questions for the dental student

Hi Steve,

Well here I am back again at dental chat and now I'm officially a dental student . I got into University of Sydney Dentistry and just started early last month. I am loving the course and its contents as well. I feel it is quite well structured and in tune with what is required and expected of modern dentists.

I have some questions though which I guess can only be answered by those in the profession.

I know it seems early to think about specialisation but I am keen to do it. Is there some sort of limit or restriction to the amount of dentists accepted into specialties each year?

Also, is there some sort of dental research institute which has research positions available on a temporary basis for say...over the summer at the end of this year. See I would love to do honours in my final year and entry in to that is dependent on some past research experience (of which I have none). Could you perhaps lead me in any direction if you know of any?

That should do for the time being :P..I'm sure I will have more questions to ask which I'm sure will be thought of by other students as well.

Thanks in advance for the help and answers

Jay

Well done, that's great news!

You're right...It is early to be thinking about specialisation.

It is amazing how much your areas of interest can change throughout the course.

There are a limited number of post-graduate positions available each year (and this can change from year to year).

I don't know the answer to this question. Anyone else have any thoughts? Your best bet would probably be to ask some of the dental lecturers.

Look forward to hearing how you progress through the course. The undergraduate courses have changed dramatically since I went through. Be sure to tell your fellow students about dentalchat!

Hey there,

Just wondering but what happens after dental school? Is there like a year of internship to be spent at a hospital like the medical students? Also, does specialization occur in the hospital or as a post-grad degree? Thanks=)

there isnt an internship for my degree which is bdent at usyd..which uni are you at? no idea about specialisation though..im sure steve parker can answer that one..

Hi Lyn and welcome to Dentalchat!

I am not aware of any intern year at the moment. There has previously been talk of it, however, I don't think it has been introduced anywhere in Australia yet (I stand to be corrected though).

Specialisation is usually achieved by completing a Masters course through one of the universities. Normally, this would be done a couple of years after completing your undergraduate course. This gives you experience in all facets of dentistry before specialising.

Cheers