Depending on your dental school, D2 year can either be a nightmare or a walk in the park compared to D1 year. Either way, it is easy to fall off either due to burnout or an easier schedule. The important part about D2 year is to stay focused. Find ways to stay involved and be productive. Second year will be a balancing act. If this is a tough year for you, find ways to relax. On the other hand, if it is an easy year try to be productive in some way. Leaning too far to one end of the spectrum is what can either make you lazy or burnt out. If D2 is a more relaxed year for you, take the opportunity to set some goals and follow through with them. Some examples include meeting and getting to know at least 2 residents or faculty, shadowing an OR case, or working towards a leadership position. Plus, spending more time in the OMFS department, being a leader, and even starting or continuing research is something you should be doing anyway.
Specifics you need to be concerned with D2 year are the CBSE and NBDE part I. These two tests are about as high-stakes as it gets. Yes, the NBDE part I is pass/fail. However, still take what you think is an adequate amount of time to prepare. Most of my classmates studied around 10-14 days, which I think is plenty. If you think less can work for you, even better, but just make sure you pass. The CBSE is a completely different beast. The questions are much more advanced and require a substantial amount of studying. I won’t get into the specifics here, but for more information regarding studying for the CBSE, head to the CBSE Study Guide page. In general, you will be finished with the basic sciences sometime in your D2 year. Therefore, it is important to study and take the test while this information is fresh on your mind. At the very earliest, you could take it in the beginning of D2 year in July/August. Personally, I’d recommend waiting until February for the first run, with July/August as a good time for a second test if needed.
Some students will also extern at some point during D2 year. For most, there is neither time available or they are not prepared. A good place to start to see if you can keep up is your own OMFS department. I’d recommend starting there and the Externship Guide page to see if externing D2 year is right for you. Even if you are not externing D2 year, remember that you need to apply well in advance. This means if you will be externing in the fall of D3, you should have your CV and application materials organized sometime in the mid to late spring of your D2 year. It would also be wise to start researching programs that interest you.
Above all, keep your priorities in order and stay organized your D2 year. It should go without saying that you need to maintain or improve grades depending on how you did D1 year, and remain active in your organizations. Striking a good balance now will only help you later. It’s also a pretty good feeling to know that you are halfway through with dental school after this year!
Important D2 Dates:
July/August: Earliest recommended time to take CBSE
Oct/November: Register for CBSE and testing seat at Prometric
February: Take CBSE
March: Register for CBSE and Prometric if you have not taken or need to retake CBSE
May: Receive a “PASS” on NBDE part I by this date
June: Research and apply to externships if externing in D3 Fall.
Stay tuned for