UCSF SNDA Newsletter Spring 2020

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UCSF SNDA QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER

OUR JOURNEY

STRENGTH | NURTURE | DETERMINATION | ACTION

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CONTENTS

Editor's Note By Brian Vinh Hoang

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Letter from the President By Naya Okeke

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How to Survive First Year

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Reflections on PatientCentered Care (PCC)

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Reflections on Preventative and Restorative Dental Sciences (PRDS)

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Reflections on Biomedical Sciences (BMS)

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Conversation about D1 Classes By Kristen Young and MC Nguyen

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My First Month at UCSF By Jenny Giao

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2019-2020 UCSF SNDA Board Members

Feature: How to Succeed in Clinic 2

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Page 18-19 Nick Chiu '21 Page 34 Cari Yang '21

Editor's Note Greetings, In these challenging and uncertain times, we truly believe that it is important for us to continue SNDA mission of inspiring younger generations and increasing diversity in dentistry. With the UCSF SNDA Newsletter Spring 2020 Edition, we hope to provide students with a glimpse of what dental school is like. We also want to give students some advice to do well in school and to maximize your learning potential at UCSF. In this edition, you will find many articles written by current dental students about their experiences and tips to succeed in various classes, from PRDS (Preventative and Restorative Dental Sciences) to radiology to BMS (Biomedical Sciences), and even to prepare for clinic. In addition, you will be able to eavesdrop on a conversation between two rising D2 students Kristen Young and Minhchau (MC) Nguyen about their D1 classes and experience the first 4 weeks of dental school with Jenny Giao. We hope that you will find these reflections applicable to your studies as you head into fall quarter. We look forward to working with you next year and continue to increase our collective voices in our fight against inequalities and structural racism. If you have any ideas and want to be featured in our next newsletter, please reach out to me at brian.hoang@ucsf.edu. Follow us on instagram @ucsf.snda and facebook.com/ucsfsnda. Warm Regards,

Brian Vinh Hoang '23 2019-2021 UCSF SNDA Newsletter Editor

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UCSF SNDA President

Letter from the President Dear UCSF Family, Not so long ago, our days were filled with planning events, scrambling to pass test cases in Sim Lab, and wondering why our clinic patients kept canceling. It goes without saying that our dental school education this year did not end how we expected. With this in mind, I cannot begin to express my gratitude for my board. This year, we held over 50 events, including well-known signature events like Impressions Conference and DENTSTAY. We also continued to expand our reach into new events like Black History Month Game Night. I am proud to say our Newsletter Editor, Brian Vinh Hoang, launched a SNDA newsletter series called Connection to document organizational accomplishments. It was humbling to witness our board come together and find unique solutions to provide support to our pre-dental students amidst stay at home orders. One of these initiatives was led by our mentorship team, who quickly assembled to create virtual mock interviews and personal statement prep workshops for students applying this cycle. The past few months have seen many defining moments for who we are as an organization. This is why, as a leading student organization for black voices, we could not stand by and watch the continual afflictions perpetuated by systemic racism without taking action within our university. Our chapter stood and continues to stand in solidarity with ASDA, FDSC, HSDA, and GSDDA in rooting out structural inequalities facing underrepresented minorities. I would also like to note, that the black students on our campus have also made demands and are actively challenging our administration to better our dental school for current and future students of our campus. The common thread that weaves all of these initiatives together is the pursuit of excellence. I know this legacy will continue with the newly elected board. I congratulate you all and cannot wait to see all the wonders you accomplish. Warmest Regards,

Naya Okeke '21 2019 – 2020 UCSF SNDA Chapter President

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RECONNECT BY SEMIRA AMIRKIAI '23

"Go make friends, do things you enjoy, and it’s ok to stay in sometimes."

At the beginning of my D1 year, I was always worried I wasn’t studying enough because I felt like everyone was rushing to go study for something. I had to give myself permission to take breaks and separate from my school work. Sometimes that’s hard when a majority of my friends are stressed about the same things. I can tell you for sure that imposter syndrome is real and I was confused how or why I got here. Just took me a little bit to reconnect with the rest of my life again and get into a rhythm. I think that’s important, I couldn’t wait to start living when I’d be less busy. So my advice is take some time for yourself. Go make friends, do things you enjoy, and it’s ok to stay in sometimes. Also, don't be afraid to butcher your plastic teeth. I've ruined more than I can count.

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RESILIENCE BY MARRINA RAN '23

"Get back in the game and keep going." My advice on how to survive D1 year is to be resilient and be super on top of your time management. Most people, if not everyone, fail at something in dental school at some point, but just try not to get discouraged. Get back in the game and keep going. Also stay on top of your work; don’t fall behind. If you are behind in sim lab, stay after hours to catch up. Go to class so you don’t fall behind in watching lecture captures. Do not wait until the last minute to start studying for exams or practicing for test cases. As long as you keep your work from piling on top of you at the end, you will be fine (this is especially true for your mental health, which is super important). Seek advice from upperclassmen, especially for simulation lab. They went through everything you are going through, and along the way, they’ve learned clever tips and tricks for how to prevent your provisional restorations from breaking, how to better visualize the walls of your preparations, etc. Do not be afraid to ask for help!

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D1 year will probably be one of the most stressful years in dental school. During this time, it is imperative that you stay grounded and focus on the bigger picture of what it means to pursue a career in dentistry. Remind yourself—often— about the reasons that brought you here, the reasons that drive you. Ask for help and ask early. Don’t compare your progress to other students—we all have different strengths, weaknesses, and learning curves. Find your people—they will get you through the stressful late nights of studying for BMS. Prioritize selfcare—go for a hike or get a facial. Don’t be too hard on yourself and learn to embrace failures as they come. Dental school is the time to make these mistakes! Failing will teach you how to do things the right way when they truly matter. Finally, don’t forget to celebrate your successes along the way!

"...it is imperative that you stay grounded and focus on the bigger picture of what it means to pursue a career in dentistry."

BY MAI ZONG HER '22

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BALANCE BY MARLEAH NURSE '23

The best way to survive D1 year is BALANCE. Getting adjusted to dental school and handling the curriculum can be very difficult, exhausting, discouraging, etc. The best way to cope is finding time to do things you enjoy. Big or small, going on a hike, exercising, eating/drinking with friends, watching Netflix, anything! After an exam or test case, it is critical for me to take at least a half day or the weekend off. I use this time to regroup, rest my brain, and mentally prepare for what’s next. First year can only be described as a marathon, NOT a sprint. You have to learn to pace yourself and maintain constant, but survivable effort towards school. Pacing myself and finding that balance is truly what got me through this year. The second most important advice I could give is don’t be afraid to ask for help. I could not have gotten through this year without leaning on my friends and classmates. I promise you there is no judgement; everyone helps everyone and ultimately it brings us all closer!

"You have to learn to pace yourself and maintain constant, but survivable effort towards school." 8

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FRIENDSHIP BY JAMIE CHANG '23 "Live one day at a time. Know that everyone survives and you will too ❤." In my opinion, every single quarter of D1 year was rough. There’s just so much material and it can get so overwhelming. Add on your personal and social life and it’ll feel like you’re drowning, but here’s how to get through it: - Live with supportive people you can share your struggles with (shoutout to Ameera, Anna, and Yvonna for always being there for me). - Realize what is important to you whether that be your well-being, your relationship with your partner, or your passions. Make time for them. - Make a solid group of friends. Just a few people is all you really need but find the ones you can both be goofy with as well as study with. - Join clubs so you can lean into your interests as well as meet new people. - Upperclassmen will be your best friends. They can serve as a huge resource to your survival so get to know them. - Enjoy yourself. If someone asks you if you wanna get boba or cheap wings, even though you have a test coming up, yummy food and good company will always make for some good memories. - Live one day at a time. Know that everyone survives and you will too ❤

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My first year in dental school was a challenging experience that pushed me to be better in many ways. It was exciting, tough, fun, stressful, and rewarding all in one. I moved to San Francisco last September knowing that I was in for a big challenge, and here are my biggest takeaways from D1 year: Consistency is key! Each quarter presents its own unique set of challenges, and the common theme I observed was the need to be consistent. The first quarter of dental school was comprised primarily of anatomy, and balancing the didactic material with the lab component of the course wasn’t easy. However, studying little by little every day really helped me stay on pace and avoid falling behind. I would review a certain amount of lecture material daily, and this prevented things from piling up prior to exam day. Studying consistently also improves your ability to retain the massive amounts of information. Cramming may help you pass an exam, but I believe it is best to invest the time to really understand the material so that you can be the best version of yourself for the sake of your patients and the profession. The real struggle for me came along in January, when I had to balance both the biomedical sciences content with simulation lab. This was difficult. The greatest lesson I took from it though was the need to reach out to others. Ask for help! It took me a while to get up to speed on my hand skills, and I frequently found myself falling behind. It was my classmates who lifted me up and helped me improve in after hours, when they really didn’t have to. The beauty of dental school is that all your peers are going through the same thing as you, and so you shouldn’t be afraid to reach out and ask those around you for help. I really grew close to my classmates through this process, and I cannot begin to describe how deeply grateful I am to them for all their help over winter quarter.

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Finally, have fun! You have to retain your sanity if you are to succeed in dental school. We are blessed to be in an awesome city like San Francisco, so make sure to take advantage of that. Leave some time on the weekends for yourself, because your mental and physical health truly matter. Go for a walk across the Golden Gate Bridge, a hike at Lands End, or take in a Warriors game at Mission Bay - there are so many things to do in this beautiful city! You will find that enjoying the process will improve your quality of work, and it will make the journey all the more rewarding.

CONSISTENCY BY UMER HANSAN '23

"...you shouldn’t be afraid to reach out and ask those around you for help."

PEER DISCUSSION BY ANNA OGATA '23

"...take the time to discuss diagnoses of case studies with your peers." My favorite class in dental school so far has been Radiology (particularly PCC 118 and 119). We spent these courses learning the foundations of how to take radiographs, interpret the anatomical landmarks in radiographs, and diagnose pathologies. I enjoyed getting to take radiographs and learning techniques to improve the quality of the images I took. I also loved viewing all the radiographs during lecture and training our eyes to detect the different degrees of caries severity and various oral and maxillofacial anomalies. Analyzing the radiographs to reach diagnoses truly made me start to feel like a clinician. My advice to those who will be taking these courses in the future is to take the time to discuss diagnoses of case studies with your peers. It is possible that it might take a while to get used to interpreting radiographs, so it helps to be able to bounce ideas off your friends to help affirm your understanding of the material.

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OPPORTUNITY BY KATIE DILEO '22 "In order to maximize your time in this class, I recommend taking every opportunity to engage with your faculty." My favorite class was PCC 129 because it let me experience what it feels like to be an actual dentist caring for a patient and not just a technician honing skills. I learned about local anesthetic techniques, how to conduct a thorough complete oral exam/periodic oral exam (COE/POE), documenting via the electronic health record, diagnosing, treatment planning, how to remove plaque and calculus -along with other foundations of patient care. It was gratifying to be able to understand my classmate-patient’s history and goals and then identify and execute a treatment plan that we jointly agree is best to optimize her health and well-being. While it may seem obvious that this should be our goal as dentists, living it out for the first time was an unforgettable experience, leaving me energized to begin work in clinic. In order to maximize your time in this class, I recommend taking every opportunity to engage with your faculty. While it is often possible (and tempting) to get everything done quickly and enjoy the Friday afternoon, don’t forget that this is your chance to ask questions and learn tips and tricks from your faculty. Lastly, make sure the two teammates you select to be with for the year work well with your learning style -while helping make the journey fun too!

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ERGONOMICS BY BENJAMIN LAM '23

"Build good habits early by taking breaks regularly and having properly adjusted loupes." My favorite classes from D1 year have definitely been the PRDS courses. Simulation lab reminds you why you are in dental school and it is a great way to connect with your peers, both in class and after hours. Although it can be tedious at times, practicing in simulation lab is a great distraction from the long hours spent studying for BMS. Shelter-in-place has made me realize how much I have taken it for granted. Some advice I would give to the incoming D1 class is to make sure your ergonomics are good early on. Build good habits early by taking breaks regularly and having properly adjusted loupes. Make friends with Maria and don’t forget to have fun! Don’t be afraid to ask D2s and any upperclassmen for help because we all have been through the struggle. Look out for workshops hosted by student organizations such as Hispanic Student Dental Association which give better clarity on techniques that might be rushed in the curriculum.

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APPRECIATION BY ANDREA GUIDO '23 My favorite class in dental school is PRDS. I love learning about the restoration of form, function and aesthetics. I appreciate the process of developing my hand skills and I especially enjoy the artistry behind the dental field. Although I truly enjoy this course, it can be challenging, and it definitely takes practice. I find that my insight gained by my experience as a dental assistant has helped me tremendously throughout this course. During my time as a dental assistant, I was able to learn a great deal of terminology, procedures, techniques, instruments and gathered many tools that have made my journey in dental school and particularly, in PRDS, more straightforward. For example, having been a dental assistant, I was familiar with mixing alginate, taking impressions, mixing stone and pouring stone models, which helped while going through certain assignments. I would encourage any incoming student to spend some time assisting (hands-on) as it will provide invaluable experience that will help PRDS go more smoothly. In addition, like with anything else, practice is necessary in order to achieve excellence. Spending time in simulation lab outside of class is a sure way to advance with the hands-on portion of PRDS.

"Spending time in simulation lab outside of class is a sure way to advance with the handson portion of PRDS." 14

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PRACTICE BY ELIZABETH NICOLAS '23

My favorite class in dental school has been PRDS. It is the class that I am able to put my hands to work. However, it has not been an easy class for me as most of the times I have had difficult moments from completing teeth preparations, determining how to hold the instruments, or positioning my mannequin. However, faculty, classmates, and upperclassmen are always willing to help out and I appreciate the knowledge that they so willingly share with me. Office hours and the tutoring program has been an additional resource that has helped me greatly. After repeated practice, it is a great feeling to see your completed work after multiple times of trying or learning new techniques from others where it becomes an instant aha! moment. My advice for upcoming students would be to not get discouraged during difficult times but to continue pushing through these moments and with continued practice you will improve and to always use the resources available to seek additional support.

"...to not get discouraged during difficult times but to continue pushing through these moments and with continued practice you will improve..."

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ENDURANCE BY ALEXANDER LE '23

"It may be intimidating at times to ask, but the faculty are there to help you..."

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My favorite class has to be the PRDS course because you get to see how much you grow as a dental student since you are training your hand skills and there is nothing more satisfying than getting your preparations signed off. Although it may get difficult at times, you get to endure the pain and suffering with your classmates. Trust me, everyone's provisional restoration is going to break at some point. My advice for being successful is always ask questions if you need help. It may be intimidating at times to ask, but the faculty are there to help you and so are your friends and classmates. With the P/F grading scale, everyone wants each other to do well.

HAND SKILLS BY EDWARD NGUYEN '23 My favorite class is PRDS because its the closest thing to actual clinical practice that you will experience in your first year. Practice practice practice!!! Go to simulation lab before and after dedicated class time to practice hand skills and clinical exercises. You have to put in that work outside of class time which is where most of your gains will come from. The best way to get better at dentistry is by DOING it not by studying PowerPoints and listening to lectures. It's also important not to fall behind because the material in didactics and daily work requirements in sim lab can really add up at the end and make your life unnecessarily difficult. Also take the time and effort to ask for help when you are struggling. Don't be afraid to ask fellow classmates, upper class men, and faculty when you have no idea what you are doing and no matter how seemingly stupid your questions may be. They are your most valuable resource and will be your future colleagues and will make up your referral network in the future. And everyone is really nice too. I should really take my own advice.

"You have to put in that work outside of class time which is where most of your gains will come from."

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[I love] all PRDS classes. Best advice is to not cut corners or sacrifice ergonomics. Just because other people are doing it out of the mouth or not using a mirror for indirect vision, does not mean you should too. The best thing to do in class is to practice these skills because it will be harder in clinic. Use your mirror for indirect vision and do not bend over backwards to try and see better. You want to practice everything to the point that you are the best at each procedure so it makes the transition less stressful. A lot of mess-ups happen when you do not position your hand properly and over-reduce. Before stepping on the rheostat, practice placement of the handpiece and checking the angles so you know you are aligned. Keep practicing so you know how the angle of your handpiece should look from your seated position.

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KNOWLEDGE BY NICHOLAS CHIU '21

How to Succeed in Clinic

BY NICHOLAS CHIU '21 For clinic, have your knowledge and presentation of your patient's history, medications, radiographs, and day's procedure familiarized AND ready before patient comes in. Either the night before or an hour before the appointment, look over all the information and write the important facts (name, gender, age, significant med hx, past dent hx, allergies, meds, CC, your plan) down so the patient does not have to stare at you while you write this down. You should also have your plan of action ready to go... Most likely, you will be doing a periodic oral exam (POE) first. Have a rough tx plan already written up beforehand!! Certain things always go on treatment plan (nutritional counseling, oral health information kit, prophy or perio maintenance depending on their history, fillings/endo/crowns/etc if you see a need from the radiographs, recall codes). It is easier to delete/modify treatment codes than to mundanely add them one at a time in front of the patient. After patient comes in and you get vitals, update history, and get start check, first thing you do is extraoral/intraoral exam so you can see how everything is looking. Next, take any current bitewings if needed (i.e. teeth were noted to monitor in previous POE, you see signs of caries, etc). The reason is x-ray room can be filled up fast so you want to get in and get out quick! Next thing is perio chart! The reason to do this next is if you need a perio recall, you have to sign up for one (and it usually takes them a while to get to you). So while you wait, you can do the rest of the POE like findings and treatment planning because it only requires you and your row faculty. Always be doing something! If you must wait for a consult/x-ray, start something else until it's your turn. If you have nothing else, start modifying tx plan and writing your notes!

"...have your knowledge and presentation of your patient's history, medications, radiographs, and day's procedure familiarized AND ready before patient comes in." SPRING 2020 CONNECTÂ | Â 19

One of my favorite classes in dental school is definitely PRDS. I absolutely love being in simulation lab working on my hand skills. It’s definitely been a long road to get to dental school for me, so being able to learn and perform dental procedures is a dream come true! Also, this is the place where you get to have many conversations with different faculty and build relationships with them. These faculty will be your guides and mentors for the next four years so don’t be afraid to ask them everything and anything about their dental career. For me, being in simulation lab reminds me how privileged I am to be here at UCSF. For first year, my advice would be learn to manage your time. In order to be successful in your first year, it’s important that you manage all the classes that you have because honestly, it is a lot to keep up with and it’s REALLY easy to fall behind. Keeping up is much, much easier than catching up. Another tip is to be as involved as possible outside of classes. Be active in registered campus organizations and class positions. You only have 4 years in dental school. You’re losing 25% of that time to learn and grow as a leader and professionally if you only focus on classes. You don’t need to be involved in everything but pick at least one thing you are really passionate about! Dental school is what YOU make of it!

"...it’s important that you manage all the classes that you have because honestly, it is a lot to keep up with..."

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MENTORS BY NATALIA ACOSTA '23

REVIEW BY AN NGUYEN '23 I really like the BMS series as well as PRDS because they are closely related to dentists. I would admit that at the time of taking BMS, it often times seemed overwhelming, and practicing in simulation lab the day before the test case sometimes took the wind out of my sails. However, now I think about what I have been through in my first year, I can appreciate that I have learned so much from these courses. The knowledge and skills I learned instilled confidence in me, and I learned to enjoy the tough ride. One thing I wish I had anticipated was the accumulative nature of the curriculum through the years. In the fall, you are "kindly" treated like a blank page of paper, but after that, there are expectations that you retain the knowledge from the fall or previous quarters, and new knowledge keeps building up. So to survive the 2nd years onwards, we definitely need to stay organized so that when we prepare for the board exam it won't feel like a massive amount of knowledge but will be more like a review of contents we are very comfortable with.

"...there are expectations that you retain the knowledge from the fall or previous quarters, and new knowledge keeps building up." SPRING 2020 CONNECTIONÂ | Â 21

SUCCESS BY JONATHAN CHESTNUT '23 My favorite class in dental school has to be Microbiology (second quarter BMS) as a D1. It's my favorite because we learned about so many different diseases, bacteria and viruses and went into the lab to look at specimens. I really enjoyed learning about diseases that could easily affect myself or people around me. Another reason why I enjoyed this class was the flexibility of scheduling. We only had class maybe 3 times a week, and the classes could be later in the evening so I did not have to wake up at 8 am everyday. As a D1, students will realize that difference from fall quarter to winter quarter and that was a huge difference for me. To be successful in this course, just stay on course with the material and try to understand what takes place in the lab because it will help you succeed on the exams. Winter quarter is tough, but just manage your independent study option (ISO) times, which you will get a lot of. Simulation lab picks up then, so try not to get behind studying for the 5 exams you will get in the Microbiology course. But the main way to be successful is to use "SketchyMicro", which was a lifesaver for me in this course!!

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"...just stay on course with the material and try to understand what takes place in lab because it will help you succeed on the exams."

DISCOVERY BY TIFFANY HUANG '23

My favorite class in dental school was anatomy lab, without a doubt. It was such a perspective-changing experience, and really gave me a profound respect for the human body. The teamwork, the practical application of everything that we studied, the sense of discovery that was involved in dissection... it was pretty unforgettable, and I will always look back on it as one of my best learning experiences at UCSF. I was actually one of those people that almost fainted on the very first day, but by the end I was pretty enthusiastic about dissection, so I suppose the lesson is don't give up! If things don't work out the first time, try again. You'll be surprised by what captures your interest, and what you can do.

"If things don't work out the first time, try again."

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My favorite class in dental school has really been molded by the faculty members that run the courses. BMS has been the hardest class I’ve ever taken by far, and yet has by far been the most enjoyable. Dr Michael McMaster is a gift to any dental student who wants to not only be someone who “fixes teeth” but a true doctor, a healthcare provider. He helps each and every student reach their highest potential with support, encouragement, and direct application of topics to our future profession. My best advice is to form a strong relationship with as many faculty members as you can. They are individuals with a wealth of knowledge that will help you realize your greatest academic goals. And don’t fall behind, it will be impossible and if not, ruin your well earned days off!

POTENTIAL BY SHANNON WALKER '23 "My best advice is to form a strong relationship with as many faculty members as you can."

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CURIOSITY BY BRETT WELLER '23

"Dig in, get curious, there’s no substitute for the tactile, auditory, and visual learning experience that getting your hands dirty brings."

I enjoyed the majority of classes D1 year. However, one sticks out above the rest as my absolute favorite. With very little question, my favorite class was BMS 116. The didactic aspect to the class was decent enough, but the cadaver portion was what I fell in love with. I believe a number of tools helped me be successful in lab. One, don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty (sometimes literally). Dig in, get curious, there’s no substitute for the tactile, auditory, and visual learning experience that getting your hands dirty brings. Two, pick the faculty and D2’s brains. They have all been there before and have some great memory tips. Ask them question after question; don’t be afraid to look a little foolish. Three, stay calm and collected during practical tests. In my opinion, the practical tests are as much a test of your ability to stay calm as it is a test of your knowledge. Don’t freak out; you know more than you think. Cadaver lab is the biggest blast, and I seriously wish I could go back and experience it all again. I really hope you all get to participate in it and fall in love with it like I did!

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We lived and breathed human anatomy fall quarter of D1 year. Morning lectures in the classroom were followed directly by hours in the anatomy lab. It was routine. This course was the most arduous class I have ever taken in my life, yet it was the most rewarding accomplishment in my first year of dental school. My advice for passing this course is to learn to love it. Study the material on your own, but master it with your friends. There are endless details about the human body, so the mnemonics you can make are infinite. I can tell you we definitely took making mnemonics to a whole other level. Anatomy is incomplete without the lab portion, and the relationships you make with your lab group is irreplaceable. The more you learn in the classroom, the more you will understand in the anatomy lab. So if you put in the work beforehand, there is no doubt that those efforts will pay off.

EFFORTS BY KARINA TOM '23

"Anatomy is incomplete without the lab portion, and the relationships you make with your lab group is irreplaceable."

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PRIORITY BY JERRY HUANG '23 One of the most challenging classes I have taken thus far is BMS 116. This course, along with its anatomy lab, demanded a lot more effort and time than other courses due to its compacted nature and the large number of anatomical, latin root terms. Nonetheless, BMS 116 was truly a precious experience because it allowed us students to study the human body in the best and the most delicate way. It is also the first course in the dental school curriculum to tie together both knowledge in the books and skills of the hands. Through carefully examining the structures, I felt I had a much clearer understanding of the lecture materials and that I would be ready for more in-depth clinical work. It was an effective and rewarding way of learning. Other than to relax and enjoy this special journey, I would also like to encourage the upcoming D1 students to keep their physical and mental health as their priorities. The resources, such as the gym or social events, are great for relaxing, taking breaks, and staying involved with the school. Food choices can also make a big difference in the day-to-day performance, so don't forget to pack something green in your lunch.

"...I would also like to encourage the upcoming D1 students to keep their physical and mental health as their priorities."

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I really enjoyed BMS 116 during fall quarter. It's probably the most challenging class you'll take during D1 year, but if you like anatomy I guarantee you'll enjoy it. Your time will be split between anatomy lab and lecture for the bulk of each week. Although the class format may be different for incoming D1s this fall, especially given their remote nature, you will learn so much. Understanding head and neck anatomy is crucial for us future dentists. As far as lecture goes, I recommend going to class and staying on top of the material as best you can. Ask questions! Even if you can only review your lecture notes and the slides for 15-20 minutes after class, do it. It will help you retain the information rather than cramming for the exam days before or even the morning of (been there, done that!). Draw pictures, come up with your own helpful mnemonics to aid in memorization or look up helpful ones online.

"Draw pictures, come up with your own helpful mnemonics to aid in memorization or look up helpful ones online."

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CREATIVITY BY SHREYA SHAH '23 You will also get to know Dr. McMaster, who is undoubtedly one of the best professors at UCSF! As far as anatomy lab goes, work with your group mates to go through the dissection, ask the helpful instructors questions and quiz each other. Knowing the dissector will be very helpful for lab practicals. Your D2 academic chairs will be there to help you prepare for each exam and practical, putting on super helpful review sessions. Free one-on-one and group tutoring is available to all students, so don't hesitate to use these resources. Although the bulk of the course covers anatomy, you'll also learn histology and pathology, which will carry over into winter and spring quarters. By the end of the quarter, you'll be so shocked to see how much you've learned!

ADJUSTMENT BY JOY GENG '23 My favorite class in dental school was anatomy (BMS 116) in fall quarter of D1 year. Dissecting cadaver 4 times a week was quite challenging, and the practical exams were very different from other exam format. My advice for you is to look at other people's cadaver for good dissections and structures, and definitely check out Dr. Vo's prosections and burn those images in your brain because they will be on the practical exam. I didn’t really do that for my first midterm because I wanted to “catch up” with my own dissections before looking at others, but the truth was that I was never able to get ahead. Other resources I have utilized include prosection pictures and quizzes from University of Michigan medical school websites and our textbook. It takes time to incorporate and adjust your study habits from the past, and you'll get there! You might find yourself spending numerous nights at the 24 hour library, and I assure you that you will never go back there after fall quarter! (unless you like it there :P)

"...look at other people's cadaver for good dissections and structures, and definitely check out Dr. Vo's prosections..."

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"A big piece of advice I have for the upcoming students is to manage your time wisely!"

TIME UTILIZATION BY PATRICK HUYNH '23 My favorite class in dental school was anatomy in the fall! I really enjoyed working with the cadavers and doing the dissections because it was such a hands-on experience. The dissections helped me appreciate the anatomy more, and the faculty was also a big reason why I loved the class. Even though Dr. Vo was sarcastic and a little mean at times, our lab group actually loved him and he always made us laugh. Dr. Klein and Andy were also so sweet and all three of them made the material fun to learn. A big piece of advice I have for the upcoming students is to manage your time wisely! There’s so much going on here at UCSF, like studying for all your classes while joining a frat, becoming an officer of a club, and hanging out with all your friends. Even though it's a lot, it’s important to find a balance between all of those things :)

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UNIQUE BY RYAN TANG '23

My favorite class in dental school so far has been BMS 116. This class was the first "real class" of dental school that really showed D1's how the dental school experience was going to be for the next few years to come. From the late night study sessions in the 24 hour study room to the tough love from Dr. Vo, I would do it all over again. Additionally, diving into the dissections every day was such a rewarding and unique opportunity. The best advice I would give for that class and dental school in general is to first and foremost learn at your own pace and by your own methods. I think that going into dental school everyone has their own method to their madness, but at times it can feel like you're not studying the "right way" since everyone else around you is doing something different. You know what works best for you or else you wouldn't have made it this far! Also... Read Dissector!

"...learn at your own pace and by your own methods."

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For me, the BMS pharmacology and third quarter DentSci were the most of my favorite classes. It was interesting to learn about the anti-microbial mechanism of action and microbial resistance. I also enjoyed learning about how the oral microbiome dysbiosis could lead to oral diseases. My advice for the upcoming D1 students is to be proactive in the anatomy lab. It might not be always practical, but as much as your time permits try to study the anatomy lab material from the dissector in advance. The first quarter pressure is very high but it's extremely helpful if you prime your mind before any class or lab. It eventually saves a lot more time and energy. Always remember -- everyone did it, you will do it too :)

"...try to study the anatomy lab material from the dissector in advance."

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PROACTIVE BY ROYA RAD '23

TEAMWORK

BY AMANDA ROSENFELD '23

My favorite class was definitely anatomy lab because it incorporated the hands-on aspect that I love without the pressure to be perfect that I often felt in sim lab. If I accidentally cut a nerve or through a muscle that I wasn't supposed to, it was fine because there were so many other cadavers to explore. Additionally, every single cadaver was different, so if I was able to identify different anatomical landmarks on multiple cadavers I always felt super accomplished! While it was without a doubt one of the most difficult courses, I have definitely truly learned and retained the most information from this course. My best advice is to just not stress out in lab. My lab partners and I would play music and talk about our lives while we worked and it really helped us be successful as a team. We also always tried to start each lab by quizzing each other on things that we had dissected previously in the week. It really helped keep us on our toes and make sure that we were sure of what we were doing before we continued on in our dissection.

definitely overwhelms fall quarter. Sometimes, the best thing you can do for yourself is to take a break and switch gears. So, if you feel stressed with anatomy in the fall, maybe try just looking at a different subject!

On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, I also loved our fall scientific methods class. I will admit that I'm a statistics geek so that totally played a role, but I also think it's really important to be able to read and interpret scientific literature and data. I know that at the time, many students feel as though this class isn't as important as the others, such as BMS and simulation lab, but I really recommend going to class and trying to participate. Dr. Gansky is so sweet and he tries his best to deliver information that many people find boring in a fun way. However, this is a class that I would recommend studying with other people. Talking out some of the questions and why something is correct is really beneficial for this class, because some of his questions can be tricky! I also think it's good because it allows us to focus on a subject other than anatomy, which

"My lab partners and I would play music and talk about our lives while we worked and it really helped us be successful as a team."

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STRENGTH BY CARI YANG '21 My favorite D1 class was anatomy. It is undeniable the amount of work you have to put into the class but working with peers and being mentored by Dr. McMaster makes it all worth it. My favorite D2 class was Oral Pathology. Oral pathology will follow you as a clinician and will help guide you to ultimately, save lives. So I highly recommend you take an interest to learn. What helped me survive D1 and D2 year was working with other classmates. Going through challenges together will not only create strong bonds with classmates but will help your communication skills as a health professional.

For the pre-doc clinic, my highly suggested advice is to enter with an open-minded approach. You will have the opportunity to work with various faculty and thus, you will be exposed to different methods of teaching. Learn as much as you can and develop methods that work best for you. In addition to being openminded, always come prepared no matter what dental procedure you are doing for the day. As all things in life, a day can be very unexpected.

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"Going through challenges together will not only create strong bonds with classmates but will help your communication skills as a health professional."

KRISTEN YOUNG '23

MINHCHAU (MC) NGUYEN '23

K: OH MY GOSHHHHH WE SURVIVEDDDD! We are going to be D2s!

FIRST YEAR This is the conversation between Kristen Young '23 (K) & Minhchau (MC) Nguyen '23

MC: Yeah! D2, here we come~ UGH. I love Zoom and all, but I HIGHKEY miss sim lab. Yeah. If I had to choose amongst our classes, PRDS was definitely my favorite. K: NO WAY! You should tutor me in biomaterials because I struggled so much in that class D: MC: Whoa. Whoa. I think the biomaterials portion is really interesting, but sim lab’s the best part of PRDS. Before dental school, I only knew about the purpose and overview of certain dental procedures. It’s just really enlightening for me to understand them in greater detail and to ACTUALLY physically do the procedures. I know this is cheesy but… Every time I set foot in sim lab, there’s a voice inside that says, “We’re finally home.” Don’t get me wrong. It’s been pretty stressful here and there, but it’s like I finally get to start doing what I love. You know?

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K: AWHH girl! That’s so inspiring! I wish I was good at simlab like you. Dr. White said I’m almost a gold ⭐ ... MC: Hey! I didn’t even get A star yet, okay? I’m going to have to book at least 2 tutoring sessions to get to that level! Honestly, it really is just “practice, practice, practice” though. There were definitely a lot of late nights AND weekend practicing. Even then, sometimes I’m just okay. I think that’s what I’ll miss most next quarter though… Being able to constantly practice (and lowkey study for BMS) in sim lab. K: I really enjoy radiology though. A big part of dentistry is about diagnosing and it’s super cool to complement the anatomy we learned from cadaver lab to real people. It is so interesting to be able to see through layers of tissues and see the inside! It’s mind-blowing that through imaging, we are able to observe any foreign objects or any abnormal growth of tissues or bone. I know we’re still just learning the basics but I’m glad that I’ll finally begin to make some sense of the x-rays that patients provide me. MC: Wow. Glad to know my pre-clinical provider is so knowledgeable and experienced in radiology. I feel safe in your arms and care now… In all seriousness though, what’s your study technique because I frequently have to pull up an example to compare? K: Awhhh you’re so sweet!! I hope you can still compliment me like that when I’m about to practice injections on you aha. I was struggling with radiology a little bit in the beginning too but Dr. Ganguly recommended buying the textbook and that definitely helped me a lot. And the rest, it’s just as you said, “practice, practice, practice.” The more images you read, the more it’ll come to you!

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MC: Ooooh! Okay. I’ll keep that in mind for radiology in the upcoming quarters. I can’t believe how far we’ve come in the past year. What a journey! K: TBH, I  probably would have drowned without you. I had such a hard time balancing my D1 year between social life and school, but I am super grateful to have met someone so amazing like you! You’re such a contagious ball of sunshine^^ Thank you for bandaging up my booboo when I cut myself in anatomy lab, wiping off my tears when I had my mental breakdowns after test cases, and supplying me handsanitizer and masks when all the stores ran out. OH, and how can I forget, hehe, to still love me after I nearly burned down your apartment airfrying dumplings‌ The world needs more MCs! <3Â

K: AWHHH MC! (‘: SORRY, I didn’t catch all that. Would you mind repeating those words again? đ&#x;˜? đ&#x;˜? đ&#x;˜? BUT WAIT, you forgot to thank me for tolerating your persistent sass too‌ AND ALSO FALL!? Aren’t we distantly socializing next week? I thought we made plans‌? MC: True. Shhhhh. No one has to know how much we REALLY miss each other. I’ll see you in a couple days.  K: BYEEEEE GIRL! ILY :)

MC: Are you about to confess your love for me or something? Just kidding. Oh my goodness. That was so sweet. How am I going to express the same amount of gratitude and love? I’m so glad to have met you too! There have been many moments during this past year where I bottled up my feelings and frustrations, and I genuinely appreciate all the times you recognized them. Even though you knew, you gave me the space I needed to figure it out, and helped me readdress them when I better understand myself. You’re helping me grow into the person I aspire to be, and I’m forever grateful for that. All those late night talks, little trips we took and post-exam lunches... I treasure them all. I guess what I’m trying to say is‌ thanks for helping me find that golden study-work-fun balance. Oh geez. Am I doing a love confession now too??? Hahaha. PUHLEASE! The world needs more of YOU, Kristen Young! Thanks for also tolerating my humming/singing/dancing. I know how much you’ve missed it during quarantine. Catch you in the Fall?Â

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MY FIRST MONTH IN DENTAL SCHOOL BY JENNY GIAO '22

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Orientation Week:

White Coat Ceremony:

Last first day of school picture! (Shout out to the UCSF Alumni association for these class sweatshirts). Orientation is a week long process aimed to familiarize you with your classmates with the landscape of dental school. Class from here on out will be from 8AM-5PM followed by a plethora of social activities to welcome you into dental school. You will also be exposed to the endless resources your school will have to offer you (ie. CalFresh, mental health and mindfulness services, etc.) Alongside many presentations, you will also receive your dental kit, bone boxes, and later on‌ your white coat!

The white coat ceremony is a landmark day for you, but probably even more so for your family. Looking into the audience and seeing the priceless smile of my 87-year-old grandfather, a retired dentist, and veteran, meant everything to me. You’ll realize how incredibly diverse your class is by being in a room full of your colleagues and their loved ones.

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Week 1-4: Every dental school will vary but in most cases, your first quarter will consist of something like: Anatomy, anatomy lab, histology, patientcentered care, operative/morphology (sim lab), and evidence-based dentistry. Inevitably, I have spent many hours of my first month of dental school in anatomy lab dissecting a cadaver and learning the intricacies of the upper limb, head, and neck. (For all my Davis Aggies, CHA 101 prepares you more than you need for dental school anatomy- it’s the funnest time I had in undergrad. So if you can definitely take it!) The pro is that you are provided with UCSF scrubs to wear to lab everyday with a linen service provided by the school. Simply exchange your used for new ones. Another enjoyable factor of the anatomy lab is that the famous Roger Mraz’ office is down the hall, and he kindly leaves cookies for us after long lab days.

My favorite class is PRDS 116 which is dental morphology, operative dentistry, and biomaterials… aka what you went to dental school for. The developer of E-Tooth Anatomy visited our sim lab the first weeks of school to unveil VR glasses designed to allow us to rotate the different surfaces of a tooth with our phones. He shared that we were one of the first dental schools in the US with this technology so that was rad!

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To follow Jenny Giao and Wilson Ng's dental school journey, visit www.thepredentalguide.com

Time management! Gone are the days of undergrad with an assortment of three fiftyminute lectures once a week. In your first two didactic years of any dental school, you will gain a strong foundation in the biomedical sciences to prepare you for boards. A big change I’m still adjusting to is being in class from 8AM-5PM and managing a lifestyle outside of school. It’s easy to let the dental school environment consume you, but make sure to make time to visit your family if you’re local, explore your new home, and exercise! * At Research and Clinical Excellence Day, a D2 shared that dental students are the most depressed among all health professional students. Self-care is so important. I can’t emphasize that enough.

Financial management: For a large number of dental students, this will be the first time taking out loans or finding other means to finance your dental education. There is quite a bit of adulting that goes on in dental school, and one piece of it is learning how to budget your money. A few tips: Look into service scholarships (Military HPSP, NHSC, etc.)Loans: create a budget of how much you plan to spend per quarter (tuition, dental kit, living costs, food, social expenses) and don’t take out more than you need to avoid unnecessary interestMeet with your financial advisor ASAP to discuss your budget and brainstorm the timeline of loan repayment.

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Undergrad vs Dental School: In a recent interview, I was asked: “What gets you up in the morning?” Other than the fear of being late to a pop quiz at 8 AM lol, it’s the appreciation that we have the opportunity to learn from worldrenowned researchers in the field that will ultimately be used for the remainder of our professional careers. A big change for me has been letting go of cramming information for the sake of an exam and learning to think critically about pathologies, etc. Everyone comes in with different strengths and weaknesses. Some of us are straight from undergrad and have a very strong foundation in anatomy and biomedical sciences. Others have been working in the dental profession for years as RDA, RDH, etc. and are extremely comfortable in sim lab. Collaboration and teamwork are key.

The dental school you attend maybe pass/no pass or graded. UCSF is pass/no pass which lowers the stress and anxiety of many students here. In the end, you will pass because of the unconditional support provided by upperclassmen and faculty and your desire to learn. Still, a lesson that I’m learning is that you will always be your toughest critic. Take time to accept your mistakes, and move forward! Dental school moves too fast to let yourself get hung up on one frustration.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS On behalf of UCSF SNDA Chapter, we would like to thank all the board members who made a significant impact on campus with our events, such as Impressions Conference, DentStay, workshops for pre-dental students, mentorship program, and many others. We would also like to thank the dental students who have offered their advice and contributed their time to make this newsletter possible. We greatly appreciate your help. We hope that the incoming students will greatly benefit from these invaluable insights in their studies at UCSF School of Dentistry. How to Survive First Year: Semira Amirkiai '23 Jamie Chang '23 Umer Hansan '23 Mai Zong Her '22 Marleah Nurse '23 Marrina Ran '23 Reflections on PCC classes: Anna Ogata '23 Katie DiLeo '22 Reflections on PRDS classes Natalia Acosta '23 Nicholas Chiu '21 Andrea Guido '23 Benjamin Lam '23 Alexander Le '23 An Nguyen '23 Edward Nguyen '23 Elizabeth Nicolas '23 Reflection on Scientific Method class Amanda Rosenfeld '23

Reflections on BMS classes Jonathan Chestnut '23 Joy Geng '23 Jerry Huang '23 Tiffany Huang '23 Patrick Huynh '23 Roya Rad '23 Amanda Rosenfeld '23 Shreya Shah '23 Ryan Tang '23 Karina Tom '23 Shannon Walker '23 Brett Weller '23 Cari Yang '21 Conversation about D1 classes Kristen Young '23 Minhchau (MC) Nguyen '23 My First Month in Dental School Jenny Giao '22 How to Succeed in Clinic Nicholas Chiu '21 Cari Yang '21

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Student National Dental Association Chapter at UCSFÂ The mission of SNDA is multifold. We strive to increase the recruitment, enrollment, and retention of underrepresented minority students in dental school by encouraging undergraduate students and younger from disadvantaged and underrepresented backgrounds to consider dentistry as a profession. We provide support and resources to aid these students in achieving their goals of entering dentistry or other health professional fields. We are also committed to outreaching to underserved populations and to improving the delivery of dental health to all people.

2019 - 2020 UCSF SNDA Executive Board

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Ifunanya Okeke President

Vandan Kasar Vice President

Noah Koraym Treasurer

Erin Welter Secretary

Elliott Pereira Senior Outreach Coordinator

Kevin Hahn Senior Outreach Coordinator

Tiffany La Junior Outreach Coordinator

Patrick Huynh Junior Outreach Coordinator

Sydney Nanton Senior Mentorship Coordinator

Lina Eltahir Senior Mentorship Coordinator

Erin Malone Junior Mentorship Coordinator

Jonathan Chestnut Junior Mentorship Coordinator

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2019 - 2020 UCSF SNDA Executive Board

Ava Vakili DentStay Coordinator

Angelina Tong DentStay Coordinator

Becky Nguyen Historian

Marleah Nurse Historian

Andrea Akabike D4 Rep

Shaun Abrams D4 Rep

Kyle Takahashi D3 Rep

Saba Dolat D2 Rep

Devin Babauta D1 Rep

Bianca Duarte GBADS

Rubin Sorrell GBADS

Brian Vinh Hoang Newsletter Editor

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CONNECTION UCSF SNDA QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER

/ucsfsnda @ucsf.snda

What ar e y o u l o o k i n g f o r w a rd to in

FALL 2020? Photo Credit: Dr. Robert Ho (UCSF School of Dentistry Professor)

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