More Changes To Come For The NBDE

Just when we thought they have made all the changes that they needed to for the National Board Dental Examination (NBDE), it seems the recent switch to pass/fail was just the beginning.

I recently wrote an article for ASDA's blog "Mouthing Off" speaking of yet another change that dental students will have to adjust to in the future. According to the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations (JCNDE) an Integrated NBDE (INBDE) is slated for the year 2017. This new exam will integrate NBDE Parts 1 and 2 into one comprehensive exam. Why the need for this change? 

Here is an excerpt from my article on ASDA/s Mouthing Off on the matter:

...The traditional 2 part NBDE exam will soon be changed to one comprehensive exam termed the Integrated National Board Dental Examination (INBDE). This will integrate aspects of both the NBDE Part 1 and NBDE Part 2. Though it will not affect those of us already in dental school and the incoming class of 2016, there is talk that this may be implemented by the year 2017. The changes come about as a more effective way to evaluate candidates for licensure as it will take on a more clinically relevant approach. It is stated that the basic Science portion that is usually tested in the NBDE part 1 will remain as such but the content will be integrated into a clinical context.

You can find the rest of the article here:
Find out more about the new changes, re: INBDE here 
Another 'Mouthing Off' post here

Teeth found in Tumor of the Eye

According to The Sun, two fully formed teeth were found in a tumor of the eye of a 23 year old woman from India. This tumor, known as a teratoma (which are known to contain hair, tooth-like and bone-like structures), and are not uncommon but was surprising to doctors as it is extremely rare to find fully formed teeth embedded in the tumor.

Read more here.

Loupes: The Choice For Me

I've tried many loupes from many companies out there. They've all been good, but I've never really found one I wanted to make a commitment to. This summer, while attending the Multicultural Health Summit in Boca Raton, Florida I decided that I was going to finally find and commit to a pair of loupes. This is where I came into contact with representatives from Rose microsolutions comes.

Up until this summer the only thing I really knew about Rose was that they were one of those loupes company that I see at every dental conference. Despite seeing their representatives at many dental  conferences, their products were uncommon to me.

After trying and fitting the loupes from this company, what I found were quality and value for your money. However, the loupes were a tad bit heavier than others that I've tried. Despite taking into consideration the pros and cons of these loupes I decided to commit. The value that I found with these loupes outweighed the minor concerns that I had.

Here are my loupes:

  

TWO (2) rechargeable battery packs!

What I got for the value of my money:

1 Flip up 2x magnification loupe

1 Power Pack LED Light kit with 2 rechargeable batteries

See their sight here for more info.

Check out my other posts on different loupes out there:

Loupes Part I

Loupes Part II

Zoom Optix

I've Been Nominated

...for the 2012 most fascinating blog award!!! 

say whaaaat???

This is an award given by accelerated-degree.com that supposedly "contains a list of 24 nominees which have been chosen by our editorial staff and were selected from a pool of over 200 submissions."

While I enjoy blogging and sharing my experiences in dental school via my blog, I've never really considered it "fascinating." Somehow a post I had written about a year ago entitled Battle Scars and All earned me this spot. Thanks to the editorial staff of accelerated degree for enjoying my blog and considering me for such an award.

Though it baffles me that my blog is that fascinating, it would be nice to be the winner. The winner gets rights to display the prestigious "winner" emblem on their site AAAND a $100 restaurant gift card. That would sure come in handy fora poor dental student :)

This is where you, my fascinating readers, come in. Help me win the award by getting the most votes!!

Here's how to vote:

• The voting is done via Google+
• Click HERE to get to the voting page
• All the nominated blogs are posted in the comments section
• Scroll down until you get to my blog http://www.stu-dentdiaries.com/ 
• Hover your cursor over the end of the URL until you encounter +1 icon 
• Click on it and voila! you've voted for my blog

Vote! Vote! Vote!

Thanks so much!!

First Week Reactions

It's my first week  back to school from summer vacations. The below pretty much sums up my week so far...

CELEBRATING THE START OF CLINIC BUT STILL TOO NAIVE TO REALIZE

WHAT IT'S ACTUALLY LIKE

#whatshouldwecalldental

WHEN YOU FIRST START SEEING PATIENTS AND DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING

#whatshouldwecalldental

WARM WEATHER DENTAL CONFERENCES

What I tell my school’s faculty it’s like:

What it’s really like:

#whatshouldwecalldental

WHEN TUITION IS RAISED YET YOU DO NOT SEE ANY IMPROVEMENTS

#whatshouldwecalldental

LOOKING AT YOUR FALL SCHEDULE FOR THE FIRST TIME

#whatshouldwecalldental

LOOKING AT YOUR SCHEDULE AND FINDING OUT YOU HAVE 11 EXAMS IN ONE WEEK

#whatshouldwecalldental

:) just for laughs!

All gifs taken from Whatshouldwecalldental.tumblr.com

Brush Timer app!

According to research, the recommended time for brushing your teeth is 2 minutes! How many of us actually brush that long? You'd think I, being a dental student and all would do better. I did a little experiment this morning where I timed myself to see just how long I do brush for. I brushed for all of 48 seconds, sad I know.

Determined to improve this I ventured out into cyber space for a little help. That's when I happened upon a cool little app - BrushDJ. It's a toothbrush timer app that plays exactly 2 minutes of music taken from your device's iTunes library to help you brush for the amount of time you are supposed to! It also allows you set set reminders to brush twice per day, floss, when next to see the dentist, etc. It's a pretty cool app., and the best part it's FREE!

Research - The effect of brushing time and dentifrice on dental plaque removal...

Restorative Comps

Third year of dental school started a couple weeks. It's the summer months so it's a bit on the slow side BUT we do have competencies and rotations to keep us busy!


Here's a tiny bit of what I've been up to:

PS: This is my first time posting from my iPhone so disregard any typos and irregularities :)