Listen to final year dentistry student Hiraa Jamil as she describes her experiences so far as a 5th years student.
Hi I’m Hiraa.
My name is Hiraa Jamil, I’m from Manchester and I’m currently a 5th year dental student at the Birmingham. I was rejected by Manchester, received interviews for Birmingham, Liverpool and Sheffield and then received offers to study dentistry at Birmingham and Liverpool. I ended up firming Birmingham
Introduction
My name is Hiraa Jamil, I’m from Manchester and I’m currently a 5th year dental student at the Birmingham. I applied for Dentistry back in 2015 and applied to:
Birmingham
Manchester
Sheffield
Liverpool
I was rejected by Manchester, received interviews for Birmingham, Liverpool and Sheffield and then received offers to study dentistry at Birmingham and Liverpool. I ended up firming Birmingham.
Why I chose Birmingham
There were many reasons I chose to study dentistry at Birmingham. Out of all the interviews I attended, the experience I had at Birmingham was the friendliest, staff and students were welcoming and keen to answer my questions. The university boasts a stunning redbrick campus, state of the art facilities and a brand new integrated Dental School and Hospital. The style of teaching at Birmingham is something that is suited well to me. In addition to this Birmingham boasts the oldest dental student society in the world, BUDSS. They organise social and academic events throughout the year. The most exciting being the annual Dental Ball and the infamous Stratford Bar Crawl. Being a part of BUDSS allows you the opportunity to get to know and become friends with the other years.
The course at Birmingham
The number of students in each year varies in the region of 65-75 per year. The best aspect of the course at Birmingham is that it is always being reviewed and changed based on student feedback. Currently the format of the years is as follows:
1st year
You are mainly based at the medical school on campus and at the dental hospital on Thursdays, receiving teaching and the opportunity to observe and assist on 5th year student clinics. Teaching is lecture based and aims to provide you with a foundation to build on in later years.
2nd year
You spend more time at the dental hospital and 2 days at the medical school. You begin spending more times on clinics practicing on each other. By the end of 2nd year you begin phantom head teaching and start to see your own patients.
3rd year
During this year you begin speciality clinics alongside general clinics. These specialty clinics include periodontology, prosthetics, oral surgery and conservative dentistry. You also spend one day a week at the medical school.
4th year
You begin endodontic, outreach clinics, paediatric and orthodontic teaching During the year you get the opportunity to undertake minor oral surgery procedures and an elective project.
5th year
Final year is about getting ready for DFT interviews, and meeting clinical requirements. 2 full days are dedicated to GDP clinics, with the rest of the time being spent on outreach clinics or finishing off speciality teaching modules.
The challenges of being a dental student
Life as a dental student is not easy, the workload is heavy and you will have more contact hours than friends doing other degrees. It is important to remember that you aren’t the only one who feels that way, and universities have excellent wellbeing systems in place. The jump from a-level to degree level is unparalleled and you may feel like you are drowning in work, but with time and perseverance you will get through it in one piece. Although it can be stressful, it is rewarding to be part of such a diverse profession.
What I have gained being a student at Birmingham
I have gained so as a Birmingham dental student. I struggled adapting to university and the degree, but thanks to the unwavering support I received from staff at the dental hospital, I was able to mature and develop as a student. I have been involved in BUDSS and have published an article on wellbeing in dentistry which won me an award. I hold my 5 years at Birmingham very close to my heart and I am proud to be a Birmingham dental student.
“Get as much experience as you can, if you get the opportunity to do more work experience then do it! This doesn’t have to be limited to NHS dental practices. If you can get experience in other health care fields then take that opportunity – being able to reflect on this shows admissions tutors that you have explored your chosen career path.”
— Hiraa
My 5 Top Tips for future applicants
I have many tips and lots of advice for future applicants but the 5 most important are:
Get as much experience as you can, if you get the opportunity to do more work experience then do it! This doesn’t have to be limited to NHS dental practices. If you can get experience in other health care fields then take that opportunity – being able to reflect on this shows admissions tutors that you have explored your chosen career path.
Go to university open days. This is the best way to decide whether that dental school is for you. Do your research, look into what those universities are looking for, the best way to do this is by asking students at open days, that’s what they are there for!
Get involved in different societies including the dental society. It is a great way to make friends and provides you with a work life balance - good for staying sane at university.
Be prepared for failure. Your journey as a dental student will be tough, you may be rejected on UCAS or fail exams and assignments. This does not mean you are a failure.. Adopting a resilient mindset early on will set you up on a good path. This is by no means me saying do the bare minimum, work hard and if you are unsuccessful then reflect on why, and try to learn from this.
Take advantage of opportunities available to you. The more you put into your time applying for dental schools and your time as a student at dental school the more you get out of it!
My plans for the future
I hope to graduate this summer and undertake my foundation year in Manchester or Birmingham. During my DFT year I’d like to take the MFDS/MJDF exam and then go on to do a Dental Core Trainee post, potentially a maxillofacial DCT. Ultimately I want to grab any opportunity to grow and learn and hope to come back one day as a clinician/lecturer at Birmingham Dental Hospital!