why UCLA

[Halitosis]

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To the current UCLA students:
can you pls share why you chose ucla? the school website says that clinical experience begins in year 1....how do you like that? and also, anyone do the mobile dental clinic rotation? how was that? please help me out if you can, thank you!

 

[toothcaries]

i have no connection with UCLA..

however, i know that ucla is a state school....with state school tuition.

if i were a resident of california...
UCLA would be in my final 2 without knowing anything else about the program.

 

[DDSSlave]

i have no connection with UCLA..

however, i know that ucla is a state school....with state school tuition.

if i were a resident of california...
UCLA would be in my final 2 without knowing anything else about the program.

👍

 

[ItsGavinC]

the school website says that clinical experience begins in year 1....how do you like that?

Schools who say that are usually referring to placing sealants or a mobile program of that nature. In theory it is clinical I suppose, but it isn't the good stuff. 😀

 

[chocobo]

Hi there, I'm a 4th year UCLA dental student. Clinical experience doesn't start the 1st year. You are placed in a vertical tier team (usually consisting of a 4th yr, 3rd yr & 2nd yr) when you become a 2nd yr, and that is when you can start going into clinic. Starting the fall quarter of 2nd yr, you are cleared to do operative (such as fillings) & cleanings. And you are cleared to do fixed prosthodontics (such as crowns) the winter quarter of 2nd yr. However, 2nd yr is intense academically & you have a lot of lab classes, so people usually don't do much in clinic their 2nd yr. Plus, you don't have your own patients as a 2nd yr. So you are relying on your 3rd & 4th yrs to provide you with things to do. (For example, I did perhaps 2 operative, 5 simple cleanings, & 1 crown total the whole 2nd yr). We have what's called 2nd yr 4th yr operative & crown in which your 4th yr will assist you in doing your very first operative & crown during the 2nd yr. You really don't start going to clinic alot until 3rd yr. By then, you'll have your own patients to take care of.

You can get clinical experience earlier by doing extracurricular clinical activities, such as attending health fairs (you can give oral hygiene instructions, place sealants) & attending Venice clinic or USC/UCLA mobile clinic.

There is no such thing as a mobile clinic rotation at UCLA. The mobile clinic is extracurricular activity.

 

[ItsGavinC]

Chocobo, thanks for the excellent post. I learned a lot from it!

 

[ecdoesit]

Hi, Chocobo,
Nice to see an UCLA student on sdn =) Please come by and share your experience with us at the ucla thread in the predental forum. Some of us went and are actually going to the health fair. It is really nice that we will get involved with our community.

It just seems kinda strange that they really put it there on their website. "The clinical experiences in comprehensive patient care begin early in the first year." However, after meeting with several students yesterday at the Health Fair, 1st yr at UCLA is all studying and taking exams. My schedule is basically 8-5 almost everyday with some free time monday morning and friday afternoon (yeah!) If we have time and able to manage our workload, I think we could still get involved in various clinics. I believe this is where the patient care takes place. Well, I guess I will find out in two months.

 

[Halitosis]

THANK YOU Chocobo for the great post!

so, is there a school which makes clinical xp part of the 1st year curriculum?

 

[chocobo]

I remember as a predental student going to interviews, I would ask the school when students started getting clinical experience at their school. But now, I realize that that is not very important. What's important is how much clinical experience the students will have had by the time they graduate.

It really doesn't matter if you get a little exposure to clinic the first year or not. If you want to be clinically competent when you graduate, you need to know how many procedures the students do at the school.