NBDE NEEDS GOOD PLANNING: PREPARATION TIPS

Preparing for Part 1 exam may be sometimes very confusing with tonns of material available.

Good planning and organization of study material and time helps a lot.

Always remember..!!! First attempt is the best...!!

Its always preferable to work hard to the maximum possible extent during the first attempt itself.

Here are some tips regarding how to read individual subjects and how to plan for quality preparation.

Hope it helps to secure to cross the magic number 90.

Let me remind you all that "There is no shortcut for success"

you definitely need to dedicate your sleep, enjoyment and rest during the preparation period which I think is worth in securing an acceptance letter from your favourite dental school.

"All the very best"

ANATOMY, EMBRYOLOGY AND HISTOLOGY tips

ANATOMY, EMBRYOLOGY AND HISTOLOGY

Helpful Materials TO STUDY IN ORDER :
1. B.D. Chaurasia Head & Neck Text book
2. Kaplan review notes ( For Histology )
3. USMLE First Aid
4. Dental decks
5. Question Papers
Rudmans
Gard
Released and other old Papers
MCQ' books

HOW TO STUDY :
* Start with Chaurasia text book, followed by the order of books i mentioned.
* Prepare short notes of important points from every topic
* Prepare Tables For each topic ( For Eg. All facial muscles, origin, Insertion, Function, Nerve supply, Arterial and venous supply)
I think nearly 25-30 tables will be there for all topics.
I have prepared below one sample table. you can prepare similarly.
MUSCLE: ORIGIN : INSERTION : FUNCTION: NERVE SUPPLY: ARTERIAL SUPPLY: VENOUS DRAINAGE: ANY IMPORTANT POINTS

sternothyroid: sternum: thyroid cartilage: depress the hyoid bone and larynx during swallowing and speaking: ansa cervicalis (C1-3): The skin overlying these muscles is supplied by tributaries arising from the superior thyroid artery ,the inferior thyroid artery, and the internal mammary artery,: Inferior thyroid veins: Also called “STRAP MUSCLES”:

* Prepare flow charts ( For eg. For all cranial nerves Start with their origin and their course of travel till they reach the destination )
* Start reading Decks cards, Once thorough notes from text book, kaplan review and USMLE is finished.
* Start solving question papers.Always solve questions in a logical manner. Dont ever try to remember or get byheart the answers.
* Try to solve each question with elimination and explanation process.
* Having short notes for all topics does a great help for revision.
* Self written notes does wonders..Believe me...!!!
Revising the printed material becomes tedious and confusing.
* If you spare 10-12 hrs a day, you can finish all this process in 15-20 days which is pretty simple.
( I think its better if can sit for 13-14 hrs a day. Its always better to study very hard during first attempt).
* Do not forget to revise your hand written notes every sunday till u finish your exam.
I strongly feel that knowing basics and revising whatever we have learnt previously helps better rather learning new and irrelevant points every day.

NBDE PART 1 PREPARATION MATERIAL

1.] Dental Decks PART 1 2006 -07 ( new decks includes clinical vignette and illustrations sections : Microbiology- pathology : 322 flash cards, Biochemistry- physiology : 289 flashcards, Anatomy : 328 flashcards, Dental anatomy : 198 flashcards, clinical vignette : 26 flashcards, Illustrations: 146 flash cards, indexes, total 1309 flash cards)
2 ] 2004 Dental decks for part 1
3 ] 2001 Dental decks for part 1
4.] RELEASED QUESTION PAPERS PART 1-complete set -ASDA ( A-K)
It contain All the ASDA papers with answers from 1977 to 1998,
-National board part-1 exam specifications
- Raw score standard score conversion for Dec. 1998
5 ] Part 1-L Pilot Comprehensive Exam 2004 (released 2005)
& Exclusive 1-M Compiled, released items from approximately 1998-2005 ( 200 questions and answers- newly released 2006)
6 ] USC and ASDA Database software of Released papers from 1977 to 1998 : very interesting software as you can play the quiz of papers. You can check your score immediately, You don't have to refer the hard copy of released papers, as it is very fast and easy to learn the released papers on this software.
It is also provides the questions and answers of individual subjects like questions and answers of :Biochemistry,
Physiology, Histology, Anatomy, Microbiology
Pathology, Dental anatomy, Occlusion, Dental anatomy subsets: Anterior teeth,Posterior teeth,Primary teeth,Miscellaneous
7.] Kaplan PART 1 Review book ( 2005 edition ) and Kaplan Supplementary EXAMS -PART1 has all the text needed for part 1 in all part subjects - very explanatory - specifically for boards .. supp exams are NBDE model questions and answers with explanations
It contain the explanations of the answers of some model papers of ASDA also,
8] OTHER MATERIAL of 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 more than 4000Qs
9] Kaplan Question bank
10] University of Pacific Boards- Part-I Notes
11] RUDMEN BOOK
12] GARDS Book
13] DENTAL mCQ BOOK:MORE THAN 4000 MCQs ON PART 1
14] HUMAN BODY ATLAS of Grant

15] REVIEW OF DENTISTRY Book
16] SURFACE ANATOMY-WHOLE BODY
Softwares : Very informative and interactive reference guides for Part-1 exam to clear doubts.
17] Interactive atlas of Human Anatomy- Netter- software
18] HUMAN ANATOMY - FULL BODY - WITH NEURO ANATOMY - software - WITH MORE THAN 500 IMAGES AND 300 ANIMATIONS
19] BIOCHEMISTRY Soft ware- detailed biochemistry
- specifically genes , proteins in medicine and hormones
20] A different Biochemistry software- very useful for bio chemistry subject
21] RADIOLOGY OF HEAD AND NECK AREA - software- case study in head and neck area
22] OTHER material :
Decks corrections
NBDE Diseases & syndrome- short and sweet information
USMLE Step 1 Pathology, Microbiology, Pharmacology
Tooth Morphology Chart for NBDE 1
Medical Mnemonics BOOK WITH 200 PAGES
23] USMLE First Aid Step 1 book-2007 (latest edition: MUST READ excellent for new pattern covering clinical Q)
24] Miscellaneous COLLECTIONS.
25] USMLE STEP 1 Kaplan Notes, also contains 800 odd questions in Q-book.
1.Step1 Kaplan - Anatomy
2.Step1 Kaplan - Behavioral_Sciences
3.Step1 Kaplan - Biochemistry
4.Step1 Kaplan - Microbiology-Immunology
5.Step1 Kaplan - Pathology
6.Step1 Kaplan - Pharmacology
7.Step1 Kaplan - Physiology
8.Step1 Kaplan - Q-book
9.Step1 Kaplan - YOUR KAPLAN MEDICAL TIMELINE
10.Step1 Kaplan - Errata

26]. Dental Secrets, 2nd Edition by: Stephen T. Sonis (Editor)

27.] Guyton A.C., J. E. Hall Textbook of Medical Physiology
28]. Slootweg Dental Pathology - A Practical Introduction
29]. Cawson's Essentials of Oral Pathology and Oral Medicine (7th edition)
Authors: R. A. Cawson, Stephen R. Porter, E. W. Odell, 402 pages
30]. Essentials of Microbiology for Dental Students, 2nd Edition
Authors: Bagg, Jeremy; MacFarlane, T. Wallace; Poxton, Ian R.; Smith, Andrew J.; Bagg, Simon
31]. Human Anatomy & Physiology, 7/e -Authors: Elaine N. Marieb
32]. Schaum's Easy Outline of Human Anatomy and Physiology
For students looking for a quick overview of subject

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DENTAL MATRIX

Licensing Exams....after DDS/DMD

To practice, a dentist must pass a licensing examination administered by an individual state or more commonly a region. There are a handful of states that maintain independent dental licensing examinations while the majority accept a regional board examination. The Northeast Regional Board (NERB), Western Regional Board (WREB), Central Regional Dental Testing Service (CRDTS, and Southern Regional Testing Agency (SRTA) are the four regional testing agencies that administer licensing examinations. Once the examination is passed, the dentist may then apply to individual states that accept the regional board test passed. Each state requires one to pass an ethics/jurisprudence examination as well before a license is granted. To maintain one's dental license the doctor must complete Continuing Education (CE) courses periodically. This promotes the continued exploration of knowledge. The amount of CE required varies from state to state but is generally 10-24 CE hours a year.

Advanced Standing Dentist Programs california

University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, CA 94143
(415) 476-9000

http://dentistry.ucsf.edu/index.htm

University of the Pacific
School of Dentistry
2155 Webster Street
San Francisco, California 94115
(415) 929-6400

http://www.dental.uop.edu

Loma Linda University
School of Dentistry
International Dentist Program
Loma Linda, California 92350
(909) 558-4669

http://www.llu.edu/llu/dentistry/index.html

University of Southern California
School of Dentistry
925 West 34th Street, Room 201
Los Angeles, California 90089-0641
(213) 740-2841

http://www.usc.edu/hsc/dental/

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DENTAL MATRIX

Some nbde info from internet...

For Indian/foreign dentists to practice in America,DDS is a must and then again DDS is not all that easy. Here is a little information that will help the aspiring ones settle down easily. Certain colleges in the US that offer Advanced Standing Program (DDS/DMD) to foreign trained dentists require at least NDEB (National Dental Examining Board) Part I. Most of these require a score of at least 83-85%. To cut down the competition, the number of applicants and various other reasons some dental schools are also asking for NDEB Part II now.

Now there are certain points that every aspirant should be well versed with, to make it big in the new land. Fortunately, US state boards don't pay heed to the name of the college from where you got a DDS/DMD Degree. To practice in some states, the same is also not mandatory, however they may require you to have had attended at least 2 years of advanced training in dentistry in US... which means that the applicant should have completed a specialty program in dentistry which is recognized (permitted) in US.

ADVANCED STANDING PROGRAM: The dental schools that offer this program have increased in the recent past and the number of seats has also increased consequently. None-the-less, the competition is still high and they look for high scores in NDEB exams.

Although ADP web site does not lists schools that offer the program, sending e-mail to the dental school admission office will help you get all the required basic info. The dental schools provide all the financial help information, when approached.The banks or lender organizations ask for a co-applicant or a guarantor who is an American Citizen or at least a Green Card holder with a good credit.The average annual percentage of these loans range from 6.00% to 9.00% and is dependent upon the Federal Interest rate or another Federal rates published quarterly in financial reports in US. People who are either citizen/Green card holders of US, stand eligible to get the Federal Loan. The loans mentioned above.

US DDS/DMD Aspirants Please Go through this......

The following points need to be taken care of:
1) For NBDE Part 1: Follow simple rules: Study Kaplan Material, which includes Dental Decks; 20 years Question papers and Review notes. Since new pattern has started from January 2007, make sure you have latest decks and other study materials like Remembered questions, Clinical Vignettes and Illustrations. In case, you don’t understand a topic, always refer your books which you studied during your BDS/MDS.
Apart from Kaplan material, you need a new latest book which is among hottest seller these days: First Aid to NBDE Part 1. This book is a short concise guide to write your NBDE Part 1. In case of further guidance and how to obtain these books you can always contact me.

2) The cost of appearing in Computerized NBDE Part 1 is US $250. Apart from that
Transcript Evaluation costs another US $125. Please have a Visa or Mastercard
International Credit Card by this stage, otherwise you are just delaying your long
application process by going to banks and wasting your time unnecessarily. Many
universities accept only Credit card. So, have one as soon as possible.

3) Obtaining US Visa is the biggest hurdle in your American dreams. Remember, a few
tips: Your confidence and the way you carry yourself is number one important factor. The interviewers at US embassy are personality readers and lie-detectors. Be truthful

in front of them and never argue with them. Just answer clearly to whatever they say and never ever try to question their authority. B1/B2 category is for business/tourist visa and F1 is student visa.

4) If you score less than 85 percentile in NBDE Part 1, just forget your results and again take your exam. Admissions these days are highly competitive and you need greater than 87 percentile to stand a chance. Other thing you need to take is TOEFL iBT/ CBT (costing US $150) . Remember, TOEFL scores are valid for 2 years time while NBDE scores have atleast 10 years validity.

5) Then follow the rigorous Application process:

At this stage you need:

a) Your official NBDE Part1 and TOEFL iBT/CBT scores. You need 100 in TOEFL iBT or 250 in CBT.

b) 3 Letters of Recommendation

c) A solid and professional Career Statement or Statement of Purpose

d) Transcript Evaluation Reports

e) Original Transcripts signed by Dean/Principal of your college/university

f) University/ Dental School selection depending upon your NBDE Part 1 scores and your GPA. Each application costs from US $75 to US $150.

g) Then if you get a call for interview…boom ….you have a great chance of making it. Again, interview needs strong communication and interpersonal skills.

h) In some universities, especially based in California, NBDE Part 2 and clinical skills are required; which needs clinical training. In my opinion, SHORT COURSES by ICDR can be really helpful for that aspect.

i) Then, if you get admitted to DDS/DMD program, you’ll need a co-signer (can be a relative or a friend) who is either a US citizen or Green card holder for your Student loan. Loans are very easy and long term like 15-20 years. The loan amount even covers your living expenses and if you have a spouse and children, they cover even that. Typically, yearly expenses are in the range of US $ 80,000 to one lakh dollar. So, a two year program will cost US $1,60,000 to US $200,000.

j) But here’s a good news after all the big expenses talk: DENTISTS and SPECIALIST DOCTORS remain the most lucrative and best salaried profession.

k) On an average, a dentist in USA starts from $ 100,000 to $ 1,25,000. In 2005,

5% Americans had an annual salary in excess of one lakh dollar or more. So, when you start your career in USA as a dentist, you straightaway belongs to upper 5% income group bracket in USA. That’s a big reward you get for all pains and hardships associated with being a dentist.

l) Above all, US unlike UK, has a stable work permit, read H1B, plans followed by
Green Card, and then US citizenship.

B) The second option is for MDS level dentists or BDS having good amount of work experience and research publications who want to do PG in US.

a) If you want to be a practicing dentist in USA, DDS is the only option.

b) But, in case u don’t want to do DDS and straightaway wants admission in MSD or MS in Dentistry in fields like General Dentistry, Pedodontics, Periodontics; Operative Dentistry; Endodontics; Dental Public Health (Preventive Dentistry) ; Orthodontics; admissions are highly competitive , but possible.

c) Foreign dental graduates are not eligible for MSD in Oral Surgery.

d) Orthodontics is again very tough to get into.

e) Majority of PG degree courses have NBDE Part 1 and Part 2 as admission criteria. These courses are equivalent to MDS in India (you can check DCI website) .

f) Most of these programs are two to three years on duration and need very strong academic and professional documentation.

g) Expenses are less as compared to DDS; range is from $ 20,000 to $ 70,000 per annum.

h) Jobs after completing your PG are in dental schools as faculty/research. But believe me, pay scales are even better than DDS…yes, its in excess of $1,50,000 and above.

C) The other option for DENTISTS and DOCTORS is to do Masters in Public Health (MPH) or Masters in Hospital Administration (MHA) . These courses don’t cost a bomb but again, salary levels are low as compared to dentists/physicians/specialists. But these degree courses does offer a good living in USA…as compared to rich living associated with Dentists/Doctors (as per US Standards) . The main thing needed is GRE and TOEFL and work experience. The fees for a typical two year course ranges from $ 22,000 to $ 45,000.

US DDS/DMD Aspirants Please Go through this......
On getting admission, you apply for F1 (Student visa) . But all this again needs strong documentation. The best part is US Immigration laws permit you to work 20 hrs /week on-campus during fall and spring and 40hrs/week during summer. Effectively, your earnings can take care of your monthly expenditure and also, you can get scholarships also to make your education free of cost, but everything needs to be planned before time and application deadlines are very strictly adhered by universities.

Some Common Questions and their Answers
Question :I have done four years BDS but has not completed internship. Got married and went to USA, what are his options now ? Can he join a DDS or any other pg course ?
Answer: You must complete your internship without it your degree is not complete and technically you are not a graduate.

Question : I am doing dentistry in India, can I write national board in US before completing internship?

Answer: Dental students in USA can write national boards part 1 after their 2nd year but part 2 can only be done after degree. I suggest that it is best that person does complete the degree and do the part 1 as this is a crucial score and a person must score 85 percentile or more for better future.

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DENTAL MATRIX

What is the NBDE part I?

The NBDE part I is the National Board Dental Exam. The NBDE is part of the dental licensure requirement, along with the NBDE part II, and your state or regional licensing exam. The first part of the NBDE exam is usually taken after the second year of dental school, although it is taken after the first year at a few schools. The exam is taken on the computer and consists of 400 questions.

How long is the NBDE exam?
Dental students are given 7 hours and a 1 hour lunch break for the exam.

What is tested on part I of the NBDE?
The exam consists of 400 questions - 100 questions for each of the following broad categories: Anatomic sciences, Biochemistry & Physiology, Microbiology & Pathology, and Dental Anatomy & Occlusion. All questions are in the multiple choice format and some are grouped together in clinical testlets. To get more details on the subcategories tested, view the NBDE candidate guide from the ADA.

What are testlets?
A recent change to the first part of the NBDE is the addition of clinical testlets. In the exam, about 20% of the questions you will see will be in the testlet format. In this format, 6 to 10 questions are grouped into a clinical case. A patient chart with information on the patients complaint and basic medical history is provided on the computer before each testlet and the following 6 to 10 questions all relate to that specific patient.

How is the NBDE exam scored?
The score on the NBDE is not a percentage of the correct answers, but instead is a scaled score based on the number of questions you answered correctly compared to score scale.

What is the minimum score to pass the first part of the NBDE?
The minimum passing score for the NBDE part I is a 75.

What is the average score for the NBDE part I?
The average varies by year, but by using a scale for the exam, the ADA aims to keep the average around an 85-89.

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DENTAL MATRIX