Thursday, February 26, 2015

Study Plan for NDBE Part 1

I am officially studying for the first part of the National Boards Dental Examination. I have to do well on both parts of this national exam plus a regional practical exam to become a licensed dentist...so it's kind of a big deal! While I have been studying passively here and there, it's time to crack down. 


My primary study resource will be the Kaplan Lecture Notes. I took a Kaplan course to prepare for the Dental Admissions Test (DAT) when I applied to dental school and it really set me up for success. Thus, I've decided to use Kaplan again. 

Here's the situation...my school doesn't really give us a whole lot of time off before we take boards. I do however have one week breaks from school in March, April, and July. While it's likely that I will need to spend most of the July break studying (my exam is in August), I would like to enjoy my breaks as much as possible i.e spend them with husband. In order to do so, that means I really need to stay on task. 


 Below is the plan that I have developed to cover the Anatomy,Physiology, and Pathology sections of the exam. This is based off of the chapters in the Kaplan Book. My goal is to get through all of this by May. Part of me is wondering if I'm being naive about this plan because it has to be juggled along with regular exams, lab practicals, and seeing patients. I'm definitely nervous about being able to stay on track, but I know that I have no choice. 

Week 1
Overview of Cell Types 
Nucleus & Nucleolus 
Subcellular Organelles 
Cytoskleton 
Cellular Adhesion & Extracellular Matrix 

Week 2 
Fertilization & Early Embryology 
Pharyngeal Arches Embryology 
Congenital Abnormalities Embryology 

Week 3 
Epithelium Histology 
Integument Histology 
Connective Tissue Histology 
Musculoskeletal Embryology 
Musculoskeletal Physiology 
Musculoskeletal Anatomy 
Musculoskeletal, Connective Tissue, & Integument Pathology 

Week 4
Gastrointestinal System: Anatomy/Physiology/Pathology 

Week 5: Off or Catch-up if needed 

Week 6/7 
The Heart: Anatomy/Physiology/Pathology 

Week 8
The Endocrine System: Anatomy/Physiology/Pathology 

Week 9
Respiratory Anatomy/Physiology/Pathology 

Week 10
The Nervous System: Embryology/Physiology/Pathology 

Week 11
Nerve Tissue Histology 
Sensory Organ Histology 
Divisions of the Nervous System 
Meninges, Ventricular System, Cerebrospinal Fluid 
Gross Anatomy of the Spinal Cord 

Week 12: Off or Catch-up if needed 

Week 13 
Spinal Cord Regularions of Skeletal Muscle Activity 
The Autonomic Nervous System 
The Peripheral Nervous System 
Cranial Nerves 
The Cerebellum 
The Hypothalamus 
The Cerebral Cortex 
Blood Supply to the Brain 

Week 14 
Reproductive System: Anatomy/Physiology/Pathology 

Week 15 
Renal/Urinary System: Anatomy/Physiology/Pathology 

Week 16
Hematologic/Lymphoreticular System: Anatomy/Physiology/Pathology 


The material from the Kaplan Notes will be reviewed during the week. On the weekends, I'm hoping to use the Dental Deck flashcards to help me solidify everything. 
Hopefully, sharing this helps others out there
Happy Studying! 

No comments:

Post a Comment