Before I started dental school I had already known that our second year was supposed to be the “hardest year.” I had heard this from every dental student who I spoke to and I heard it on every podcast that I listened to which featured current dental students and recently graduated dentists. I even watched YouTube videos about dental school and what it was like/what to expect, and the one commonality between all of the people who have ever experienced dental school seemed to be that the second year is unquestionably the hardest. The reason for this is because by D2 year, students are no longer continuing with didactic courses alone, which we have been all too familiar with since undergrad. By the second year, students arejuggling not only science courses, but dental courses and labs which require the learning of procedures along with competently performing them in a simulation lab setting.
Reflecting back on my second year of dental school, I wish I had not stressed myself out about what I was fearfully anticipating because for me, my second year of dental school was exactly what I needed to confidently feel and believe that being a dentist was only within arms reach for me. Of course, I had to find ways to manage my time to incorporate many hours of studying, however, the material that we studied in D2 year was notably relevant to what we will be doing as practicing clinicians in the future which made me actually enjoy what I was studying. Learning procedures, understanding pathology/recognizing oral lesions and anomalies, making bridges and crowns, filling deciduous teeth, performing root canal therapy, prepping veneers, etc. are all significantly relevant to my professional career and I enjoyed the effort that was put into learning every minute of it.
I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to be a dental student at New York University College of Dentistry. I am lucky to be surrounded by some of the brightest and noteworthy instructors and professors of all time in the field of dentistry. I am also among some of the kindest, smartest and talented students. I look forward to transitioning to even more of a clinical setting in my third and fourth years of dental school.
If there is one thing I learned in my second year of dental school it would be that I will never know everything and I am perfectly content with that. Taking on the role of a dentist comes with the responsibility of being a lifelong learner. There will always be more to learn, such as new techniques and new technologies, etc. My second year of dental school has opened my mind in that it provided a contrast between older dental materials and technologies and new, pioneering procedures and astonishing dental alternatives.
I am very excited to start my clinical journey as I will soon transition into caring for my own patients beginning in my third year and I believe that my second year has set me up for success in doing so. The transition will be trying and exciting at the same time and the knowledge that I will be able to absorb from my faculty is immeasurable. I look forward to what these next two years will bring!
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