Amidst the shuffle of exams,
papers, and challenges that come paired with the joys of completing an undergraduate
degree, pre-dental students somehow manage to set aside time to study for DATs,
complete applications, volunteer, and explore the field by shadowing our dental
school predecessors. Days before I was finally relieved of stressful DAT
studies, a dentist that I was shadowing told me that after high school, we spend years fighting to get into school,
but once we get in, we spend years fighting to get out.
I laughed, thinking only of my
impending DAT, but the veracity of that statement only registered for me after
completing my first year at Nova Southeastern University College of Dental
Medicine. Just one year ago, 126 students in matching, hunter green scrubs
poured into a massive auditorium, greeting their new classmates and sharing
stories they heard about dental schools around the country. The D2 class prepared
us for the horrors and triumphs along the way in our first year. One professor
said, “The amount of information they expect you to absorb in D1 is like setting
a student down in front of a fire hydrant and expecting them to swallow every
drop of water.”
At first, it seemed impossible. Two
exams every week, practicals, assignments; there was so much to accomplish. But
as we struggled together, the D1 class became unified. We formed study groups,
practiced waxups, block and carves, preps, and restorations together in the simulation
lab during our spare time, and learned to help one another when someone was in
need. Before we knew it, practicing for practicals became a social experience,
where D1s forgot about pre-practical jitters and shared tips on everything from
the best method to start a waxup, to fixing ergonomics for back pain prevention
after countless hours of practice in the simulation lab.
Ahead of a successful career in
dentistry, various organizations, including clubs and fraternities, offer tutorials
and involvement opportunities for students to participate in university events,
volunteer, and excel as scholars. Extracurricular activities also enhanced the
class dynamic, which allowed us to function more like a family, and develop a
friendly environment to ameliorate the heavy D1 course load. Students around
the country attribute much of their academic successes to the friends that they
make in dental school. It may take some time to establish a good study group,
or find that perfect study spot, but with a solid group, all students learn to
juggle D1 responsibilities.
Although the D1 curriculum can seem
overwhelming at times, it proved to be a lot more manageable with the comfort
and reassurance of friends and classmates. Today, I look back on my own D1
experience, and realize that although my classmates and I struggled through hardships together, we also celebrated
triumphs together, and look forward to conquering dental school together.