Transcription
From Catholic Simplified, we have a very special guest with us. But before we go on interviews, per the already mentioned on the description, let's probably figure out what are the key takeaways you can take away from this video. If you are the worst migrant, if you are applying to see your school mental medicine, or if you are one of those young applicants thinking whether is it too early in the process to apply and trucks radio that you should be watching among the billion videos of that.
Having said that, I will pass told in order to use our guest and you can. Hi guys, today we have Dr. Lila. Lila is my friend and my first roommate of us. We both went to the bench courses together. She is right now in medicine. She is a fresh grad, just like me, and a lot of guys outside, just like you guys. So let's proceed and ask me love where she's from.
Hi guys, thank you so much for the lovely introduction and thank you for letting me share my experience and hopefully help more people like me. Yeah, um, so a little about me. My name is Lila, and I actually grew up in the United States. My family moved to the US when I was in third grade, and you know, I I've grown up here and I did my schooling here all the way up until high school. And that's when I decided to go back to India to pursue my education in dentistry. I think one of the main reasons why I choose to do that was because I really wanted to get back in touch with my roots and, you know, have more exposure to the Indian culture, which I had at home. But and yeah, so it was a really great experience and I had great opportunity to, you know, meet my relatives and, you know, me closer bonds with them, and I'm still like really close to them now too. So yeah, I think that's one thing which I got from, you know, going to school in India. Yeah, and another thing is that, you know, the the type of patients which I saw in India was so diverse, and there are people from, you know, so many different like socioeconomic backgrounds. So that's another thing which I really value. And yes, it was a really great experience and I would do it all over again.
That's awesome. I think before we start poking holes and reverse migration, I guess one thing that you did very differently, which no other dentist so far who we met has done, is speak about your personal experience, not your professional background. That's, I think that's probably something that I love like and should, you know, try to match up to because everybody pretty much begins it there, hey, my GPA is so and so, my TOEFL score in school is so and so. While we would love to get your opinion on why it's important to speak about your personal background as a professional, like qualifications, we have also love to learn a little bit about what your professional qualifications are.
Sure. So I'm a fresh graduate as Nora mentioned. So as soon as I graduated from dental school in India and moved right back to the United States, and I started working on, you know, passing the much dreaded board exams. In I think April of 2018, so that was my first cycle. And while I was applying, you know, I'm still looking for opportunities to broaden my, you know, exposure to dentistry in the US, so I can accustom myself to how, you know, dentistry and professional works here. So I volunteered as a dental assistant at a community clinic, and I was also a research volunteer at the University of Illinois, Chicago. And I also got the opportunity to work as a dental assistant at a private clinic. So and these were all the experiences which I was able to show to Colorado, especially since their application starts a little later on in the year. I was able to gain a little more experience by then and showcase all this. And yeah, is there anything else you'd like me to mention?
No, I think I think that's good. They mentioned the very beginning that you're part of C.U.'s School of Dental Medicine annual recurring student that IAPP program. Another question, just for fun, is migration was difficult? Was it from the US to do a BDS in India, or was it from India to a DBS in the US?
I would say both of them were really difficult because, well, going from the US to India, I had to, you know, it was a transition to make both culturally. Because everything was so different, like from starting from the clothing, you know, I was never used to. And I went to a school which is situated in a more conservative area. So the faculty, like first aid, you know, there's that it's a really formal way of greeting faculty there, which is so different from the US. So I remember when I came up to a teacher and I was like, "Hey, how are you doing?" You know, my friends were like, "What are you doing? You're supposed to say, 'Good morning, sir.'" Around which I was not used to. And, you know, even the exam pattern, it's different. It's like the final exam is three hours of just plain reading, and I was only used to taking, you know, multiple choice exams. So the first three months, you know, I had to kind of work through that. But I kept telling myself, you know, I came here for a reason, and I just have to have a positive outlook on things. And I think that's what really helped me get through the five years. And I had a great set of friends who are so supportive. All my classmates were really sweet too, so that definitely made everything easier. After the five years, like I grew so close to my family and everyone there. So the transition back to the US, but yeah, it was a really unique experience and I learned a lot.
Awesome. I think one of the things that we can readily take away from what Lila was mentioning is how politely she mentioned what were the drawbacks she saw in dental school and the way the industry was practiced in India without actually letting down her school's reputation or or what made her go all the way to do BDS. This is a theme which people struggle with and they answer like supplemental questions, for example, what are the decreases of your pastimes like school or what are the strengths or tell us about the contrast between your home country dental experience and the US experience. I guess many of these questions, just listening to her answers, I get the sense that yes, you could you could project yourself with some optimism and some joy of seeing extremes in dentistry without actually, you know, blaming or stating that your home country experience wasn't as good as in the US.
I don't know, as the waiting to ask some questions, jump in and quickly jump out for a second. Yeah, yeah. So, uh, I was listening to you talk about what you did after you came to the US. Interested me was how you got yourself a research volunteer position. You guys, and you know, we have a lot of students ask us, how can I improve my, you know, research experience? I'm a fresh grad, I don't have any papers published. And I think what you did was a great way to put yourself to research experience. So why don't you tell us a little bit about the opportunity and what you learned from that?
For sure. Um, so I got the opportunity by the dental assistant volunteering and I used to do at a community clinic. So there used to be dental students who'd come come from the University of Illinois to volunteer at the place. And I got in touch with the student, and she actually hooked me up with a faculty member who's responsible for placing students there. And that's kind of how I got the contact of the student who was already working there as a research assistant. And I emailed like one of the faculty members, and they were in the prevalence here. So yeah, that's always how I was able to get in. But I'd like to tell people that there are so many different ways to, you know, find research opportunities. You can just like go on the school website and you can start reaching out to the different faculty members and, you know, tell them why you're interested in their program. Like, make sure it's something that is important to you and not just because you want to get into a dental school. No, mention in their email why, like their research interests them, and, you know, what you could contribute to, you know, their research. So I think that would help.
Right, that's awesome. Me, what I got from that, that you're a go-getter. So important to network. And I and I try to reinstate that then ever I speak to someone. Oh, yeah, it is, you know, how you build from there. And then you email, then got yourself that opportunity. And that's how it were. And, you know, get in, putting yourself out there and trying to look for some opportunity. And of course, if something really interests you and not for the haha, no, just something. Yeah, yeah.
I guess another one is there's some negativity that exists against people who may have advantage in terms of having an American accent or having family here. But just very clearly states that it's just as difficult. Like, you know, if I knew American English as menacing you Telugu, they have the same opportunities. Maxes in the. So yeah, I guess maybe something that we should shed is the idea that people who have been in the US have this advantage and that makes the rest of us not as competent. I think it's if we ever go get, that's exactly what's gonna open our doors. It's not. Yeah.
Well, you said in some is right, and I do have to admit that, you know, having a green card does have an advantage. But it's certainly not the only point that schools are looking at to give you admission. You know, the main thing that they are looking for is, you know, whether you are actually interested in the profession. You know, whether it's a really, you know, competitive process, and even after you getting to school, it's a very rigorous course. So they just want to make sure that you can, you know, succeed in their course and even after graduating, that you can, you know, be a successful dentist. So.
Awesome. So me, in that 25-minute interview with C.U., or in like, even combined the other interviews, how do you think you managed to convince them that you had it in you to succeed in the competition within school and after?
Well, I think it's, I think it's their questions which helped me like showcase myself. And a lot of prep work too. My brother helped me, you know, prepared for the interviews. And, you know, they either put in hours of work because I myself, like, I'm introverted, so I'm not too good at speaking to new people. But I, I think all just comes with practice though. And anyone can, you know, succeed and do really well with practice. One of the questions they asked me was how do I deal with stress? And I'm kind of tied it back to my experience in India and how I managed like the stressful situation of making the transition. And, you know, I told them the same thing that I told you guys, you know, I just try to have a positive outlook on things. And, you know, when things get tough, and when I feel that there's a lot to do in my hands, then I try to organize myself as much as possible and stay on top of it.
The question you're saying you have very low of clinical experience, you don't have a masters, you have not, you don't have a lot of work experience per se. So why should because you did that with that kind of environment?
They did not ask me that directly, but they did, you know, try to discuss what my experience was as a dental assistant here at a private clinic. So I think they tried to gauge my knowledge in that way. But I can tell that, you know, they're not, there's 40 seats in Colorado, and not everybody has the same kind of clinical experience. Like some have years of experience, and somebody like me, maybe I don't have much. So I think I think, you know, having years of clinical experience is not something that every Colorado was just looking for in every single candidate.
Very important point. When he was questioned about her US assisting experience, which they just trying to find out if, you know, something about how dentistry in the US. Yeah, so for people who are fresh, it's very important for you to build your profile by coming to the I'm doing some kind of shadowing or, you know, assisting to just profile that. That's also, you know, them experience. Awesome. Yes, kind of summarizing. Yeah, it's the quality of knowledge you can demonstrate. It's not the quantity of accumulated. That's what's going to get you into. So focus on that.
Pretty interesting. With C.U., like, you know, we did you choose C.U. or did it happen? C.U. as the first interviewing like that I got, so I guess it's okay for me to say that. So you chose C.U.? Yeah, I was from C.U. I did apply for the second cycle, and I got an interview for Indiana. And I did attend Indiana's interview. And the Banshees them also. So would you guys like me to talk about that?
I think, you know, what it is to be like the youngest student in your classroom, like students, some people who have like years and, you know, decades of experience in dentistry. How does it feel?
For sure. Yeah, and I think I think I'm really blessed to have, you know, students with such great diverse clinical backgrounds because during lectures, like some of the questions that they ask are, you know, they're so complex, and they're questions that I would never think of because, you know, I just didn't have that kind of clinical experience. So I think, you know, I learned something from them every single day, and I get so much help from them, you know, during the labs and when we're, you know, learning how to treatment plan for a patient. So it's definitely interesting. At first, I was overwhelmed because, you know, there are students in my, you know, group of classmates who could easily be my professors. They're supporting.
Maybe three things about C.U. then people can't find on their homepage all over the place searching for something about C.U. that they can connect with. And that's that's true. Yeah, that's not like very standard in their answers. So is that something that you think aloud later out before you can share with students?
Well, while I was doing my research, I prepared for the interview. Like I, I talked to someone who was already a student here, and she told me that the faculty are one of the nicest she has ever met. And that is so true. Like they will go to any extent to help their students out, and they work overtime. I'm pretty sure they put in double the amount of work that we do to, you know, give us the best education possible. And I think that's one thing that candidates should really look forward to when applying to C.U. And let's see, one thing I really like is that their labs are open 24/7. I'm not sure if it's the same with other schools, but that's one thing I find is a huge advantage because, you know, it really helps you to, you know, spend that extra time if you need with your hand skills in the sim lab or in the tech lab to just catch up on your work. So that's one thing. And I can't think of anything else off the top of my head.
When I ask Nora based on your, I mean, connection, research, was there anything that stood out for you? Just the nicest people. And yeah, I can think of something. I don't know if that's true. You know, you get, you want it. I have something that I want to ask at least for like out there, you know, I mean, as a fresh grad, myself, during the journey, came across a lot of people who discouraged me. It is crazy to me that you, you know, you won't be able to make it because you're a fresh grad, and you're competing with all of these people who are, yeah, yes, she is and masters. Have you won? You encountered something of that, and how did you pressure?
Uh-huh. I definitely once told the same thing by so many people, and I just want to say, you know, don't listen to any of that because there, there are many schools, as I said, who are looking for fresh graduates. And just because you don't have clinical experience back in India or here doesn't mean, you know, you have no chance. So I think doing those, you know, things like being a dental assistant, getting hands-on work, somehow is definitely gonna help. And I think it's also about how you present yourself in your resume and in your personal statement. So you can like present yourself really well with the with the small amount of experience that you do have. So it's really important.
These guys, I'm sure will help you with draw an image for us on the screen right now. Takes a student through the steps they need to prepare for C.U.'s application, interview, and bench. Like maybe if you can put like a couple of steps and say, do these, these, these things. Mail C.U. What would they be?
Sure. Okay. Do you want to give me like a way right screen? Awesome. Here we go. So I would say C.U. Okay. So I'd say for the application, like the main thing I noticed that they look at your video during this. Oh, can you still see my video? I'm okay. It's fine. Keep going. Okay. So one thing is to concentrate on the personal statement. All right, guys. Okay. And then they do have supplemental questions, and there's a word limit on this. Um, so make sure that when you are answering these supplemental questions, you'll be focused in on one one thing instead of, you know, branching off into so many different topics. Let's see. And then so the bench exam, obviously, is a really big part of the interview. And I would say this is a very important aspect because there are so many applicants. And, you know, one way they can differentiate like one candidate from another when they're trying to select the candidates is by your bench exam. So prepare as much as you can for it. I prepared by taking a bench exam prep course by Dr. Stevenson, and that really helped me out so much. I'm sorry, did you also prep it at home? Yes, yes, I did. So I used to, you know, prep every single day as I would be like doing on the bench exam, real bench exam. So that is like one class, two cavity, one, you know, prep, like a PFM or a full gold crown prep, and a one, you know, wax preparation. And it's really important to time yourself. So. Okay, maybe I should write that down. So take prep course or know the criteria. I would say. And they followed the ADEX criteria. So you can look this up online, and then you can find out exactly what they're looking for in their bench exam. And bench, you know, in preparations, they're also going to give you a manual. So it really helps to read that over and over again to familiarize yourself to, you know, know exactly what they're expecting. And so that, you know, you're you're more confident when you're going to the actual bench exam. It's like answering practice as much as you can. And then on the day of the bench exam, I want to stress like how important it is to keep yourself calm. I know it's really hard to do that, but, you know, the more calm you are, I think the better your prep will turn out, which is what I kept telling myself. And I think it kind of did work. But yeah, just keep practicing, and I think, you know, the practice is gonna help you stay more calm. Let's see. The third thing is to prep for the interview. And one source which I used while I was prepping for the interview is the website called Student Doctor Network. And and they have questions, you know, which students post, like the questions they are asked, and there are some responses there too. So, you know, if you could go over that and practice, like, you know, with your family members or get help, that would really help. And yeah, I think that's pretty much it.
Anything else that you guys would like to add? You know, like a number of mock interviews, a number of deep your performed, and in practice, both of these in practice. I think, um, let's see. I prepped around maybe like 50 or 60 teeth, but that's because I had two months to on practice for the bench exam. So I think that's what a long needle prep. And, you know, one important thing I would like to say is it's not the number of preps that you do, it's like what you learn from each of your prep. So if you do one prep and you spend like a good two hours or even the whole day just trying to analyze what your mistakes are and you can correct them for the next prep, that really helps instead of just repetitive repetitively doing the same thing over and over again. So yeah.
Another thing is like what you mentioned with time management. Mm-hmm. C.U.'s bench as you know, you were running to, you know, you're chasing time when you're like, so as she, you have to time yourself. Like this time, I think it's gonna be different because I've said it's a bench and I know that, you know, they haven't come here anything yet. But do you have any ideas of what they can expect?
I think it might be like an OSCE. That's what I do them. What kind of idea? That's what I think too. And based on what I read, they did say it's a virtual exam. And somebody told me that they're trying to develop a software to. I'm not sure how true that is. But I think the way that way people can prep is by just familiarizing themselves with the dimensions which are needed. So like for a full gold crown, you know, 1.5 and trying to train their eye into looking for those dimensions and, you know, being able to point out any many mistakes.
I get like rumors all the time. Is maybe the last question? There was one thing at your wishes in this process? What would I wish? I know how important it is to get the dental experience here in the US by being a dental assistant or, you know, by any other means because I think I kind of started that a little late. So if I had a head start, maybe I would have been more of an advantage.
So to close the session, I want to ask you, what does like a typical day look like for you at C.U.? Can you ensure?
Okay. So my first term I'm consisted mostly of lectures. So we had we had two hours of lecture in the morning, and then we had lab up until lunch. After that, you know, depending on the day, we had even more lab for the rest of the day, which is another four hours after lunch, or it was lectures. But, you know, every week we have tests and quizzes. So it's it's really important to study for those. And I think most of my time goes by, you know, studying for that. Yeah, yeah. And even the lab work that they assign, like some people can't finish it during the time allotted for it. But I'm someone who likes to take my time. So I end up, you know, staying after school and finishing. So right now, it's mostly like preclinical and lecture. But I'm sure as we get to clinics, that step will change.
Price, just I know that I said that was the last question, but I just kind of I mean, they're all confused about what a student panel discussion is in C.U. So. Okay. Because an idea about what that is?
Sure. So are you talking about the interview? Or know the students you in a room and like you have only the ISP to and I ask you want students, you get to have a discussion with them? I mean, I remember like three takes one batch of interviewees into like a conference room, and we sit with ISP to. Oh, okay. Let me interview. Yes, yeah. So that that's mostly a question-and-answer session, and it's really to help us know more about the school and what to expect once you're a student there. So it's just a few of the ISP to or the seniors volunteer to talk to the ISP ones, and they basically answer whatever questions we have. So we can ask them like, you know, how to manage your time when we're in school, or, you know, what's the patient, what does the patient pool look like? Can you know, any other questions you have?
A question we're not asking is, are you being judged in that student panel discussion?
People ask like, no, to ask impressive questions. No, not at all, because there's no faculty. And they tell you right away that you're not gonna be judged. You can ask them whatever question you like. Being judgment is minimal.
Diversity. Thank you. I mean, there were so many nuggets of useful information in what you said. People must like listen to this a couple more times to pick out and by father. It was I think our most casual conversation with the guest. Thank you so much. Yeah, and just hang on.