The INBDE prep programs from Bootcamp and Booster are incredibly similar. From price, to user interface, to the number of practice problems offered, the two courses are eerily alike. However, when you get below the surface, there are definitely some differences that you should be aware of. Find out which course better fits your needs in this detailed comparison guide.
We’ve included jump-to links above to help you more easily navigate this long guide.
In the video above, John from the Test Prep Insight team compares the INBDE prep courses from Bootcamp and Booster. For more detail regarding these courses, be sure to read our full, written comparison below.
In order to keep this post focused on comparing and contrasting these courses, rather than providing a detailed overview and review of each program, I instead plan to cover the major differences between them and where I see each having an advantage over the other. Let’s start with INBDE Bootcamp.
One of the main highlights of the Bootcamp program is the series of video lessons from Mental Dental. Honestly, they are the star of the show on the instructional side.
Basically, by purchasing Bootcamp’s course, you get access to the Mental Dental videos from Dr. Ryan. These video lectures are superb, and dive deep into all the need-to-know material on the exam. They focus on high-yield content and don’t waste your time with unnecessary fluff.
Plus, their lead instructor, Dr. Ryan, has a great delivery. He’s very good at making testable material easily understandable.
One thing I would note is that these videos don’t have quite the same production value that the video lessons from DAT Bootcamp have. For some reason, these video lectures tend to have a more dated PowerPoint-style slideshow delivery, while the DAT Bootcamp videos are more modern and have really stunning visuals (just in case you had taken DAT Bootcamp before dental school and were wondering).
Otherwise though, the content in these video lessons is very much on point and I think they add a ton of value. This partnership between Bootcamp and Mental Dental is a nice value add.
The second highlight of the Bootcamp course is the problem explanations. I personally think Bootcamp has done a really nice job crafting the solutions that come with their practice problems. These rationales make reviewing practice sets a very valuable part of the study process.
These problem explanations are incredibly clear and offer a ton of value to experiential learners. They’re detailed, yet understandable, and some even include a nice little explainer video. There aren’t as many of these videos as you get with INBDE Booster, but there are still quite a few.
My favorite part of the Bootcamp question explanations though is the Key Takeaways feature. Basically, at the very bottom of every problem solution, Bootcamp gives you a one or two sentence key takeaway that drives home the most important point to be remembered from the problem. I thought those were great.
Lastly, the final win for Bootcamp here is quantity of practice work. Bootcamp provides a few hundred more problems than Booster (approximately 2,500 problems to Booster’s 2,100).
It’s not a massive jump up in quantity, but it could be enough to make a difference to some. To reiterate, in terms of quality of practice work, it’s splitting hairs between these two companies. Both do a good job of mirroring the real exam, and their questions are both a great match for real problems.
It really just comes down to quantity, and Bootcamp simply provides more practice work. In my opinion, this benefits experiential learners (i.e., those who learn best by doing). Along with the insightful problem explanations, it could tip the scales in favor of Bootcamp for these types of learners.
👉 Read Our Full INBDE Bootcamp Review
Now that we’ve covered why one may want to select Bootcamp over Booster, let’s flip the script and discuss why Booster may be the superior choice.
The first highlight of the INBDE Booster program is how they deliver their practice work. Let me briefly explain.
As noted, in terms of realism of practice material and mirroring exam style, question length, content, and difficulty, both companies have done a really good job. They’re about dead even in terms of replicating real problems. However, there are a few things around the practice work that Booster does which we particularly liked.
Specifically, Booster does the following:
Basically, we were big fans of how Booster delivers their practice work and all of the cool features that they build into the program around it. Given how important practice work is for INBDE prep, this is a nice advantage for INBDE Booster.
The next big highlight for Booster is their study notes and cheat sheets. To put it simply, the Booster written study materials are awesome, particularly all of the visual elements that they layer into them.
The images and graphics are great for demonstrating key points, and the notes find a nice balance of detail and conciseness. Plus, they give you access to some solid Anki decks, so if you’re a flashcard-type learner, this is a nice plus.
Essentially, when you combine the detailed study notes with the higher-level cheat sheets and flashcards, it’s a powerful combo for distilling down and memorizing key content.
Another win for INBDE Booster is cost. This is pretty simple: the Booster INBDE course is more affordable than Bootcamp’s course.
Booster’s most popular course option (with 90 days of access) costs $299, while the comparable course from Bootcamp costs $20 more at $319. It’s not a massive difference, but if you’re pinching pennies after dental school, it could be enough to change your mind.
That being said, it is worth mentioning that both companies are really aggressive with their sales and special promotions, so make sure to check for coupon codes before buying.
Finally, I think Booster has done a nice job with two unique features: their marking system and performance analytics.
As for the marking system, Booster essentially allows you to bookmark problems as you go, and then review them later under a tab from the dashboard. This is great for working on your weaknesses, and I really liked this little feature, using it often.
Secondly, Booster has some great performance analytics and insights as well. This data is based on your question bank performance, and I found that really useful as well.
These are two small, but powerful features where Booster gets an edge over Bootcamp. Plus, their new interface is super sleek. With the addition of this dark theme, and some fun games with prizes, it’s a great user experience.
👉 Read Our Full INBDE Booster Review
When you consider these two prep courses side-by-side, both companies have done a very nice job and it’s hard to pick a winner. Honestly, it really comes down to learning style, and perhaps budget to an extent. If you’re looking to keep things as affordable as possible, Booster will be the choice with it’s cheaper price tag.
However, that’s not the only reason to go with INBDE Booster. We also think Booster has really strong written study materials, and we liked the delivery of their practice work with case-based scenarios and video explainers.
Conversely, if you’re more of a visual or experiential learner, INBDE Bootcamp might be the better choice. Their partnership with Mental Dental to get access to their video lessons is a smart move (the videos are fantastic), and with tons of realistic practice work and detailed explanations, you absolutely can’t go wrong with Bootcamp either.
After using and reviewing both prep courses, it is very tough to declare a winner between INBDE Bootcamp and INBDE Booster. Both are solid courses, and your learning style will likely determine which is a better fit.
The biggest difference between INBDE Booster and Bootcamp is content delivery. Bootcamp has an advantage in terms of video lectures and quantity of practice material, while Booster has an edge in terms of written study material (cheat sheets and notes) and problem solutions in video format.
INBDE Booster’s course costs $299, while the comparable course from INBDE Bootcamp costs $20 more at $319. It’s not a massive difference in price, but if you’re budget conscious, Booster will be the cheaper option.