University of California, San Francisco School of Dentistry

From Student Doctor Network Wiki

1) Name of Your Dental School UCSF

2) What is your examination schedule like? Block Schedule (midterms and finals week) or several every week? First year: test or tests every week or two. Lots of lab work. One final week. Two half days off a week. About 3 months summer time Second year: Still a hand full of tests for BioMed Sciene series; less written tests on dentistry. Amount of lab work is about the same or less. Much less test and lab work in second quarter and third to allow student more time for Part I

3) What is the hardest class? Why? IMO, Microbiology. Too much memorization. But if you know what's on the presentation you should be fine.

4) What is the easiest class? Why? IMO, all classes have certain level of expectation from the students. It's really up to the students to make it easy or not. I don't think there is an easy class.

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? Maybe there are, but not noticeable to me

6) Are the class notes based primarily on textbooks? or based on lecture powerpoints made up by professors? Powerpoints and text books used as references

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/Leter of Commendation

9) Is there a notetaking service for lecture available? It's there, but no student has been interested to apply for the job. If you fall behind, you can ask for a free tutor.

10) Is class attendance mandatory? Supposed to, but people do skip classes. If you skip preclinical lab, you're supposely required to write an essay about the topic covered that day.

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

12) Is there a big brother/big sister program that pairs you with an upperclassman or professor who "mentors" you? You have a big sib when you come in. When you becomes D2, you have two more sibs (links), a D3 and a D4. These are the ones that will work with you in clinic and transfer patients to you when they graduate.

13) What is the % first time board pass rate? What is the average score? Based on the latest news: 100%; ranked 5th nationwide

14) When do you take the NDBE? 1st year or second year? Most take in second year. A significant number of students took it after the first year during the summer.

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? Summer after first year or two weeks between quarters

16) Do most people study in the University Library? Or does the place clear out right after school and everybody studies on their own? Many D1s studied in the lib. I don't see many D2+. Lib and lab are open 'til 12:00AM

17) Are patients readily available to fulfill clinical requirements or do you have to do a lot of work to get them in? Don't know yet

18) Is it a hassle to get a chair once you get patients in? In your opinion, does your school have enough chairs? Don't know yet

19) What are the clinical requirements to graduate? (number of crowns, fillings, etc...) Is it reasonably attainable or pretty difficult? Don't know yet

20) Are there opportunities for different off-site dental clinic rotations? If so, what are they? 21) Are there opportunites for outreach trips to underserved areas or countries? If so, what are they and for how long? Three week externship for D3 and (I think) 3 more weeks for D4

22) Is there sufficent preparation for practice management? What career placement opportunites does your school offer? There are elective courses through out the years during lunch or after 5:00PM

23) What is the dress code at your school? Scrubs? For what years? Outside clinics: anything you feel like. Clinics: most wear scrubs; others wear khaki and shirt D2 starts seeing patients in last quarter of second year. Some D1s wear scrubs. Most wear blue (student gown's color), some wear black, pink, green... A few wear green (professor's gown)!