How to Find Success in Dental School
With thousands of students just starting their dental school journeys, I found myself reflecting on my own experiences. There are a lot of things to consider at first: meeting new people, learning about all things teeth, and orienting to the new workload. I thought it fitting to share some thoughts on what I wish I had done differently, how to make the most of your time and how to carry that successfully into practice.
WHAT I SHOULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY IN DENTAL SCHOOL
In life, there are times we wish we could do something differently. If given the opportunity to relive dental school, here are some of the things I would change.
ESTABLISH PERSPECTIVE ON WHY I WAS THERE
The first two years of dental school weren’t that fun for me. I was caught up in the same mindset I had from undergrad and simply wanted to score the highest marks. This made me lose sight of why I was in dental school to begin with. Truly, we are in school with a specific goal: be good dentists. Good dentists aren’t defined by any single criteria, grade or score. I was making it difficult on myself by focusing on minutia.
FOCUS TIME AND ENERGY IN MY AREA OF INTEREST
I needed to think more globally towards the long-term picture. That meant determining if I wanted to be a general dentist or a specialist, discovering what interested me most and then concentrating my efforts towards improving my knowledge in that area.
For example,
IF I were pursuing general dentistry, I would immerse myself in every specialty rotation. Take extra time in clinic or discussing tough cases with faculty understanding that after graduation mentorship may be hard to find and Continuing Education Courses are expensive.
OR, if I had decided dentistry for children was my calling, I would have spent more time in the pediatric department focused on doctor-parent interactions, dental eruption patterns, direct restorations, behavior guidance techniques, etc.
WORRY LESS ABOUT WHAT OTHERS ARE DOING
Dental school is a small place. Class sizes are often no bigger than high school classes. That means spending a lot of time around the same people. There is bound to be drama. Classmates will not all get along. Some will hookup, date, breakup, fight, marry, have children, etc. Some will cheat on exams, steal dental materials or speak negatively of one another. Admittedly, I let some of those things affect me in school. With the help of some good friends (my wife included), I learned to move past it all.
At the end of the day, the drama and gossip only detract from the dental school experience. Handle your own business, wish well for one another and carry on.
HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR TIME AND MONEY
As I’m sure most people know by now, a dental school education is not cheap. Students are graduating with an average debt burden of $200,000 – 300,000. Just doing the minimum workload is good enough for a degree, but it isn’t the best way to maximize such a large investment. Here are some things to help:
VOLUNTEER YOUR TIME
There are some institutions where the clinical experiences at the main campus may be limited. That is why I would encourage students to volunteer. Go help out at community clinics. Travel with classmates on a humanitarian mission trip. Expose yourself to as many dental related experiences as possible. This gives you the opportunity to improve your comfort level with patient interactions. This also provides students with the opportunity for more operative chair-time. Dentistry, like many other skills, requires practice and repetition. The more patients a student sees, the more prepared he/she will be for life after graduation.
The unfortunate reality is that many new dentists find themselves in private practice searching YouTube or messaging their friends for tips on how to perform procedures (sometimes minutes before an appointment). Ideally, these individuals SHOULD have these experiences (impacted third molar or surgical extractions, molar endo, post/core buildups, etc.) in the comfort of dental school. The resources are available for students who look.
EXPLORE THE SPECIALTY CLINICS
While not every dental school has specialties on campus, those that do provide dental students with a unique opportunity to learn. Whether it is oral surgery, endodontics or pediatric dentistry, I would encourage those interested in specializing after dental school to spend time in the respective clinics. That way, students can determine if those specialties are truly suited to them. Additionally, these clinics provide the opportunity for students going into general practice to learn more difficult procedures, as mentioned above.
For students specializing, the extra effort can help improve chances of acceptance. You may meet faculty and/or current residents who, at the very least, may write a letter of recommendation or put in a good word.
BE SOCIAL. DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS. CHERISH YOUR FRIENDS.
There will be many like-minded individuals sharing many of the same experiences. It’s a truly unique comradery that develops between dental school classmates. Whether it’s the long hours in sim lab around the same people practicing the same preparations on the same teeth or the late-night study/cram sessions for dental anatomy or some equivalent, sharing the highs and lows of professional school establishes lifelong friendships and relationships. I met my WIFE in my dental school class. Life today would absolutely not be what it is without the friendships I made.
DON’T FORGET TO ENJOY YOURSELF
For many, dental school has been a lifelong dream. These days, many students have applied multiple times before finally landing a position. There is a lot of be happy about. Enjoy yourself and when school gets stressful remember how grateful you were to be accepted. The time goes quickly so cherish every experience.
HOW IT APPLIES TO REAL LIFE
At its core, dental school is intended to prepare people for private practice. This is especially important in dentistry as many providers operate independently. The stakes are high. People rely on their dentists to be knowledgeable and competent. Additionally, the clinical decisions that dentists make have the potential to really affect the lives of their patients.
THE WORLD OF DENTISTRY IS SMALL. SO, NETWORK.
Meet people, develop relationships and maintain them. Especially if planning to live in the area of the dental school, often there are faculty who practice close by. Many classmates may seek jobs through these connections or receive valuable recommendations/leads that land them associateships or residency positions.
MAINTAIN WORK-LIFE BALANCE
With patients to see and bills to pay, it may be easy to lose sight of work-life balance. My wife and I know this firsthand. So, we really put forth an effort work hard, but also to take care of ourselves. So many young dentists are already managing slight shoulder strains, minor backaches or neck stiffness. We understand the time and money investment we’ve made in our profession and we intend to protect that investment.
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How did you find success in school? Is there anything you wish you did differently? How have the things you learned in school translated to other areas of your life? Please share!