University of California, Los Angeles School of Dentistry

From Student Doctor Network Wiki

1) Name of Your Dental School

UCLA

2) What is your examination schedule like? Block Schedule (midterms and finals week) or several every week?

1 week of midterms and 1 week of finals per quarter.

3) What is the hardest class? Why?

Depends who you ask. I'd go with complete dentures because it's such a mental obstacle.

4) What is the easiest class? Why?

Not sure. There were a lot of easy classes. Every perio class is easy.

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?

Not many gunners in my class. We helped each other a ton.

6) Are the class notes based primarily on textbooks? or based on lecture powerpoints made up by professors?

Some classes have you read textbooks whereas others have you go just from powerpoint notes.

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?

PASS FAIL HONORS

9) Is there a notetaking service for lecture available?

No. We had one student who always took notes though and distributed them to all of us. We love her very much. Other classes occasionally had a class notetaker organized by our class council.

10) Is class attendance mandatory?

Some classes have a sign in sheet but this is not common.

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

Approachable.

12) Is there a big brother/big sister program that pairs you with an upperclassman or professor who "mentors" you?

4th years do one operative and one fixed procedure with 2nd years. You can get varying levels of mentoring depending on who the 4th year is in your treatment team.

13) What is the % first time board pass rate? What is the average score?

Dunno. What board exam are we talking about? Clinical? Part 1? Part 2? Everyone passes eventually.

14) When do you take the NDBE? 1st year or second year?

End of 2nd year. Some people took it end of 1st year and did just as well.

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?

Spring quarter is chill during 2nd year so you get more time to study then. There is no special vacation for boards studying.

16) Do most people study in the University Library? Or does the place clear out right after school and everybody studies on their own?

I never did but a lot of people do.

17) Are patients readily available to fulfill clinical requirements or do you have to do a lot of work to get them in?

I had no problems. Basically finished a quarter early. My classmates seem to be in good shape.

18) Is it a hassle to get a chair once you get patients in? In your opinion, does your school have enough chairs?

Used to be. Not anymore. Removable can be tough to get chairs in, especially during the Spring quarter when the 4th years are under the crunch to finish dentures.

19) What are the clinical requirements to graduate? (number of crowns, fillings, etc...) Is it reasonably attainable or pretty difficult?

RESTORATIVE: 20 amalgams, 30 composites, 10 crowns (3 must be waxed and casted by student), 2 bridges, 3 partial coverage gold, 3 bonded ceramics, 6 buildups, and a bunch of competencies.

PERIO: 3 perio surgeries, 20 SRP (I think. Too many whatever it is), 4 perio surgery assists, 35 units that can be completed by phase 1 or phase 2 therapy, and a bunch of competencies.

ENDO: 6 cases and 2 recalls. Typodont cases count as 1/2 and 3 of the total cases must be on patients. So you can do 3 patient cases and 6 typodont cases or 4 patients and 4 typodonts, or 5 patients and 2 typdonts...get the idea?

PEDO: A bunch of competencies and 16 days of pediatric care.

NITROUS: 4 cases, including 1 competency.

REMOVABLE: 4 complete dentures, 4 removable partial dentures, 1 immediate denture, 1 reline, 1 elective arch (immediate, complete, or partial). With the exception of processing, you do all the labwork.

ORAL SURGERY: 1 week block during 3rd year. 3 week block during 4th year.

20) Are there opportunities for different off-site dental clinic rotations? If so, what are they?

Venice Clinic, Inglewood Clinic, Cal State Northridge Clinic (new), Denture Block at VA Sepulveda, VA Wadsworth, LA Free Clinic, VA Long Beach, Oral Surgery Block at VA Sepulveda, King Drew, VA Wadsworth.

21) Are there opportunites for outreach trips to underserved areas or countries? If so, what are they and for how long?

Cleft palate surgeries in Ensenada, Mexico (1 weekend). Restorative care in Africa (Not sure how many weeks). Mission trips to Central America, Caribbean (Usually done with religious organization outside of school. Some of my classmates went for 6 weeks I believe). Mobile Clinic to underserved areas of California (1 day) (USC's program that we participate in).

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

Had a bunch of classes but I doubt there's any dental school that will prepare you to open up a practice right out of dental school, given no prior business education or experience.

23) What is the dress code at your school? Scrubs? For what years?

1st and 2nd years wear streetclothes unless they're trying to look cool...then they wear scrubs. 3rd and 4th years wear blue scrubs in clinic...unless they're trying to look cool...then they wear resident color scrubs.

Please feel free to add any other potentially helpful information about your dental school below!

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