A week in the life of a second year Dental student
Abdul provides a glimpse into life as a dental student from balancing clinical training and academic learning to student life.
Monday
Every day starts early in dental school! On Monday morning, we had prosthetics lab. We are currently completing the removable partial denture course, and in this session, we took secondary impressions on phantom heads. From these impressions, we created study models using dental stone and plaster of Paris.
In the afternoon, I assisted in fifth-year clinics. These sessions are incredibly valuable, as they give us insight into what our clinical years will look like and help us become familiar with the clinical environment early on.
In the evening, I relaxed by playing badminton with friends.
Tuesday
Tuesday was Conservative Dentistry lab (Cons Lab), where we practise simulated treatments such as fillings on phantom heads. These sessions run from 9am to 4pm, so they can be quite intense, but they are extremely rewarding. We are supervised by experienced clinical tutors who provide constant guidance and feedback, which really helps build our confidence and skills.
Wednesday
Wednesday was lecture-heavy, covering topics ranging from dentures to taking medical histories.
In the evening, I attended the IMed (Islamic Medical Society) dinner. It was a great opportunity to dress up, socialise, and unwind with friends. One of the most rewarding aspects of studying dentistry here is the wide range of societies and the strong sense of community and support.
Thursday
On Thursday, we had periodontal clinical skills, where we practised procedures such as scaling on phantom heads. Later in the evening, Colgate delivered a tooth wax carving workshop. It was a fun and creative session, and I attempted carving a molar!
Afterwards, I went out for dinner with friends.
Friday
Friday was a rare day off, which I used to catch up on lectures and complete reflections from previous clinical sessions. Of course, I also took some well-earned time to relax and play pool – courtesy of the Birmingham Dentistry Student Society, BUDSS.