How to get top marks in dental school finals

Umair Afzal shares his advice on note-taking, preparing for finals and how to remain motivated during revision.

For the last few years, I have spent my Easter break studying dental guidelines to prepare for summer exams. For finals, however, it felt daunting, as I had no idea what curveballs the examiners could throw at me.

With no set syllabus and the entire field of dentistry up for grabs, I quickly realised that these exams required resilience, strategic thinking and a solid revision plan.

Within this article, I will offer practical advice about note-taking and how I used a variety of clinical cases to my advantage in my preparation for finals. I’ll also cover how the ‘flow state’ helped me remain motivated while revising.

Note-taking strategies

Each dental school provides lots of sources from which to study. Lecture styles can vary amongst tutors, with some focusing solely on core exam topics. In contrast, others delve into fascinating areas that the tutors won’t examine. Similarly, clinical experiences with patients can go far beyond what any textbook can offer.

In my first year, I captured lecture knowledge by scribbling notes onto lined paper. Every evening, I would neatly handwrite my notes into a booklet with coloured pens. I would spend hours printing, cutting and glueing images in. These tasks took time, and handwritten notes made it difficult to find essential information quickly.

The night before my first dental school exam, a close friend showed me how they typed up their notes using a word processor, formatting them like a clinical textbook to save time.

Utilising technology helped him to spend less time working and be more efficient. By reading around each topic on Google, he also had a far better understanding of the content than I had.

I realised that re-writing my notes in coloured pens wasn’t enough to absorb the information for the exam. I had to actively process the information and convert it into a new format. Memory relies on the brain strengthening our neural pathways (Buonomano et al, 2023). The more you use the same neuronal pathway, the stronger the memory becomes (Sridhar et al, 2023).

Since that conversation, I began writing my notes in the same style. I learnt how crucial it was to distil the key concepts and create a resource that facilitates understanding and covers the examinable areas.

Consequently, I scored well in my exams across my five years at dental school, and I could better digest the information given to me.

Clinical cases

The unseen cases felt like a big hurdle. It was daunting to think about the high stakes and the curveballs the examiners could throw at us.

I did not know the best strategy to prepare using the recommended textbooks. We had to meet other clinical deadlines, so there was little time to cover all the content.

While my extensive notes provided a solid foundation of the dental theory, formulating a diagnosis relies on clinical experience.

To improve myself, I reflected extensively on each patient interaction. This helped me to recognise common patterns among patients, allowing me to make informed decisions about treatment plans.

Additionally, I learnt more about clinics when unexpected complications arose.

For example, my brilliant restorative tutor, Hamish Gillespie, spent time with me after a clinic ended discussing restorability assessments. All the tutors at Leeds genuinely wanted me to do well.

I didn’t realise then, but their efforts helped me during my final exams. During my unseen cases, the knowledge I had developed from clinics helped me demonstrate that I was at the standard of a ‘safe beginner’.

Flow states

Across the last decade, I have tutored countless GCSE and A-level students over Zoom through my small business. A common theme my students told me was that they found revision boring over long periods.

One life-changing technique for me was the concept of ‘flow‘. During a flow state, you become fully immersed in an activity, losing track of time and remaining fully engaged.

To achieve this, I leave my phone out of sight, set some goals for the session, and tidy my workspace.

My bedroom is a quiet, distraction-free space that works for me, but I’ve also worked in my local library for a change of scenery.

However, revising for long periods can be mentally exhausting. It’s worth considering ways to make things more fun.

My housemates knew I listened to instrumental pop covers to make things less boring. My playlists might seem silly, but it helped me enjoy the learning process! As a result, I could retain information more effectively and concentrate longer in a ‘flow state’. Overall, I procrastinated less and gained more when studying, which helped.

Final thoughts

Upon reflection, final exams require more than memorisation. Transitioning from handwritten notes to a digital format streamlined my revision, enhancing the clarity of my work.

Every clinical experience is valuable and can teach you beyond the limits of a dental textbook.

By prioritising challenging areas and using the flow state, I could stay focused and remain on track during busy periods. I guess all my efforts were worth it!