Student dentist Dian Kenny shares some important things to remember for others entering their final year of study.

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In final year we had four clinical days and only one day of lectures per week. You book your own patients, manage them, make sure they actually pitch, and then still try and finish your quotas. Each clinic was two hours, and we had three sessions a day. We rotated between oral surgery, cons, perio, pros, endo, crown and bridge and ortho. Every module had a set number of procedures you had to complete it’s called quotas, like at least two molar endos or at least one three unit bridge. Sounds manageable until your patient arrives late or needs something you didn’t plan for.

On theory days the lecturers arrived and gave everything in one go. You think you're up to date then suddenly you've covered three disciplines before lunch. Final year gives you great exposure, you really do see everything, but don’t make a mistake, there’s still a lot to learn!

Use your free time or holidays to go shadow dentists. They teach you the small things, the stuff you’ll never find in textbooks. By that stage you’ve got decent theoretical knowledge but not much clinical experience. When a senior gives advice it’s not because they think they know more, it’s because they’ve tried it and worked out what actually works.

Start working from day one. Because you only have one theory day, go through everything again before the next one comes around. Prepare early for tests. You only get two or three before finals, so use them to boost your year mark.

And most importantly, enjoy it. Final year goes fast. One minute you’re running between clinics trying to find your patient, next minute the day’s gone. Don’t wish it over. It’s chaotic, stressful, rewarding and over before you even realise.

By Dian Kenny, a final year dentistry student at the University of the Western Cape

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