Raza Ahmed is a student on the BDS Dentistry course at Manchester. Here, he talks about the highlights of the course so far.
Why I chose dentistry at Manchester
After a lot of thinking and speaking to people in various careers, I thought dentistry was what I’d enjoy and be happy doing.
It is one of the few careers that have a merging of various disciplines such as biology, chemistry and art.
I saw myself doing a hands-on degree, so knowing that we’ll be starting clinical skills next year is exciting.
The early clinical exposure here at Manchester was one of the reasons I chose this dental school, but because of COVID-19, there has had to be some adjustments.
What the course is like
Anatomy by far has been the highlight of the academic year, even though it has been challenging.
I’ve definitely enjoyed the fact that most timetabled sessions are in person, so we can get to know each other and also get involved with some of the opportunities offered by the University.
The different timetabled sessions all tie together well. Enquiry-based learning (EBL) introduces us to the topics and areas of focus for the next two weeks. The lectures supplement this, and anatomy Zoom and dissection room sessions help clarify anything we don’t understand.
I find EBL session 3 is really useful and quite fun, because your understanding of the topics is assessed fortnightly.
That may sound daunting at first, but it really isn’t, because you mostly work in groups to solve an activity and it helps you to work out what you don’t know. The onus is on you to then follow that up.
How much depth you go into is on you but the general outline to how much detail that’s required as a minimum is given. This allows us to ask ourselves the question, what do I want from the degree?
Studying in Manchester
My commute has taken some getting used to, and on a windy day it’s never pleasant, but when it hits you like ‘I’m studying dentistry at The University of Manchester’, you aren’t fazed by it because years of hard work have paid off.
The city itself isn’t shy of attractions, as there are so many things to do. The Curry Mile is just down the road, and the Etihad isn’t too far from the campus either.
There aren’t many cities quite like Manchester. Come and see it for yourself!
Learn more about studying dentistry at Manchester.
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