What are the best things about attending University of Maryland School of Dentistry?

The best thing about the University of Maryland is the positive and collaborative environment. Whether between faculty, staff, students, or researchers, everyone seems to be trying their best to lift each other up. Students use online platforms to share notes and practice exam questions with each other in order to prepare for exams. Professors’ doors are often open to consult on cases, as long as they aren’t busy with something else. The researchers are excited to share what they are working on with students, and there is always room in a lab for someone eager to get some research under their belt. Basically, the vibes are great.

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What are the worst things about attending University of Maryland School of Dentistry?

No one wants to speak negatively about their school, but it is always better to acknowledge your faults and work to improve them. One problem with UMSOD is the lack of clinical experience at the beginning of your four years here. Despite the robust preclinical education offered over the first two years, we do not start in clinic until a D2/D4 partnered project where the D2 completes a prophy for a D4 in the Spring. I believe it would be extremely helpful to have the younger students assist more often so that they become accustomed to the clinic workflow, and the steep learning curve of clinic orientation can be somewhat flattened. One way they have tried to help flatten the curve, however, is by implementing the same software (Axium) in the preclinical labs that they use in clinic.

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What do students need to know/What do you wish you knew before attending University of Maryland School of Dentistry?

Things I knew before coming to UMSOD: it is located in Baltimore. That’s about it. Things I didn’t know (the things that I wish I had known before are not unique to UMSOD): I wish I had known what life as a dental student would be like. I wish I had known that some other professionals would look down on me, that some patients would hate coming to see me, no matter what I do. It’s nobody’s fault - these are well-known facts about the reality of practicing dentistry. But hearing about it from others and living it yourself are two very different experiences.

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