Have you ever heard the saying, “It’s not what you know, but who you know”? As a dental student, what you know is very important, but it turns out who you know is pretty important, too. Networking with your classmates is important for your career, your success in dental school, and your success on the INDBE!

Networking for Your Career

Once you’ve passed your INBDE and graduated from dental school, you face the next challenge: finding a job. Searching for dental jobs on posting sites and submitting traditional job applications is an important part of the process, but the reality is, most job offers come from referrals and third-party connections.

This means networking with your peers and professors while you’re in dental school is really important. After all, your fellow students and professors are your future colleagues. Networking now, while you’re still in dental school, is easier and puts you in a stronger position for your job search.

The relationships you develop in dental school will not only help in the future, they’ll also help you while you’re still in dental school.

Networking for Dental School Success

It’s important to have a group of classmates you work well with while you’re in dental school. Building relationships with your classmates will help you survive and thrive during dental school!

When you network with your peers, you develop supportive relationships with people who understand your workload, your stress, and with whom you can share resources. Forming a study group can improve your academic performance and your mental health.

Tips for Growing Your Network

1. Be Proactive. Take the time to get to know your classmates, your professors, and students further along in their dental school career than you. Ask questions and listen to their experiences. You can learn a lot from your peers!
   
   
2. Attend Networking Events. These could be school sponsored or state dental society “meet-and-greet” type events where you have the opportunity to make connections with a lot of different people with a wide range of experiences.
   


3. Go to Conferences Attending conferences hosted by your ASDA district or the ASDA annual National Leadership Conference are both great ways to meet dental students from different schools in your area and throughout the United States.
   
   
4. Join a Student Organization. Participating in student organizations is an easy, natural way to meet people with similar interests and goals.

Listen to Your Peers

Your classmates are a great resource for study tips, time management tips, stress management tips — they may even recommend an INBDE study aid to help you prep for your boards.

Dental Decks is the most comprehensive study aid available, and the Q&A cards are ideally suited for you and your study group.

Listen to your friends and ace your boards with Dental Decks!