Congratulations on starting dental school! I’m sure you are excited and probably somewhat nervous. You have worked hard your entire life to reach this moment. Not only that, but you know what you are here to achieve. You entered dental school with the clear goal of becoming an oral and maxillofacial surgeon. Well, you have climbed the hill to get into dental school. Now, it is time to climb the mountain.
So, you have started dental school. What now? Well, from day one you need to get organized. It may sound cliché, but write out a list of goals. What do you want to be ranked (assuming there are rankings), are you interested in research, and what do you want to score on the CBSE? If you do not know the answers to these questions, then that should be a good starting point. Once you have a laid out a plan, follow it. Use it as a guide your entire dental career and adjust as necessary. Do people get in as late decisions? All the time. Is their job harder? Absolutely. By having a plan in place and by staying motivated from day one, your job is so much easier.
A strategy for making your job easier includes getting involved in your oral and maxillofacial department as early as possible. You may get labeled as a gunner, but I believe there is no shame in knowing what you want to do and working to achieve it. As long as you treat people with respect, are honest, and humble, it shows your classmates residents, and faculty that you are a team player and not self-serving. Also, by getting to know the residents and faculty, you won’t be just another face around the school. They can mentor you, help you with applications, and develop into life long friendships.
Other things to keep in mind are grades and the CBSE. As has been mentioned several other times, it is paramount you work from day one to keep your GPA as high as possible. Remember, keep a clear goal in mind, and use that to help influence your daily decisions. A positive side effect of doing well in your classes, especially your basic science courses, is that it creates a strong foundation for studying for the CBSE. I won’t go into details of studying for the CBSE because it has already been covered in the CBSE Guide, but know that it is very important. That two-digit number you receive represents you directly.
Many more paragraphs could be written on the minute details of all the things you could do starting as a D1 on to applying. This would be an exercise in futility because everyone’s path is a little different. The formula for being a good candidate is not complicated. All the things that made you a good candidate for dental school make you a candidate for OMFS. What is important and applicable to all wanting to do OMFS, is to set a clear concise list of goals. Let these goals be your guide through dental school. Will they change? Of course. Adjust them as necessary as long as they serve to make you a better candidate and still keep the ultimate goal in mind. Never make them easier to achieve just because it is hard work. You have a long four years ahead, but you can do it. Many before you have succeeded, and so can you.
Best of luck,
AccessOMFS