5th year

Tutorials: do the readings in advance and come along with questions. Do not be afraid to speak up. It is your last chance to really clarify anything you are confused about so make the most of it. Bring baked goods! For your presentations have a look at examples from previous students. Spend time practising with friends so that you aren’t nervous. It is a really good opportunity to present your case and to see what questions come up – it may be the one that they will pick for your final case exam.

---

Clinics: Come in early and get set up properly. Don’t waste your session going back and forth to the nurses station. Remember that you will be expected to know your stuff, so read up well in advance and be prepared. If you are not 100% sure of something, go to a supervisor about it in advance, not in the middle of treatment. For big cases, try to get your patients to pay in instalments. Don’t get stuck at the end with a patient who is not in a position to cover the cost of treatment. You have to be paid in full to release any lab work (including cores) so advise your patient well in advance. Take photos of everything – you will be so happy with yourself when you go to write your learning logs. Keep on top of your learning logs!

General: Oxford handbook

Occlusion: Wassell, “Applied occlusion”
Ortho: Laura Mitchell, “An introduction to orthodontics”; Millett, “Clinical Problem Solving in Orthodontics and Paediatric Dentistry”
Restorative: Dental update publications
Surgery: Dr E. O’Sullivans notes; Cawsons, “Essentials of oral pathology and oral medicine”; Pedlar & Frame, “Oral and maxillofacial surgery”
Paeds: http://www.dentaltraumaguide.org/
RD: Master of Dentistry is good for basics, but you need to be reading new articles too.
VT: Fan & Jones, “OSCEs for Dentistry”; GDC Guidelines are essential for the interview.
Read Dental Update for all modules.

This may change, but for 2014-2015 the structure was:

* Dec: Final written exam – covered all modules
* Jan – March: Case presentations x 2 in tutorial sessions
* May: Learning logs including assignment on smoking cessation
* May: Oral surgery and Oral Med (1 with patient = unseen case, 1 oral – morning and afternoon)
* May: RD seen case – present a poster with patient in chair and 2 examiners
* May: Ortho/Paeds oral exams (morning and afternoon, each about 10 mins)
* May: requirements due

The exact requirements change every year so you will find this out at the start. In general, the fillings will come in time so don’t worry about them. Try to plan for crown&bridge and dentures and endo as they all take time. Don’t worry too much about your requirements as they will add up but try to get stuck into a few cases early. You will lose so many sessions from the end of March so don’t expect to get too much done after that. Aim to have a strong first term and then use second term to fill in the blanks.

---

 

Cases can be anything as long as you have a few interesting things. Examples include perio+fillings, perio+C&B, full/full, eating disorder case, xerostomia case, tooth wear, aesthetic composites etc

* Keep on top of every module and readings as you go along.

* Attendance at all surgery tutorials and take good notes, ask previous years about cases they got in their unseen.

* The reading material and papers prescribed for restorative tutorials are all important, try get them all together in one folder and show up to tutorials prepared. Participate in tutorials.

* Try identify your final year restorative cases early (even as early as 4th year – you need 5 in total) and build a good relationship with the patient. You want someone reliable. It’s not about finding the most complicated case you can it’s about something multidisciplinary that you carried out well. Know your case inside out and ask your demonstrator to do practice exam near the date (if they’re feeling generous). Have good clinical photographs from as early as possible.

*Make use of every clinical session, coming towards the end of the year behind on your requirements adds a load of pressure you don’t need.

* Talk to your group about cases they are working on and call over to them in clinic to have a look. You will all get something different and you can really learn from each other. Sharing is caring!

* Write good notes in your patient’s chart, Its not only the right thing to do but will also help you when you have to write logbooks and get photographs of anything interesting or that you do well.