I just received word from the College of Dental Surgeons (my governing body) that I passed the NDAEB! A month ago, I went out to UBC and wrote the 4 hour, 200 question exam. I finished in 2½ hours, and then drove home to wait the 4-6 weeks to hear my results. I wasn't expecting to hear this soon, with the Christmas break in the middle, so I was relieved and extremely excited to open the letter just now.

I felt good about the exam, but because it's graded on the curve (to ensure fairness from exam to exam)a lot depended on how well everyone else did... for once, it wasn't all about me.

I guess now's as good a time as any to back up a touch and explain what this exam is. It's the National Dental Assisting Examination Board exam. I graduated in the last class that didn't have to write it. Starting this year, it's a requirement. I wrote it because it will look good on my resume, and it also gives me the option of working anywhere in Canada, should I ever decide to leave the coast. The exam consists of 200 multiple choice questions, some stand-alone, others based on vignettes or photographs. A lot more than I expected were on radiology, but fortunately none were based on the various specialties (prostho, endo, ortho etc) I had a hard time knowing what exactly to study, other than "everything", so I just read through my text book and glanced over the reams of note cards I'd made for various exams. I know I made the classic error of going back and changing an answer, and wouldn't you know it, I went from the correct answer to the wrong one.

Passing this exam also gives me 18 of the 36 Continuing Education credits I need every 3 years, which is another huge bonus, and well worth the $350 dollars I didn't have that it cost me.

I'm going to phone my Mum now.