Case School of Dental Medicine

From Student Doctor Network Wiki

1) Name of Your Dental School Case School of Dental Medicine

2) What is your examination schedule like? Block Schedule (midterms and finals week) or several every week? Finals at the end of each course (100% of grade) Comprehensive Competency Week (majority of exams at end of semester, again, worth 100% of grade) 1 Comprehensive Exam (each semester over all subjects taken that semester) needed to Pass to be promoted (Exams that do not count, progress-type exams for your own feedback, are given throughout the semester in each course)

3) What is the hardest class? Why? (didactic) Head, Neck, and Neuro b/c most important & lots going on in the head and neck from oral histology to sleep cycles, to gross anatomy of the head & neck

4) What is the easiest class? Why? (didactic) Health, Science, and Society b/c it basically is an intro to dental school, dental public health, etc.

5) Are your classmates generally gunners and try to sabatoge each other? If not, is the culture one where everybody tries to help everybody out? Each group of students that are close help each other out a lot (others may be reluctant). Definitely gunners out there which is interesting considering the Pass/No Pass grading system.

6) Are the class notes based primarily on textbooks? or based on lecture powerpoints made up by professors? PowerPoints, texts, lectures... depends on class (possibly case learning objectives, etc.). Class notes are posted for each lecture online which are taken by a student.

7) Are there any classes taken with medical students? If so, which ones? No.

8) What is the grading system? Pass/Fail/Honors? Letter Grades? Percentages? Currently under review so may change. In general, a Pass/No Pass grading system. Again, the details are most likely going to be changed so not worth posting the current system. It is Pass/No Pass and that will remain the same.

9) Is there a notetaking service for lecture available? One student per class takes lecture notes and the school posts on the eCurriculum website.

10) Is class attendance mandatory? Lectures are not technically while labs are; however, they know everybody so going is pretty essential. All PBL/TBL is mandatory.

11) In general, are teachers approachable for questions? Or are they for the most part very busy and unreachable (research, etc...)? Very approachable

12) Is there a big brother/big sister program that pairs you with an upperclassman or professor who "mentors" you? Each first-year is paired with a third-year and this is the same person for second/fourth year pairings. Basically, you "take-over" this persons patient base and can observe them in clinic, find prophy patients from them, etc.

13) What is the % first time board pass rate? What is the average score? Not sure.

14) When do you take the NDBE? 1st year or second year? End of the 1st semester of the 2nd year (December of 2nd year).

15) Do you get a block of time off before boards to study? If so, how long? If not, do you have to study simultaneously with classes? Yes. Aside from the week-long Kaplan review course in October (no classes for 5 days, just NBDE I review), finals end the week before Thanksgiving and there is nothing to do until you take the boards at the time you select in December.

16) Do most people study in the University Library? Or does the place clear out right after school and everybody studies on their own? Depends on the student. Libraries are utilized often while some study on their own. Many people find groups to study with since getting through dental school alone can be rough.

17) Are patients readily available to fulfill clinical requirements or do you have to do a lot of work to get them in? As far as I know, there are no problems here.

18) Is it a hassle to get a chair once you get patients in? In your opinion, does your school have enough chairs? Each student has their own chair, not a problem at all. For 1st and 2nd years doing prophy's, chairs are always available and blocked out once a week for 4 hours anyway. Never a problem.

19) What are the clinical requirements to graduate? (number of crowns, fillings, etc...) Is it reasonably attainable or pretty difficult? Not sure, but they are making it so you can emphasize more on what you enjoy and so you can do comprehensive dentistry instead of worrying about treating a lesion and not a person.

20) Are there opportunities for different off-site dental clinic rotations? If so, what are they? Yes, Cleveland is highly saturated with dentists, specialists, free clinics, etc.

21) Are there opportunites for outreach trips to underserved areas or countries? If so, what are they and for how long? Yes, in December and Summer for a few weeks to Dominican Republic and others.

22) Is there sufficent preparation for practice management? What career placement opportunites does your school offer? Yes & lots.

23) What is the dress code at your school? Scrubs? For what years? Scrubs years D1-D4. Business casual until scrubs come in for first years.