Phenomenal Clinical Experience and Didactic Preparation

By: Emma Cameron

Undoubtedly, dental school is difficult and at times, draining. When I began at NYU College of Dentistry, I felt as though I was drowning in lectures that I could not keep up with. Exams were given weekly, sometimes twice weekly. The courses were challenging and unbearable at times. I had to quickly adjust to a lifestyle of studying for multiple hours per day — something that I was not used to doing in undergrad. The heavy didactic coursework steadily went on for a full two years. By the end of my second year of dental school, I could not wait to be in the clinic and work directly with patients. Third year came with its own challenges because we had to juggle clinic twice per week with coursework as well (although not as rigorous); however, the feeling of providing direct patient care made the long days and nights of studying feel worth it.

Now, as I am halfway through my fourth and final year of dental school at NYU, my perspective on my entire experience here has changed. Near the end of our third year, we are presented with mock INBDE exams, three in total. We can register for the INBDE exam early, in August, if we receive a 75% on the mock exams. I am proud to say that I passed all three of my mock exams and immediately signed up for the INBDE as soon as I was granted permission from the school. Although I spent a month and a half studying for the Boards, I felt fully prepared and confident when I took the INBDE exam in late August. Two weeks later, I received an email that I did indeed pass. NYU most certainly prepares its students to be successful on the INBDE, and I am grateful to have learned from exceptional faculty during my time here.

I would like to shine a light on the clinical side of NYU Dentistry as well. Our patient base is rather vast, and I feel like I have been able to see and perform many different dental treatments. I have also had the opportunity to work with extremely talented faculty members who have different approaches and ideas for handling these cases. I am grateful to be able to rotate through the specialty clinics to get a better understanding of exactly what various specialists do on a day-to-day basis.

We are held to a very high standard at NYU in regard to coursework and clinical work, and I am confident that this will only help us become more proficient and knowledgeable in dentistry once we are out in practice after graduating. Below is a quote from Dr. Andrew Spielman, our Dental Journalism Club Advisor and highly honorable professor, here at NYU College of Dentistry:

During my 17 years as the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs I conducted annual surveys with GPR program directors who were in a position to compare our graduates with graduates from other dental schools represented in their program. It was their overwhelming opinion that "NYU graduates hit the road running, compared to other schools' graduates, who need a lot of hand holding."