Munit Naikar – Dental Assistant Level II – Surrey
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Hi there, my name is Munit Karitya Naikar, and I am a Discovery Community College (DCC) Dental Assistant Level II Program alumni. During my time at the school, I have learned a couple of things that I wish I had known when I started the program, so I wrote them down for future students.
Clinical skills matter as much as the written aspect of the learning material. Meaning the time in the clinic is the only real practice you get before heading out into the work, so while in the clinic, use your time wisely. Work on things quickly, efficiently and get the hang of doing it properly.
At DCC, one of the major goals of the faculty is to get you prepared for the National Dental Assisting Examining Boards exam (NDAEB), which is the exam that certifies you to work in the country. One way they do that is in all tests and examinations, they bring up past learned material, so that way everything is fresh in your mind at the time of your exam as you have been reviewing it throughout the course. Be ready, just like the real-world past experiences come up.
The course is a wide door into the world of dentistry, the whole faculty, especially the instructors, make a giant effort to show you pathways that may have been taken from a CDA to other positions. They also introduce you to amazing people in the industry that will help you make connections, helping you in the long run. So, try, introduce yourself who knows how for it will take you.
Since the course is preparing you for the national exam, the test itself is largely based off the Modern Dental Assisting (MDA) textbook to make it fair nation-wide. In my opinion the MDA is “your bible” for the course. Make sure to use all the material that is given with it and double check your answers with your instructors.
Learn and understand rather than memorize the material. The best way to succeed in the course is to truly understand rather than simply repeating what is taught. I learned that the hard way that memorization can only take you so far. If something doesn’t make sense ask questions, use your office hours and study. Office hours are an amazing time to clarify and get help for difficult concepts.
Lastly, if you manage to take one thing from my little blurb let it be to have fun, make friends, make memories, do not stress and try. Through my time at DCC I have had many ups and downs but along with my certificate, I am taking a boatload of memories, and with friends that will last a lifetime. These friends helped me study and practice and are my biggest cheerleaders and one of the most important people to my success. Don’t stress you are in amazing hands at DCC. The instructors and faculty are an amazing bunch that will do wonders for you. Try, this is your future, and only you can make it happen. Best of luck from an alumni and welcome.”