheap... Everyone who commutes takes public transport... you should probably do the same if you opt not to move out closer to school. That way, at least you can do something with your commute time... study, nap, etc.

My brother knows someone in dental school and he basically said you live at school. If you have to commute, it's just what Sephisabin said. I can understand wanting to save money, but dental school already costs so much. It's already hard enough to get into dental school. If/when I get in, I'm going to be more worried about staying in, doing well, and graduating than on rent costs! Then again, I'm one of those people who like sleep and wouldn't want to give it up just for a long commute.

 

[panino]

It's a personal decision, and depends on what kind of person you are.

I choose to live close to campus. True, it costs more, but I think it's worth every penny. And you likely have choices - you don't have to live in that shiny new condo, or eat out every day, or take the subway/bus to school even though it's a twenty minute walk away.

Save money by packing a lunch, using the school's gym membership, and so on... but I am glad that I can walk home everyday for lunch, or if a 9 am class is cancelled, I can go home to study or whatever, or if lab hours start at 5, and I am done class that day at 2pm, I can go home, instead of deciding to not go to lab after hours, or be tempted to miss a 8 am class etc. You can still manage all those things if you commute, but for me, it's not worth it.

 

[gryffindor]

I am long done with dental school and now I work in the NYC area. I hate my driving commute of nearly an hour. It is 2 hours of my day just wasted doing nothing but battling traffic, paying tolls, and listening to AM radio (it's not easy highway driving here). Sometimes I can commute on a train which is a little better because I can read but the train commute for me takes longer than driving so I usually end up sleeping. Of course then I'm always afraid I will sleep through my stop.

I would have never survived with this commute and having to deal with being alert and ready to study and take exams in dental school. I would've failed out from sure no matter how organized I was. Dental school is exhausting. If you add a 2 hour commute to your day, you will run out of hours and energy fast. I can barely survive now and I have no responsibility except to show up and be a friendly doctor. I had a 7 minute driving commute in school and a 3 minute walking commute in residency. Both were perfect for giving me enough hours in the day to be the best student and resident possible while having some time to sleep and stay sane.

If anything, try to live somewhere affordable where you can commute by train because at least you can read or sleep.

 

[jay47]

I am long done with dental school and now I work in the NYC area. I hate my driving commute of nearly an hour. It is 2 hours of my day just wasted doing nothing but battling traffic, paying tolls, and listening to AM radio (it's not easy highway driving here). Sometimes I can commute on a train which is a little better because I can read but the train commute for me takes longer than driving so I usually end up sleeping. Of course then I'm always afraid I will sleep through my stop.

I would have never survived with this commute and having to deal with being alert and ready to study and take exams in dental school. I would've failed out from sure no matter how organized I was. Dental school is exhausting. If you add a 2 hour commute to your day, you will run out of hours and energy fast. I can barely survive now and I have no responsibility except to show up and be a friendly doctor. I had a 7 minute driving commute in school and a 3 minute walking commute in residency. Both were perfect for giving me enough hours in the day to be the best student and resident possible while having some time to sleep and stay sane.

If anything, try to live somewhere affordable where you can commute by train because at least you can read or sleep.

Some people in my class commute; they are definitely passing (a few do really well) but it clearly takes a toll on their study time and habits. Plus, after adding in parking, gas, and time value, I think living closer to school is definitely the way to go.

 

[jay47]

It is $1000*12*4= $48,000 + interest

But in this situation, you have to also consider fuel cost and car maintenance.

If it is an hour drive and you average 50 mph, then I assume you will drive around 100 miles daily. Assume 25 mpg = 4 gallons daily X $2.5 gallon = $10 dollars daily X 20 days month (for 4, five week days)= $200. That doesn't include time, which in my opinion is the MOST valuable thing in dental school. You would be spending about 12% of your waking day on the road, which can add up for a month.

 

[hopekeepsmegoin]

I got accepted into NYU and really can't wait to start in August....The major problem that I have encountered is deciding where should I live.. Since dental school is expensive I am planning to live with my parents, which is an hour away from the city, I would be driving in everyday and i know that I technically can make it because for my undergrad I drove to school every day for 40 min. for four years. Nevertheless before i make a decision whether i should get an apartment in the city I wanted to ask all of you about the type of work that needs to get done in dental school. Is it primarily hard core studying for the tests and quizzes as well as doing the lab work or are there a lot of papers and lab reports that need to be written up? How frequent are written assignments if there are any due? I'd really appreciate your input on this.
Thanx a bunch!

Hi,
I study at NYU and i am in the second year. I dont know about other dental schools, but at nyu the work load is just too much. we have labs 4 times a week,classes everday, exams 3 times a week, whole lot of homework and add a lot of other stuff like clinical observation and outreach programs etc. sometimes i leave home at 7am and come back home at 9pm, then sleep for an hour and study all night and go back for a 7 am lab after 2 hrs of sleep. weekends I end up practicing for practicals that happen like ALL the time!!..and guess what I live 7 mins walk away form school and i am totally tired.
However some classmates do live in nj and long island and even upstate and travel for like 2 hrs everyday and manage, some even have kids and families to take care of and still do well.🙂
i would say live in the city, NYC is the best place to live in.

 

[tooth knockn]

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