Words of Encouragement

For many of you, Dec 2 cannot come fast enough. A day you either dread or anticipate, either way I am sure everyone is brimmed with anxiety and impatience. Even if you have not yet been offered an interview, the familiar feeling of uneasiness persists in your mind.

Although you may each be at a separate phase of aspiration (for example, I just wanted to fill a seat anywhere) - no need to panic, and no need to pray. 

As an average-to-slightly-above-average-ish application for the 2011 cycle, I made an empty promise to myself (or whoever was up there) that I would improve myself if I could just make it this year. If I just made it to dental school, I would no longer skip my classes or leave my assignments behind. My work ethic throughout undergrad (and before that, let's be honest) was abysmal at best. I know most young adults can relate to my constant struggle to find motivation and remain undistracted. I wanted to go out with my friends, spend time with family, or even just sit on my ass and watch useless TV or bicker with my then-boyfriend; I would prioritize this over studying for exams and my achievements suffered for many years. Because I didn't realize I wanted to apply to dental school, I hadn't a goal to work toward and thus I became the "average applicant" at the end.

Many people told me I wouldn't make it, because my grades weren't good enough, I didn't have any experience, and that I couldn't prove that this was where my passion was. I was so close to scrapping my plans to apply because I was faced with too much discouragement. I researched entrance stats and listened to other peers' stories of a lifelong commitment to dentistry and was convinced I didn't make the cut. In my second year of graduate studies performing laboratory research, all I knew was that I didn't want to stop at a dead end. Even while I felt there would be a huge chance of rejection, I went ahead and filled my requirements for dental school anyway. At this point, my time was limited. While putting in my 9-5 for gradschool, I studied for the DAT and killed it off within 2 months, took a couple weeks off to shadow as many hours as I could, and signed up and fulfilled my missing prerequisite courses - all within a span of 6 months, in order to make the June 1 AADSAS opening day. I wrote several drafts of my personal statement and kept in close contact with my 4 LORs. With my application in, I continued with my life (with as much normalcy as I could being anxiety-ridden) and just waited it out. I admit that I was so shocked when my first interview invite came at the end of August. Even more surprised when the rest of them came.

Looking back, I wish someone had convinced me that I could have confidence in myself and not worry about every stat, sentence, or story that I submitted. I wish I had the discretion to read everything with a grain of salt and believe that if I wanted something, I could have it. 

They told me I couldn't make it, and I made it on my first try.

As for you, whether you are the top contender or the underdog - if your heart is in the right place, you'll get there. Whether you are one of those "lifelong committers" or a late bandwagon hopper like me, our aspirations are to help people (hopefully written in a less cliche manner in your application). I admit, most days I am wasting my time on Facebook while in class and drowning behind in the current in terms of studying - not the most rewarding experience at the moment. But once in a while when I have the opportunity to work with patients, I'll get a reminder here and there that my work getting here was worth it.

From the free pediatric mouth guard clinic in my 1st year, a patient wrote us:

As per the words in our application, making a little bit of a difference brought us to where we are, and that makes us in exactly the right place.

Believe it! xx

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