Dr. Ravi Patel

What are some pieces of advice you would give to another student preparing to take the Dental Boards?

When preparing for the dental boards, the biggest thing in my opinion, would be developing a study schedule. Knowing how you learn and developing a schedule where you can both learn/review items you haven’t seen in a while, while also doing so in an efficient manner is of the upmost importance. I was able to layout a daily schedule for 2 months and get through all the necessary material while also allowing myself time to take practice tests and see examples of how questions would be provided on the test. Not only is it important to get through all the material you can, but it is also important to rest the mind and take breaks. I found it beneficial to me to study for about an hour or so until I felt like my mind was wandering some, at which point I would take a 30 minute break. On these breaks, I found it best to not think about the exam or material I needed to cover and just give my mind a few minutes to unwind.

How did you use iDentalBoards.com to prepare for the Dental Boards?

This was a very impressive software. Along with practice tests this application was very beneficial in that it allowed me to cover individual topics and then immediately test my knowledge with specific sections. Also having a mobile app that works hand in hand with the website was great. As students we are typically on the move more often than not so having something I could pull up on my phone at random free moments was a great tool.

What would you do differently to prepare for the Dental Boards?

If I had to do things differently, I believe the only thing I would do is spend more time understanding larger concepts rather than trying to memorize the very fine details. The details are important but understanding the larger scheme and being able to apply that knowledge to be able to answer questions on the small details was critical.

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