What's Dental School Like?

Aside from application anxiety, the most common spark of anticipation stems from the curiosity of what life in dental school is like. I regret having missed the boat on photo-documenting my first year, but hopefully I can catch you up on the insights of having been a DS1 --> DS2.

Grading System
My education here has been different from my experiences at an undergraduate school in Canada - the first noted distinction being the GPA conversion. While I was used to an 80%+ scoring a 4.0 back home, I now grow accustomed to the same grade converting to a 3.0 (B-). I also never feared failure because scoring below a 50% on an exam was a rarity; however, in dental school, every student must achieve atleast a 70% on an exam in order to pass. I won't lie, failure is not uncommon and even I have had to remediate a written exam or competency exam. Don't be frightened, the school will ease you into their system gradually and will do their best to prevent you from falling behind.

Workload/Difficulty
Very briefly, dental students will agree that examinations are not difficult, but plentiful. From last year to this year, I am not shocked that I am still constantly studying for a quiz every other day. On the plus side, I have never run out of time to finish a quiz or exam - a struggle for me when writing exams in undergrad, as well as during the DAT. What becomes more stressful are competency exams eg. anatomy bell-ringers, wax-ups, caries preps & restorations, crown and bridges. These you cannot be tardy or truant for, and time management is key.

Attendance/Presence
I cannot speak for all schools, but I stress that my school takes attendance and dresscode very seriously. We use a clicker system for participation and attendance check, and have been in conflict with the Dean for academic misconduct when students were swapping clickers. Students are required to have clean/pressed scrubs or business attire, and can be sent home if this criteria is not fulfilled.

Outside Life/Time Management
I will be the first to admit that if dental school was my entire life, I would go insane. Unfortunately, free time has become less prevalent than in my undergrad/grad school days. That is not to say that I am studying every day. While I can still proclaim to be doing well in school, I am not one to stay on top of my workload. Examination period seems to drag on forever, but during those in-between days, myself and my classmates will take advantage of our time and become young, belligerent delinquents when well-deserved ;) Even during exams, I make it my priority to nap, frequent the gym, and stay in touch with my friends back home.
It is nice to remember that all your classmates are suffering the same schedule, so if it is time to be a hermit, they're all hermitting with you.

If you are a predental student, I advise you not to jump the gun and prepare by reading up on books or volunteering. Enjoy your time before DS1, because the one thing I lack now is sufficient vacation time to travel. Your whole life will become teeth and mouths come fall semester. When I get a break, it is relieving to pretend that I know nothing about oral health, if only for a couple of weeks.

Cheers from the girls of DS2 <3