Hello!

My name is Maryam and I am a first-year dental student at the University of Plymouth. Since moving to Plymouth, I have started my dream course, made amazing friends and have begun exploring this ocean city!

Moving out

Although Plymouth is a bit of a change from London, I’ve really been enjoying my time here. Moving away from home can seem daunting as you’re in an unfamiliar place, without your family and you have to manage responsibilities such as grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning, handing in work on time, paying rent… the list goes on! However, I’ve found that it’s a lot easier than it sounds and you will quickly develop skills such as time management and how to prioritize tasks. I’ve also been experimenting and improving my cooking skills - at least here, if I mess up it’s only me that suffers!

In terms of missing home, make sure you keep in touch with family, FaceTime them often and let them know how you’re doing- chances are they are missing you more than you’re missing them! If anything, they are only (in most cases) a train ride away but just wait and watch, in summer you’ll be longing to come back and sit by the sea!

Interview tips

Firstly, make sure you practice the different types of questions they can ask you. With the practice, it’s important to identify your strengths and weaknesses so you know what to maintain and how to improve. One way of doing this is by practicing with friends and family. Try to simulate the interview e.g. setting it up on zoom and using the correct time limit for questions. You can also record yourself answering questions, this will help you notice any habits e.g. saying ‘umm’ and ‘basically’ too much.

Also think about what you’re wearing (smart attire), the background, noise levels, Wi-Fi stability, and the chair you’re sitting on (you might keep spinning on swivel chairs if you’re nervous).

In terms of where to find MMI information and mock questions, google and YouTube have plenty of amazing resources, mock scenarios, and question banks. I’d also recommend following current medical/dental students and doctors/dentists on Instagram as some of them put up amazing information slides and tips.

Overall, the most important thing is to be confident in your abilities and be passionate about the course you want to study.

The Course

I’m LOVING it so far! As expected, there is a large workload but I’m working on finding ways to stay organised and learning how to retain and recall the information effectively. Speaking to students in upper years has been invaluable as they have top tips and advice from personal experience. They have also shown me useful apps, videos and other resources that have massively supplemented my learning. Although I’m interested in the science and anatomy side of the content, I’m particularly enjoying the practical aspect of the course. We were in SDLE from day 2!! AND have already covered a wide range of topics from charting and polishing to rubber dams. EBL has also been a useful learning resource as the cases usually reflect learning done in the prior week, meaning we can consolidate our knowledge. It has also given me a chance to learn from students with prior clinical experience and science backgrounds. I can’t wait to continue my journey on this course!

Good luck with interviews! Keep working hard