Adventures of a Dental Student: NBDE: Part I Prep

I went on an amazing trip to the Middle East in March, to Israel & Jordan. While I was away school was the last thing on my mind, but as soon as I got back home, school was right back to crazy. I began studying for my National Dental Board Exam when I returned home, while school calmed down a bit. My scheduled board date is June 13th, so studying is taking every ounce of free time I see.

For those of you out of the dental loop, the NBDE is a standardized test required by all dental students in the U.S. It is an 4 section test with 100 questions in each of the following areas:

Microbiology/Pathology
Biochemistry/Physiology
General Anatomy
Dental Anatomy/Occlusion

There is a lot of information that is covered in these topics, and studying is an absolute must. There are two parts, the second part I will be taking after my third year of dental school. You must pass both parts of the NBDE to sit for the clinical test and licensure exam. That being said, we have had review courses built into our class schedule, as well as readiness exams in each of the topics. There are so many study aids available, that it is hard to choose just one. I've been using a book called First Aid for the NBDE, NBDE Mastery App, and Dental Decks. The book is a 675 page review of everything you need to know. Yeah, almost 700 pages, no big deal. The App and Dental Decks are just a ton of practice questions with explanations. I think the main key is practice questions, because they are rotated and reused throughout the years. This test used to be graded, but is now just pass/fail. Passing requirements are a 70%. Sorry to bore you with all that.

Oscar- my patient

We have been doing a lot of work in the Simulation Clinic, where we each have a "Dummy" that has a magnetic set of teeth that snap into it's mouth. Each bench provides all the necessities that we need to perform procedures. It is so nice to be able to work in a clinic that is brand new. All my instruments and tools are in pristine condition and it feels glorious!
We have learned how to:

place a rubber dam

place a matrix band and wedge

place a sectional matrix system

drill all different cavity preparation

place all different types of amalgam fillings

place all different types of composite fillings

place glass ionomer fillings

"fix" a pulp exposure

I enjoy spending time in the lab and improving my hand skills and abilities, clinic is much better than sitting in lecture for eight hours a day. I can already see improvements in my drilling and precision.

I get out of school on June 3rd, take my board June 13th, and go back to school July 13th. All I humbly ask for is your prayers. Dental school is one stressful place, and add studying for a huge test into the middle of it and you're bound to have a mental breakdown. Pray that I will be able to focus, understand, and retain all the information I'm studying. Pray that I will be calm, collected, and confident while taking my test. Also, pray that I will PASS the test, since that is ultimately the goal. Lastly, pray that the three weeks I have off school would be refreshing, rejuvenating, and restful. I honestly cannot believe how fast this year has went. I can't believe I'm studying for my board and only about a month away from taking it. Lastly, I cannot believe how incredibly blessed I am to be sitting in the seat I am. To God be the glory, forever.