Looking back on D1 year: Reflections & advice from a dental student

CrackDAT Dental Admission Test
6 min readJun 25, 2022

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Whether you’re still years away from starting dental school or are starting this year, you might be wondering what your future holds. Dental school is a busy, exciting, and formative time, and while everyone’s experience differs, you can learn a lot about what to expect from dental students who are going through the process! In this article, a dental student who has just completed D1 year shares her experience about the highs, lows, and surprises of starting dental school.

How was the transition from college to dental school?

The transition is different for everyone. When I started dental school, I had few expectations — I simply couldn’t imagine what to expect. I had heard from other people that dental school is incredibly busy and often overwhelming. This was (partly) apparent to me when I started dental school — it was overwhelming to move to a new city, make new friends, and adjust to a new life. However, the transition was also very exciting. There’s something amazing about being able to start from scratch, meet a brand-new group of people, and enter a new chapter of your life. After about a few months, I felt mostly adapted to the changes of starting dental school.

This is not to say that there aren’t days where I still feel lost, confused, and overwhelmed, but on the whole, I’ve adapted to this new reality. If you’re worried about how you’re going to adapt to starting dental school, think about the challenges you’ve already overcome in your life and the changes you’ve had to make. We are much more adaptable than we think!

One big difference between dental school and college: my focus is different. The focus in college was getting into dental school. My (long-term) focus now is figuring out what type of dentist I want to be and what kind of career I want to build for myself — pretty serious stuff! Obviously, these aren’t my daily thoughts and concerns, but these are things I need to think about more than I did while in college.

What did you learn?

My dental school is medically integrated during the first year, so I learned a great deal about the body as a whole, both in health and in illness. I also learned how to take a comprehensive history from patients in inpatient and outpatient settings. Finally, I learned about ethical and policy-related issues pertaining to medical and dental healthcare in the US. What you’ll learn in the first year and how much didactic versus clinical experience you get varies from school to school. What’s constant, though, is that you learn a LOT in dental school, and D1 year is no exception!

What surprised you most about D1 year? What do you wish you had known?

I was surprised by how quickly I would become close friends with some of my classmates. In college, almost everybody is studying something different and has different passions (which, don’t get me wrong, is really exciting). However, in dental school, we all go through nearly the exact same things, since we have the same classes and requirements. The shared highs and lows will really bond you faster than you’d expect! Plus, it’s great to be surrounded by people who share my interest in dentistry. We all chose to pursue this career for one reason or another, and I’ve enjoyed being surrounded by people who will be entering the same profession as me. When I was worried about whether I’d be able to make friends, I wish I had known that and known not to worry!

What was the biggest challenge of D1 year?

First, imposter syndrome can be very real. When you’re surrounded by brilliant minds, it can be easy to forget that you — like everybody else — deserve to be there. Don’t let yourself lose sight of that fact when things get hard. Don’t assume you’re the only one struggling with something. You’re more than likely not alone. Talk to people about how you feel and you’ll see that everybody has their own challenges. Find your support system.

Learning how to interact with patients was also a bit of a new experience for me as someone who had shadowed but never directly assisted or worked with patients. In college, we focus so much on academics and studying for tests. Knowing the facts is important, and doing well on tests does matter. But clinical skills are an entirely new and equally (if not more) important skill set. Learning how to counsel patients, interact with them, and communicate/connect with them is a skill set that is so central to healthcare. I started developing those skills this year, but I know they will need to develop alongside my academic skills over the next 3 years.

What are your takeaways as you start D2 year?

First, I want to remember that I can get through tough days. There were many days this year that I was so stressed about. You make it through 100% of your bad days, and sometimes the days you’re dreading or are nervous about end up surprising you.

Second, I want to remember that it’s okay to struggle initially. Practice and time really do make a difference. Especially in a field like dentistry, which is so procedural and technical, we need to realize that we more than likely won’t be great at things the first time we attempt them. That doesn’t mean we won’t ever be good at them. I think about the first time I interviewed a patient, for example, and how absolutely flustered and anxious I was. I still get nervous, but I feel significantly more comfortable and confident. All that changed was that I got more practice and more experience.

What are you most looking forward to?

I’m looking forward to getting a clearer sense of the type of dentist I want to become. I didn’t really think too much about my “professional identity” until starting dental school. I didn’t come to dental school with a certain specialty in mind (though some of my classmates did start school with a clear sense of what they wanted to specialize in). I’m excited to get more experience over the next 3 years and to figure out what my passions within dentistry are. And I’m excited for the growth that’s yet to come. I’ve grown so much over the course of this year, and I know there will be so much more growth throughout the rest of my time as a dental student.

What is your advice for students starting dental school?

First of all, time truly flies in dental school. As busy and hectic as school can get, take time to enjoy where you’re at and to reflect on the present moment. If you don’t stop to pause, you’ll see just how quickly the time will pass you by.

Second, try to enter dental school with as open a mind as possible. It’s simply impossible to fathom how much you will learn and how the experiences you have and the people you meet will shape you. Come with an open mind, prepared to see where your experience takes you.

Whether dental school is in your immediate future or years away, it is an exciting and unique time and one that you can make uniquely your own. If you have any questions about dental school, feel free to leave them in the comments and I will do my best to get back to you! Wishing you the best of luck!

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