OzTREKK Ambassadors: Daily life for a dentistry student during COVID

Hey everyone, it’s Chrysten! I’m a first-year Bachelor of Dental Surgery student at James Cook University in beautiful Cairns, Australia.

I know there’s been a lot of questions about what a hands-on program like dentistry looks like now that campuses and courses have had to change with social distancing. So, I thought I’d give you a quick rundown of what a typical day might look like for me right now!

7:30 a.m. – Rise and shine

I get up about an hour and half before lectures start, make some coffee and cereal to start the day, and then take my breakfast to my desk to prepare for online lectures.

9 a.m. – 12 p.m. – Lectures

In general, our courses have been reworked for the time being. Lectures have moved online and, in some cases, rescheduled from second semester to first in order to make room for hands-on sessions later on. Some exams have also been rescheduled from the end of first semester to the start of second semester when we can hopefully be back on campus.

For most courses we have one three-hour lecture online each day, and we have one course where the one-hour lecture is followed by a one-hour workshop. These lectures are scheduled at times that take into account international students who may have gone home and are in different time zones—not too late or too early for anyone!

12 – 1 p.m. – Homegroup

On Tuesdays after lectures I have Homegroup. It’s a small group of peers that is organized by upper-year students. We meet up once a week to go over past assignments, work on group projects, get advice and ask questions about what we’re learning! It’s definitely a helpful hour spent on Zoom.

1 – 3:30 p.m. – Break

Lunch time, which usually consists of leftovers from last night’s dinner!

Catch up on personal and school emails.

Go for a walk down to Palm Cove with my mom (she’s still in Aus with me until border situations are resolved). It’s a nice shady spot that’s pretty quiet.

3 – 5 p.m. – Homework

Now’s the time to leisurely work on assignments until it’s time for dinner.

After dinner I work on completing whatever is still on my to-do list for the day. Sometimes this means a last-minute study session for an online quiz, completing an online quiz, writing, or doing a bit of research.

And before I know it it’s bedtime!

So that’s what a typical day looks like for me right now. Feel free to keep up with how things change by following me on Instagram and those of the other OzTREKK Ambassadors. We’re always happy to answer your questions!

Stay safe and keep motivated,

Chrysten

About the JCU Dentistry Program

The JCU Dentistry program is a five-year undergraduate degree that provides students with the knowledge, skills and attitudes they need to become competent practitioners of dentistry. It is a broad-based program which includes all aspects of dental practice but also has a special focus on issues of special concern to the northern Australian region, particularly those relating to tropical, rural and Indigenous practice.

Program: Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS)
Location: Cairns, Queensland
Next available intake: February 2021
Duration: 5 years
Application deadline: August 28, 2020. You are encouraged to apply as early as possible.

Apply to JCU Dental School!

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Would you like more information about studying at JCU Dental School? Please contact OzTREKK’s Australian Dental Schools Admissions Officer at dentistry@oztrekk.com.