iNBDE Success Stories

Real students, real results. Learn from dental students who conquered the iNBDE and became licensed dentists using Crack the Dental Boards.

Dental Student

Dental students who successfully passed the iNBDE and became licensed dentists

Dr. Ravi Patel — Licensed Dentist
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.
Dr. Tariq Mitchell — Licensed Dentist
What are some pieces of advice you would give to another student preparing to take the Dental Boards? In preparation to take your dental boards it is important to create a study focused environment. A study focused environment is one that limits distractions as much as possible. For instance, I did not allow my phone to be in my study room. Our phones are amazing tools, but we've become so accustomed to them and to utilizing them for just about everything that they at time become unknowingly distractors. Since this is probably most of our truths it is important that we do not study with our phones on our person. We should or can check our phones during study breaks which are also really important. Study breaks should be taken every 45mins to 1hr or so... or whenever you realize that you're not focused. Creating a study focused studying environment is a crucial component for being successful in your studies.
How did you use iDentalBoards.com to prepare for the Dental Boards? Crack was such an amazing resource. Initially I would do two different subject test per day and then check my answers after the exam. I would check all of my answers but I'd take notes on the questions I got wrong and on the questions that I got right but my concept or approach was wrong. So basically I'd wrote down what I got wrong and what I luckily got right. For the questions I put the concept that the question was asking in Anki and would quiz myself until I became proficient. I later switch to practice mode when taking the subject test. This is far more efficient. I would check my answers in thirds. All in all crack is a must when preparing for part 1. The level of difficulty with the Crack questions had me more than ready for part1. I was literally familiar with everything asked during the part 1 exam.
What would you do differently to prepare for the Dental Boards? Me personally, I wouldn't do anything different. I believe that my preparation was really good and having passed part 1 I presume that I might be on to something. Understanding the seriousness of the exam but not putting too much pressure on yourself is very important. I firmly believe that being able to focus and absorb the information is key. As well as proper rest, proper eating, and exercise. I got at least 8hrs of sleep when studying for this exam, I eliminated distractions and was able to focus (no phones in your study area), and I made sure to exercise. All of these things will help manage the natural stress that may arise from this exam.

International Student

International dental students who successfully passed the iNBDE and became licensed dentists in the US

Dr. Haresh Oad — Licensed Dentist
What are some pieces of advice you would give to another student preparing to take the Dental Boards? Focus on key words, eg; most common clinical sign or symptom of any pathology, drug of choice for treatment, basic anatomy of dental tissues, read new classifications and terminology of all subjects. Study smart not hard, make sticky notes of important points.
How did you use iDentalBoards.com to prepare for the Dental Boards? I really appreciated the efforts of "Crack NBDE team" to make this study tool so productive and meaningful. Being an international dentist it was hard to find difference between North American study protocol and rest of world. There should be a medium to eliminate this difference, and Crack NBDE made this possible. I always study from my notes and then practice on crack, specially I like the given details of every answer which not only cover one question but the provide the complete concept of topic.
What would you do differently to prepare for the Dental Boards? If I had to do anything different when preparing for this test it would be to focus on learning well the material I already have, instead of obsessing on reading every information out there. This test can be stressful so it is important to have a clear head. When you read a lot of information and it is not exactly the same everywhere, you start getting confuse and it can affect you negatively. I would also not stress about taking it fast. At the end, the objective is taking it as soon as you can but passing it; so if you take it within 2 months after you started studying and fail it defeats the purpose anyways. Take your time in learning the material and practicing the test conditions, because if you have never taken a test like this it can be a little overwhelming. I always make flash cards of important points, remember them frequently, after completing any subject practice questions on crack NBDE. Watched videos of important and complex topics, Made drawings of important anatomical structures, and dental occlusion. I remember drugs names and groups by making different mnemonics.
Dr. Paula Carraro — Licensed Dentist
What are some pieces of advice you would give to another student preparing to take the Dental Boards? There is no short cuts. Cover the whole material, do as much questions you can in order to get the pass. This test is an endurance test as well, along with studying the material you get to be prepared for the Day.
How did you use iDentalBoards.com to prepare for the Dental Boards? Crack the NBDE gave me the real experience related to timing of the test. You are going to find on the test exactly what you practice on crack.
What would you do differently to prepare for the Dental Boards? Since I got the Pass, I would do exactly the same schedule I had in order to prepare myself. Other than that, I would try to have a better night of sleep the night before the test.
Dr. Cristine Alba — Licensed Dentist
What are some pieces of advice you would give to another student preparing to take the Dental Boards? My first advice, and I think it might be the most important one, would be to make sure you understand how do you retain information the easiest. This test covers a lot of information and it is important that we learn it in the most comfortable way. Do you prefer reading from a book? Watching videos and taking notes? Rewriting information? Always remember that we are all different and what worked for someone else won't necessarily work you. My second advice would be to be selective with your sources of studying from the start. I know that in the beginning it can be hard to choose what would be best, specially having so many option out there, but do a little research and ask around. I think that choosing only 2 sources of information, one of these being the dental decks that are released on yearly bases, is the way to go. Additionally, the CrackNBDE app can be used as a diagnostics tool on how you are doing and practice real test conditions. When you study from a lot of sources it can get overwhelming, it makes you anxious about dividing your time between all of the material and if the information isn't exactly the same it can make you doubt everything you have learned so far. You should have your main source of information, there are a lot of books that target the topics of this exam (First Aid, Mosby's, Kaplan, etc). Then you should compare the information you are studying from your main source to the dental decks, since these are questions that have been on the test it's a great way of getting exact definitions, percentages, associations and more that are in the actual test. Lastly, the app should be your evaluation tool. I would suggest getting it from the beginning and taking their diagnostics test just to see where you stand and which subject you have dedicate a little more of time to. I firmly believe that the combination of these three is a home run when it comes to passing this test.
How did you use Crack the NBDE to prepare for the Dental Boards? Crack the NBDE app was a big part of my preparation. From providing test questions and study hacks to actual testing conditions, it helped me prepare from start to finish. The app is very well organized. You can go through the questions by subjects individually or mix them up, as they are in the real test. I, personally, made a study calendar based on subjects. Every one or two weeks (depending on how much material I had to cover) I would first do the questions from the app regarding the particular subject I was studying and then I would hit the books. After I finished studying the from my main source and the dental decks, I would go back to the app questions and see how much I've progressed. One of the great things about the app is that it keeps your information saved and provides statistics of how you've done throughout time. It also gives you detailed explanations justifying the correct answers and a lot of the time even an explanation of why the other options aren't correct. You are really learning at every turn! The app also let's you take a simulation of real test conditions. This was super helpful for me. You have the time on the screen, questions about all the subjects mixed and even test-lets of clinical cases. It truly resembles the actual test and if you have never taken a test like this, it helps you deal with the pressure of having the time limit and train your mind for the long hours of thinking in front of the computer screen. Like I mentioned above, another thing the app gives you is study hacks. I personally love mnemonics, I think it's a fun and easy way to remember information. The app has a lot of them you can access at any time. It also provides you with tricks on how to recognize and associate terms by showing you prefix and suffix. I think this is specially important for non native speakers, because sometimes the terms are not as similar as in our native language. Finally, the app is available on your phone. This was honestly what sold it to me, because being on the move all the time between work and appointments it can be hard to take time everyday to sit down and study. Being able to access all the information I mentioned above from my phone was extremely helpful. I could study in waiting rooms, lunch breaks, even on public transportation rides. I feel like I took full advantage of everything the app has to offer and it payed off.
What would you do differently to prepare for the Dental Boards? If I had to do anything different when preparing for this test it would be to focus on learning well the material I already have, instead of obsessing on reading every information out there. This test can be stressful so it is important to have a clear head. When you read a lot of information and it is not exactly the same everywhere, you start getting confuse and it can affect you negatively. I would also not stress about taking it fast. At the end, the objective is taking it as soon as you can but passing it; so if you take it within 2 months after you started studying and fail it defeats the purpose anyways. Take your time in learning the material and practicing the test conditions, because if you have never taken a test like this it can be a little overwhelming. Another thing I would do is listen to my body more. What I mean by this is some days you will just not be in the right mindset for studying and it is ok. I would stress a lot the days this would happen to me and force myself to study. At the end I would feel frustrated because I wouldn't advanced as much as I wanted to and restrain from doing anything else that day because. I had to study, it ended up feeling like a waist. When you feel like this, just take the day for yourself. Watch a movie, clean the house, meet with a friend, do anything else and resume the next day. You will not regret it, your mind will be clear and ready to get back into it.