10 Things We Wish We Knew Before Starting Dental School
Both Ambe Hodgson and Lucy Hodkinson are fourth year dental students at Bristol Dental School. We would like to share the 10 things we wish we'd have known before coming to dental school!
1. Don’t put too much stress on yourself to have the ‘best first year of uni ever’.
A lot of us turn up to uni with the expectation of having the most amazing, ‘life-affirming’ freshers and first year that everybody seems to talk about. For some this is the case, but for others the year doesn’t seem to live up to expectations. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself! Use the year to find your feet, get stuck into the degree and into trying out new things that the uni offers. There are many societies and events which are a great way to meet people off your course. Don’t get bogged down with the experience not living up to your expectations, nobody is having an incredible time 24/7.
2.That we are learning on the job and we will make mistakes.
As dental students, we are thrown into the deep end doing procedures for the first time and dealing with complex patients. It’s perfectly ok to feel like you don’t know what you’re doing at every waking moment. We all make mistakes, but that is what we’re here for! We are learning on the job and learning from our mistakes is a valuable experience.
3. Making mistakes in front of your patients is normal.
I think a lot of us feel like we need to have the answer to every question the patient asks and be able to do everything practically perfectly. It’s important to remember that we’re students, we don’t know everything and we are learning. As long as you make the effort to learn from your mistakes, you’re doing exactly the right thing.
4. Learning the manual skills for dentistry will take time - don’t expect to be amazing at it the first time.
Everybody picks up the manual dexterity at different paces. Some people walk into first year who are seemingly natural at doing cavity preparations, others feel like they’re learning how to use a knife and fork again for the first time. This is completely normal! The more you do it, the fewer mistakes you will make each time. You will get there, just keep practicing.
5. Learn to accept criticism - it’s all done to help us learn and get better.
As a student, your supervisors will provide feedback, with constructive criticism of your work and your approach in all aspects of dentistry. The key thing is to understand that their criticism is essential for you to improve and learn. You’ll be thankful for their criticism one day.
6. Don’t worry if you find yourself questioning if Dentistry is for you- this is a normal feeling for everyone.
Making a decision at the age of 17 of what I would do for the rest of my life, always had me questioning whether I had made the right decision for myself or if I thought that the course and the subsequent career was an informed choice. In first year, the doubt in the course only heightened as many of the people around me seemed to not have a lot of work and minimal contact hours. But my turning point was when we started the clinical aspect of dentistry, meeting patients really made the whole experience for me.
7. Dentistry, like medicine, has dental specialties across various fields.
During dental school I have encountered many different parts of dentistry from microscopic pathology slides to dentures to root canals. There are aspects of each which appeal to some people and not to others. Try not to get bogged down on one area, everyone has different strengths and with dentistry being so diverse you are bound to find the area you like.
8. Don’t compare yourself to fellow course mates.
It’s hard to not compare yourself to others around you. However, comparing yourself can sometimes be motivating but often destructive. When we compare ourselves, we’re often comparing their best features against our weak or average ones. People excel in different areas; you cannot be the best at everything, but you need to focus on your own progress and do what works for you.
9. Home sickness is normal
It’s a lot to adjust to, having always lived at home with your parents; seen your school friends every day to then be thrown into a student hall, where you don’t know anyone. It is completely natural to miss home comforts and I guarantee you’re not alone in this thought. Booking tickets to go home in advance not only makes it cheaper but allows you to have the home time to look forward to.
10. Summer Holidays
Don’t worry about pre-reading in the summer you do no need to know much before you start as that is the point of studying the degree. Enjoy your summer before starting university, celebrate with your friends and family about finishing your A-levels/gap year. Pre-reading before you start university isn’t necessary, all the content you need to know for the course will be taught whilst you’re an undergraduate student. There is still time to have fun!