Manual Dexterity Test (MDT)
(Disclaimer: This is my story of how I got into dentistry. It is not representative of NUS or NUS Dentistry in any way. I am simply elaborating my experiences and this will not guarantee your entrance into the course.)
The date set for My MDT was 1 day after my NS BMT confinement period 3 years ago in 2016 so I only had 1 day to prepare. This was a bit unnerving as I was never good at arts and craft.
I found out online (shoutout to my Dad for his help) that MDT has the following 3 components as mentioned below. Since I had limited time, and the tests were not likely to be the same as previous years, I focused on the main principles that would help me complete each task proficiently.
DoctorXDentist has a detailed guide on what exactly you are required to do so I will jtust focus on my mindset during preparation.
Other useful links I used:
During MDT, life-sized models of the 3 components and tools should be provided. Use them liberally.
1. Soap carving As I didn’t own a wax knife, I practiced with labour brand soap and a penknife, focusing on making incisions of accurate dimensions and sharp angles. So if I wanted to make a 1cm right-angled cut in the soap, I made sure it was a 1cm right-angled cut in the soap.
2. Wire bending The wire I practiced with at home bent a bit too easily. Generally the tougher the wire you practice with, the better. I focused on bending curves/ right angles from the wire at marked spots to accurately estimate the length of wire that remains. I also made sure the wire was flat respective to it’s lying/standing plane. It is good to check this after each bend you make, so that you still have room to adjust.
3. Plasticine moulding I focused on making sure the final structure I moulded resembled a molar. This means that every cusp/ridge/bulge that a molar has, my moulded structure would have, at the same position. This is a good video on moulding the molar.
Originally published at https://bobbatov.com on April 24, 2019.
