UoP 3 years vs UCLA 4 years

[micheller90]

Is anyone else deciding between UoP and UCLA? Two awesome, yet different schools. If so, have you been able to calculate how much having an extra year of a dentist's salary offsets the price of UoP when compared to UCLA?

Thx

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[micheller90]

UOP is known for producing strong clinicians. UCLA has a strong research and didactic curriculum but is weaker in its clinical education. The UCLA grads I know, who want to practice general dentistry, are taking on additional year(s) of GPR or AEGD. Ultimately, it comes down to whether or not you want to specialize.

Thanks for your input. Yes I am very aware of all the pro's and cons of each school. I am mainly curious to know if UoP is THAT much more expensive than UCLA when you take into account having an extra year of earning potential/beginning payback on interest one year earlier. Calling all financial calculation geniuses!

 

[micheller90]

A lot of that depends on how much you have in your personal savings, your loans, your living habits, and what kind of dentistry you want to practice (which determines how long you'll be in school and how much you will be able to pay back). Honestly, if you want hard numbers, you will have to sit down and calculate them for your own situation.

Oh yeah definitely I know it can vary from person to person. I am just wondering if attending UoP over UCLA would be a financially sound decision for the average person, not necessarily hard numbers. (Average person being someone with little to no savings, taking loans to cover everything, and not ruling out specialization but most likely will go into general). I thought I'd drop a line to see if anyone else here is contemplating the financial consequences of these two schools. I've read a lot of threads comparing the two schools and all they have to offer, but there isn't a ton of discourse comparing them from a financially savvy perspective.

 

[yenamel]

What did you end up deciding?

 

[nonociceptors]

Yeah I was deciding between these two schools and Columbia. Price won out and I committed to UCLA, but that definitely wasn't the only factor that led me to choose LA over the rest. Cost of living will definitely be higher in SF. I went to UCLA for undergrad and thought I knew what ridiculously priced housing was like. Then I looked around SF...lol. Of course you can find "cheap" places in both cities but, as a whole, SF is definitely pricier. I loved UoP and its brand new facilities, but one thing it was missing that I really couldn't see myself going without is the huge campus and student body UCLA has. Especially coming from a large undergrad, spending 4 years at a place like UoP where you're just around dental students all the time wasn't something I wanted. They're obviously both great schools so I wasn't too concerned with the differences between the programs. But being around undergrads, grad students from every department under the sun, all the clubs, campus events, etc. was a huge plus.

 

[DrLTD]

Good for you! Congratulations!

 

[micheller90]

What did you end up deciding?

Haven't yet! the clock is ticking.

 

[micheller90]

Yeah I was deciding between these two schools and Columbia. Price won out and I committed to UCLA, but that definitely wasn't the only factor that led me to choose LA over the rest. Cost of living will definitely be higher in SF. I went to UCLA for undergrad and thought I knew what ridiculously priced housing was like. Then I looked around SF...lol. Of course you can find "cheap" places in both cities but, as a whole, SF is definitely pricier. I loved UoP and its brand new facilities, but one thing it was missing that I really couldn't see myself going without is the huge campus and student body UCLA has. Especially coming from a large undergrad, spending 4 years at a place like UoP where you're just around dental students all the time wasn't something I wanted. They're obviously both great schools so I wasn't too concerned with the differences between the programs. But being around undergrads, grad students from every department under the sun, all the clubs, campus events, etc. was a huge plus.

Are you from Socal originally? I'm a bay area native.

 

[Bear_Down]

UoP: 3 years. Great location. Awesome new facility. The cost of living is a lot more expensive, but also remember that you're paying one less year of rent!

UCLA: A lot cheaper. Great for research. Great for specializing. And if you'd rather do 4 years with longer breaks and less intense curriculum(this just depends on your preference). I lived in SoCal and loved it(especially the beaches!). The only thing I don't like is the traffic, but if you're living near campus, I guess that's not really an issue.

Going back to you're OP: My sister just graduated from Western and received a number of offers. She signed with an office in Phoenix, AZ and will be making $150,000 during her first year. That's about the average amount of a new graduate dentist, I heard it could be lower if you stay in California. After taxes she'll probably take home $100,000-$110,000. After cost of living $80,000-$100,000
So subtracting that from UoP's cost of attendance(assuming you use the full $28,800/year for cost of living): $439,807 - $100,000(4th year salary)= ~$340,000

Good luck making your decision! I hope this helps a little! Please let us know what you decide because these are both my top choice schools!

 

[micheller90]

I'm on the waitlist for both UCLA and UoP... lol So which ever you decide will be good for me!

UoP: 3 years. Great location. Awesome new facility. The cost of living is a lot more expensive, but also remember that you're paying one less year of rent!

UCLA: A lot cheaper. Great for research. Great for specializing. And if you'd rather do 4 years with longer breaks and less intense curriculum(this just depends on your preference). I lived in SoCal and loved it(especially the beaches!). The only thing I don't like is the traffic, but if you're living near campus, I guess that's not really an issue.

Going back to you're OP: My sister just graduated from Western and received a number of offers. She signed with an office in Phoenix, AZ and will be making $150,000 during her first year. That's about the average amount of a new graduate dentist, I heard it could be lower if you stay in California. After taxes she'll probably take home $100,000-$110,000. After cost of living $80,000-$100,000
So subtracting that from UoP's cost of attendance(assuming you use the full $28,800/year for cost of living): $439,807 - $100,000(4th year salary)= ~$340,000

Good luck making your decision! I hope this helps a little! Please let us know what you decide because these are both my top choice schools!

Thank you for sharing your sister's experience. Wishing you luck for the waitlist!

 

[nonociceptors]

Are you from Socal originally? I'm a bay area native.

Yeah I'm from the socal area. Being from LA and going to UCLA for undergrad, part of me really wanted to suck up the cost and choose UoP so that I could live in a new environment. If I were in your shoes I'd pick UCLA hands down because it'll be a new city for you and cheaper. Win-win imo!

 

[micheller90]

What did you end up deciding?

Ended up choosing UCLA

 

[changtw]

Ended up choosing UCLA

 

[w4nt2baDDS]

Ended up choosing UCLA

Welcome to the family

 

[OrphanageCaretaker]

Ended up choosing UCLA

What were your reasons for choosing UCLA? Was it something people in the thread had already mentioned? Are you considering specializing after? Was the incentive of an extra year making money not worth it? I'm very curious because this is the situation I hope I will encounter, being accepted in more than dental school and having the ability to choose the one that works best for me.