ADAT - What Is It and How To Prepare For It

I recently wrote an article about the Advanced Dental Admission Test, otherwise known as the ADAT. In the article I outlined what the exam entails and how to prepare for it.

See excerpt of the article below and follow the link to read entire article.

You can find this article and many more on The NEXT DDS website, and it is entirely free to enroll!

Pre-Dental and Dental School Materials Update

Having gone through the entire dental school journey/process, I have updated the Pre-Dental Materials tab with helpful DAT study materials and the Dental School Materials tab with those materials I found helpful esp. for the National Board Dental Examination Parts I and II.

Take a moment to browse the materials and get a head start on studying. It's never too early!

Just take a look above, where it says DAT Study Materials, or click here.

and for Dental Students, hit the Dental School Materials tab, or click here.

Battle Scars and All

There was a period when I didn't mind being asked this question. It could be a friendly gesture, a conversation starter or being genuinely concerned. But, after a while it gets old...and irritating. What do you mean if I'm tired? I'm a Dental student!  Oh, and it's worse when your own classmates ask. Last time I checked buddy, you and I had the same course load. Why aren't YOU tired?!

One another note, it's finals period. That period when we all burn the mid night oil in hopes of meeting our semester's goals of all A's, being every professor's favorite, break a class record, climb to the top of the Dean's list and graduate summa cum laude - wait, that's undergrad. Nevermind.

Fast forward to present moment: 6:44 am, sleep deprived, crouched over mounds of books and study sheets while the computer silently protests about being over-worked. I'm only 76 hrs 14mins and 9 seconds away from what's about to be one of the toughest weeks in the entire history of my dental school career; all 10 months, 10 lbs, 4 grey hairs and $62,000 of it. Next week is gonna be muddy! Like Yokozuna versus Verne Troyer in a sumo ring, muddy. But I have full confidence that the little guy will prevail and come out victorious, battle scars and all.

After the next 2 weeks I'll be 1/7th a dentist!! (including residency). Baby steps people, baby steps.

PS If you like the pic above get it on a T-shirt, coffee mug, or even a key chain at the Stu_DENT Shoppe. Lots more where that came from.

DDS Flow

The next three weeks are about to be ca-ra-zy! It's almost the end of the semester which translates to grind time. A couple of my classmates like to refer to this as the #ddsflow - like, "man! it's so nice out whyyy do I have to be stuck in the library?! Oh Well #ddsflow," or " whoa! did u see our final exam schedule?! It's about to go down! Serious #ddsflow." I guess we just figured it's a nifty way of saying we have to study without feeling too stressed about it while still keeping our goal in check. It works.
So, we pretty much have one more regular exam in Physiology (Renal) before we dive neck-deep into the gazillion amount of info accumulated for our 7 classes...7!

Yep, it's going down! Serious #ddsflow

Roll with the punches

This is how Dental School is sometimes:

knocks the air out of you

It's the end of a very stressful week but just a few hours shy of another. I must have started writing a post about three times this week. Let's just say other much more important duties called.
This past week left me on an emotional high. My week began with taking 2 examinations and the game plan to use the rest of the week to study for 2 huge ones that I have next week (Histology and Physiology).  A day after taking the 2 exams the results for one came out and, I was not pleased. I tend to set really high standards for myself and it takes a toll on me when the standard isn't met. At the same time, my class received an email about retaking the Dental Materials examination that we had last Friday because the class"supposedly" did not perform well. I was pissed, to say the least. For the moment I was mortified because my game plan approach for preparing for next week's examinations were thrown off.
So mid-week, after catching up with all my Histology lectures, I was able to make the mental adjustment and temporarily shift my mental resources and review for Dental Materials, which by the way is probably just as voluminous as Histo. and Physio. Now, the weekend is upon me and my grind for next week continues. Can I catch a break around here?
But, although I was upset about not getting a particular grade on an exam, the re-take, and though my game plan was thrown off, I learned a valuable lesson: Things aren't always going to go as planned but you must have the mental fortitude to suck it up and press on, or as I've found myself saying quite often these days - just roll with the punches.

It has begun

This week went by too fast! Perhaps that's the effect of  an 8-5 schedule ( I like to call it my full-time job) coupled with many hours of studying for examinations which, by the way, have now begun to snowball - oh joy! (insert sarcasm).  Either way I'm happy to announce that I am thoroughly enjoying Dental School - well maybe not thoroughly...there is this one class that is really grinding my geers (mutters indecencies under my breath) but it's great for the most part.
It's the weekend! yay? not really, mine constitutes studying for two examinations which are on Monday (groans) but at least I don't have to wake up at 6am. Funny how that becomes the highlight of my weekend.

 Happy weekend! Study hard and enjoy for both of us (if u can).

DAT Materials Raffle: See who won!

Due to the volume of requests for the DAT materials I had up for grabs I decided to do a raffle to choose who to give the materials to (to be fair to everyone).

Congrats to those who won!! Contact me with your shipping information so that you can get these materials asap. For everyone else, better luck next time.

Perpetual Grind

The semester has started off pretty well. Momentum on point, stress level at an all time low - the forecast is looking good (for now) but I already feel all the work creeping up.

The courses that will have me having sleepless nights this semester:
Medical Physiology
General/Oral Histology
Occlusion II
Oral Diagnosis
Restorative Operative Dentistry
Removable Prosthodontics
Dental Materials

You know I'll be on that perpetual grind. Wish me luck anyway!

Perspective: first semester transition to second (D1)

In conversation with a former professor of mine he reminded me that "continuity enhances growth." As I mull on that statement, I think of the upcoming semester (S2-D1). One thing that struck me is that having the right mental mindset in anticipation of the course load ahead is a major attribute as I transition from semester 1- D1 to semester 2-D1. Simply put, going from 4 courses in S1-D1 to 7 courses in S2-D1 warrants an acknowledgment of a working transitional plan, coupled with adopting a prize fighter, readiness attitude. After all, this will help solidify the statement made by my professor.

Hopefully everyone has formulated their transitional plan for this semester. If not, you better get on it!

ENOUGH!

Christmas has come and gone, New Year's is a day away and I feel like I'm on a year long vacation.

I know I'll get nasty stares for this, maybe a couple neck snaps and a few "uh-Uuhhh's" but...

I miss school!

I really only needed a week off, just to catch up on some sleep, have a little fun, spend time with the family and to be a little carefree. The only other thing that would keep me from not thinking about school would be to have gone to a foreign country with lots of sun and white sand beaches

HEAVENLY!

...which I clearly didn't do since I was up to my knees in snow the other day. I pretty much have a love-hate relationship with NYC. More love than hate though.

So I'm spending another relaxing day at home today (until it's time to ring in the New Year, of course) and can't help but think of all the stuff I'd rather be complaining..err learning about this semester. I've just about had enough of this break. I've had enough of the carefree lifestyle for now. I'm ready to get back to business!

I MEAN BUSINESS!

So Hurry Down the Chimney Tonight!

Santa Baby I've really been an awful good girl this year and I've got good grades to prove it. I finally got the final results from my classes and I couldn't be more proud! But Santa, I remember asking for a 4.0 GPA, did you forget about it? It's okay though you can make up for it with one, two, maybe all of the "little" items on my wishlist...

{CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGE}

1. Puff ball scarf - in purple

2. Matiko HALLE black suede boots

3. Milk Glass Bud Vase

4. Yamaha FG720SBL Black Acoustic Guitar

5. Think (+) Positive Wall Fixture

6. "Have Faith In Your Dreams" Juicy Couture bracelet

7. Marc Jacobs Striped Dial Watch

8. Furrific! Trapper Hat

9. Juicy Couture Velour laptop sleeve - in pink

10. Chamberet Mirror - in turqoise 

11. Nikon D3100 Digital SLR camera

12. Vintage Picture frames

I've gone ahead and added links above, just in case you like something and wondering where to grab yourself one - You're welcome!

 Now I know this is a little last minute but I've been so good this year - so hurry on down the chimney, you hear?





D1, Semester1: ✔

[Deep sigh of sweet relief] I've successfully completed my first semester of Dental School *throws confetti*

 Dental School has definitely been a new and unique experience. Academically, it is challenging but doable, and with some discipline and tenacity I was able to get through it unscathed. What I've learned: Start strong and keep up! If you allow yourself to slip, you will forever be playing catch up.

As anticipated, dealing with different personalities was also a challenge; however, like everything else, deal with it as it comes and adjust accordingly and if  needs be. What I've learned: You can't please everyone and at the end of the day you can only be you.

I'm now on Christmas break and I have every intention to make it as fun and relaxing as I possibly can albeit the freezing temperatures. Get ready for my holiday randomness!

Work it, Own It!

Thanksgiving with the family and close friends was great! I blame it all for the lack of a post last week. Not to worry though, I'm now back from my mini vacay and naturally, it's back to the grind as finals are well on their way. Sometimes all we need is a little break so we can dive back in, full throttle. With that being said, dive into this Mental Monday trivia. It's a tough one so the first person to come up with the correct answer(s) gets a $10 iTunes gift card! (no joke).

First person to come up with the correct answer(s) gets $10 iTunes gift card!

On Saturday, 6 marriages are due to be performed throughout the day at the local church. However, the details of the brides and grooms have been inadvertently mixed up in the planner. Although each name is in the correct column, only 1 name in each colum is correctly positioned.

	Groom 1st	Groom 2nd	Bride 1st	Bride 2nd
1	Abe	Goliath	Minnie	Stephens
2	Bill	Holdernes	Nina	Tallis
3	Colin	Idi	Olive	Underwood
4	Doug	James	Pauline	Vitori
5	Eddie	Kite	Alice	Wells
6	Fred	Leonard	Rosie	Yates

Here are the facts that are certain about the correct order:

1. Yates is 2 places below Goliath
2. Colin is 1 place below Idi
3. Fred is 3 places below Nina, who is 2 above Underwood
4. Vitori is somewhere below Olive who is somewhere below Kite
5. James is 1 place above Pauline who is 2 places above Doug
6. Rosie is 1 place above Abe who is one above Stephens
Give the first and last names of the groom and bride for each position.

You know what time it is!

PS answer might be easier to send in table form. Feel free to send a table with correct answers to patrice@stu-dentdiaries.com or copy & paste table you made in the comment section.

♪♫ Let's Get Physical, Physical ♪♫

 It's Mental Monday! Put on your thinking caps.

Look at the following:

1 + 23 - 4 + 5 - 6 + 78 + 9 = 106

Notice that the digits 1 through 9 are used in order to arrive at 106. Using 1 through 9 in order, and using only addition or subtraction, create equations that equal 100.

Come on, give me at least 2 equations! Post your answers in the comments section.

♪♫ Let's get Physicaaaal ♪♫

Train Your Brain

It's Monday! and I'm here again to give you your weekly brain work-out with   

Mental Monday.

I had a pretty relaxed week last week, and not to toot my own horn but I must thank my own Mental Monday post (and my relaxed school/study schedule) for putting me in that frame of mind. Now that it's time for another work/school week let's pick up the pace.

How good is your memory, problem solving skills, flexibility, attention and processing speed? You may have a general idea but how can you really tell for sure? A couple weeks ago I came across a website geared towards improving all those mentioned above, it's called Lumosity. What's on it? GAMES-geared toward enhancing cognition!
It was designed by neuroscientists and game developers; research shows where these games, as simple as they appear, help in ones overall cognition.

I'm a true testament that lumosity works. In just a couple days after visiting lumosity in my down time, I have seen improvement in my memory and Brain Performance Index (BPI). For example, I have to draw teeth for my Occlusion class - it's a way of studying and knowing our teeth's anatomy and morphology. Before starting lumosity I would have to repeatedly refer to my laboratory manual for the dimensions of the teeth, even when drawing the same tooth more than once. After a couple training sessions with lumosity, I was able to draw all my molars, from different views by having only looked at the laboratory manual once.

Lumosity does work and is free for the most part, but you must make an account in order to participate in the exercises. Another good thing about lumosity...there's an app. for it! Check it out on your iPhone or any other smart phone. This way you can train your brain on the go.

Click the link below and find out your brain grade and start a training program to improve your memory and congnition.

Come back and share your progress!

How Committed Are You?

Recently, I came across a survey which spoke about the completion rate of college students (undergraduate and graduate). One important  aspect of the survey centered on the lack of discipline and commitment to self exhibited by those polled. As I read through the data, I couldn't help but ask myself, how badly do my colleagues and I really want to complete our dental program and become dentists? In searching for an answer to the above question, I realize that a one size fits all does not apply in this case. However, I do believe that there are 3 things that we all should consider as we strive in our quest to becoming future dentists. First, it is imperative that we take time to reflect on ourselves continually, to ensure that we are staying committed to our intended purpose. Secondly, it is equally important for us to recognize that everything that we do have consequences. For example, if a person chooses to allow non-essential activities to overcome their study-time, then, the onus is on the individual to accept the responsibility if he/she does not perform up to standard on any given quiz or examination. While some students may not be good test takers, the results of tests evidently reflects, in most instances, the amount of work dedicated to studying. Finally, equally as important to the first two statements, as future dentists, it is incumbent on us to know when to say "no" to even our best friends who may encourage us to miss classes or skip studying, just because they may have chosen to do so. It is imperative to note, that while we may have made friends or associates while in dental school, we are totally responsible for ourselves. At the end of it all, the major difference is donning the cap and gown on graduation day. In reflecting on the survey that I read, the question that I'm posing is, are you disciplined and committed enough in your quest to become future dentists (or whatever profession  you have chosen)?

Gross!

Warning: You may see the word "Gross" far too many times than necessary throughout this post.

Why is Formaldehyde the first thing I smell in the morning when I walk into the medical school to get to my classes in the Dental School? Gross! Why do I have to smell Formaldehyde every time I walk into the locker room? Gross! Why after I complete the lab the smell of formaldehyde is still in my nostrils that even an hour after the lab I still smell it? Gross! and what's the point of washing my hair anymore? It's like an exercise in futility because the minute I do the minute it's smelling  like Formaldehyde again, Gross! But then again if I don't wash it and it starts to make my pillow and sheets smell, wouldn't that be even more gross? Yeah, grossss!

In other gross news, it's week 6 of school and Anatomy is taking me on the ride of my life! So.much. stuff. to remember. We started out with back muscles which were not bad at all but then came upper limbs - arm, forearm, wrist and hand, the axilla, embryolgy, neuroembryolgy, thoracic wall, lungs, heart, mediastinum, autonomics, the head, neck, face etc etc. -  innervations, blood  supply, insertions, origins, actions, palsies, intricate details and a world of clinical application. It's hard to fathom that this is only the beginning. I'm already suffering from sleep deprivation and my over consumption of coffee (i think) has recently started giving me tachycardia (no joke).

Gross labs are fun but can be frustrating because it sometimes take hours to find and separate the nerves and blood vessels you want. However, I'm grateful that I am able to learn the subject matter both ways - by reading and seeing pictures and illustrations and by seeing and dissecting a real human body. It brings the subject together beautifully and really helps in knowing and remembering the different structures. I'm also really grateful to the person who donated her body for the advancement of my education. I named her Ashley by the way. So Ashley let me say this, I have great respect for you. Sometimes if you feel a pinch of some sort it's because I sometimes can't find what I'm looking for and I get frustrated. So, if you find me a little rough around the edges some days, don't worry, but rest assured I have nothing but the utmost respect  for you, ok? Now help me out and make the zygomatic branch of your facial nerve appear because I swear it's not where it's supposed to be. Just smile and make my day.

PS Wash your hair, your scrubs and lab coats people! It's just too gross if you don't.

Weekday, Weekend - What's the difference?

It was a super long week and I somehow managed to make it through 7hrs of Occlusion, an hr of Intro to Clinicals, 10 hrs of Biochem, a 2hr talk/lecture from the dean, too many hrs of Anatomy and countless mixers/meet-n-greets. In essence, I made it through week 1 of Dental School. I believe I owe it all to Starbucks -1 tall breakfast blend (medium) to start the day and get me through 8 hrs of lecture and 1 tall chocolate mocha to, well... get me through the other 3-6 hrs of study thereafter, ugh!

With all the work that is required to get through each phase of DS, I believe it's safe to say that the secret to a successful transition is support. My school is really big on support and most, if not all students here function as a family unit - always looking out for each other. That comes to me as great relief. I have already gotten tonnes of help and advice from upperclassmen and it is well appreciated, of course.

So, It's the weekend which typically translates to sleep, movies, mall, night on the town, sleep and...more sleep, right? WRONG! It's sad to see my weekends go up in smoke. I took a night off from the books last night to catch up on a week's worth of sleep (no joke) and now my weekend has to pay for it. I have to stuff 32 hours of lecture in my cranium by Monday so that I am prepared to stuff another 32 hrs of lecture come Tuesday. My weekends have quickly gone from relaxation to work-work-work in no time (and no warning).

FYI, It took me 10 mins to think of what to post and 20 mins to write this post, which means I've lost 30 mins of study time, which means I'll have to make up for it later, which means even blogging has become a hassle. No bueno! Anycrazyweekend, enjoy! and have loads of sleep and fun times for both of us!

What to Expect in your First Year of Dental School

In approximately 49 days I'll begin Dental School. I'm extremely excited! nervous and a bit anxious. The exciting classes is what I'm most looking forward to. However, dental school requires long hours of school, long hours of study and as a first year student, getting used to the rigor and adjusting to the varying personalities of the dental school colleagues, I'm sure will be challenging to deal with.
The first year of Dental School is mainly composed of lectures, labs and pre-clinical activities focusing on the basic sciences and dental materials. The structure of classes in dental schools vary but are similar in that they usually span a total of 8-9 hours daily. You will also probably have to put in at least 3-5 hrs endless amounts (what was I thinking?) of studying after wards.

Courses usually taught during the first year include (depending on school):
Introduction to Medicine
Biochemistry
Gross Anatomy
Anatomy Dissection
Microbiology
Radiology
Histology/Embryology
Restorative Dentistry (lecture + lab)
Physiology
Occlusion
Dental Materials, etc

Of the above, I'm mostly looking forward to Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry, Occlusion and Restorative Dentistry. Perhaps I'll take a liking to other of the above listed courses. Perhaps I'll lose one of my most liked...
So what should we expect in our first year? Expect a deviation from the norm. You will be transitioning from undergraduate to professional school. There will be lots of competition, and to keep up we have to put in adequate amount of time and effort in order to make the transition easier on ourselves and to ensure a successful journey in this process. Equally important in this process is knowing the type of learner that you are. Recognizing that professional school requires a lot of adjustments, understanding how you learn and what works for you will serve as a platform with which you can spring from in your quest for continuity beyond your first year.

Best of luck to all of us!!

Things to do BEFORE you start Dental School

There are a myriad of things to be taken care of prior to the start of Dental School. Getting the necessary things done can save a lot of time, headache, and stress that can invariably be avoided.

First things first: It's Summer! A lot of students feel the need to start studying the summer prior to the start of dental school, I may also be guilty of this. However, as many medical and dental students have told me, "It's a big waste of time." Basically, the time you will spend self-studying during the summer, you will probably cover during one lecture. Hence, some may argue that it is simply pointless. What they suggest is that you spend your summer relaxing, as for a long time it will be the only time you will have for yourself.

Most students going off to Dental School are leaving home. One of the most important things to do when moving to a new city is to scope the place out. Make sure you know where your school is (of course). You should know how to get to school from where you'll be living. If you'll be using public transportation, ensure you know what buses and/ or trains to take and know the schedule. Most train and bus stations will have a pamphlet with the schedule that you can keep with you. If you have a car and will be driving, scope out at least one route that will take you to school (the shortest, maybe). You can depend on your GPS (if you have one) but, they do mistakes too and often times give you the longest route (I've proven that time and time again). You should also take care of parking on campus, get the required permits and space. You do not want to be fighting for parking on your first day. Scoping out your city will also give an idea of where the local coffee shops, books stores, libraries, restaurants, grocery stores and hang out spots are.

Go Shopping!! This is by far the part that's most fun. For most, we're starting a new life and that means new things. The different things we need to shop for are, of course apartments. Make sure this is to your liking and that it is some place that you feel you'll be most comfortable living. This also means that you should stay within your budget. Skip the luxury for now, that will come later - unless you find one close enough for reasonable enough. You may also need to shop for furniture. You have a chance to be yourself, decorate how you want to but be mindful not to go overboard. Try shopping at places where you get these for reasonable, like IKEA. They have some really nice things for really low costs. Check their site for inspiration. Other things you may need to shop for are household items. You'll need pots, pans, utensils and what-not. You'll also need to shop for school supplies and stationery.

Another thing you'd want to do is, make living arrangements; get a room mate that you can put up with, but most importantly one you can live with (if going that route). Decorate your place! make it home, make it comfortable, and don't forget to stock your cupboards! Once school starts you will literally need to start studying from day one. You need to be comfortable, you do not want to have to split your time between studying and unpacking boxes. Neither do you want to be living off Ramen noodles (yuck!) Get these squared away for a seamless start.

Get your finances in order. Most students will be living on financial aid. Make sure tuition and fees are taken care of first, then plan a budget for your living expenses. Live within your means, live within your means, live within your means. I can't stress that anymore.

Doing all these things  prior to the start of school will save you a lot of time and headache. You want your first day to be as hassle free and as stress free as possible. Arrive to school light, pleasant and ready to soak up all the new information that will be thrown at you.