Dentistry

I absolutely love the amount of practical experiences in all the various disciplines that are provided to us. However, the program is highly disorganized in terms of lectures and scheduling.

The campus is beautiful and very nicely located in Sydney, but we aren’t actually there much at all after 1st semester. The program curriculum is great and very hands-on from very early on, but is fairly disorganized at times, particularly in the Medicine-heavy first semester. Sometimes it feels like we are not kept in the loop as well as we could be, but it is also a graduate program and therefore it is somewhat expected that we should have the skills necessary to dig around online and find the appropriate documents that tell us such things as when our exams are or what is actually on them. The instruction is also by and large very good, with profs that seem to really want us to succeed. Overall I am very satisfied with my choice to come here, and would highly recommend other Canadian students do the same.

Studying dentistry at UQ has been such a rewarding experience. I have the pleasure of studying with classmates coming from so many diverse backgrounds. Because of strong emphasis on hands-on clinical activities here at UQ, we have learned to work as a team, with each of us precisely aware of our role, whether that may be assisting, operating, or being a patient. We have amazing, top-class facilities with instructors who are always available to help…. I look forward to spending the next 4–5 years with my amazing cohort.

I like that UoM focuses a lot on clinical practice. But they also focus a lot on theoretical knowledge in order for us to become knowledgeable and practical clinicians. This university definitely sets students up for returning back to Canada such as my colleague.

My experience at the Dentistry program at the University of Melbourne has been wonderful so far. The cohort is relatively small at around 100 students so you get to know most of the people in your program. There are also plenty of Canadians to ease the potential struggle of being away from home. The program while demanding, does afford you the time to enjoy what Melbourne has to offer. It has a nice balance of theory mixed in with practical application of dentistry skills.

The program has been a really smooth transition from undergrad. The pre-clinical experience has been challenging but great and the facilities are top notch. Exams are fair and I really feel like I am learning a lot. Professors are approachable and care about student progress and learning.

Like: – Simulation clinic begins in the second semester of the first year. (with clinical practice coming up next year) – Small class size – Additional assessments are often provided If you fail any material – The cost was cheaper than other Australian universities Dislike: – it was very difficult to get courses exempted, and the requirements seemed very arbitrary (I did eventually get 4 courses exempted halfway through the semester) – Many professors have quit in recent years (including this year) the result is that the school is understaffed. One professor have left during the middle of the semester. This causes confusion and issues for learning content – Their is a high expectation for self learning with minimal resources/guidance given. – The expectations for examinable knowledge is very unclear – Very few techniques have been formally taught in our clinical practice settings. (we are expected to try things and figure it out on our own) – Since the school is small, there is not a lot a lot of recreation facilities (i.e. rock climbing wall and squash courts, both of which were staples at previous universities that I have attended.

I love my University and program; I love having the balance of studying and fun in the Gold Coast. My dental program provides state of the art facilities and the professors have been very helpful through the transition. I also got credited for many courses which saved me a lot of time and money.

Excellent amount of clinical time! It is great! Wish I did this sooner.