Need Info on Tufts and BU

bwdgator · Dec 22, 2009

Hey everyone, I am like a lot of other ppl here debating on which school boston school to go to BU or Tufts. I really need advise and please don't tell me to research the forums because I have. Some of the information is outdated for example I know BU has cleaned up their problems about scheduling for clinics. I just need the facts. Below is what I know about the schools (pros and cons for me) but if anyone can answer the other questions that would be helpful.

Thanks for your help

Questions:
1. How do people get to BU dental school (bus, car, etc)
2. Where do most people live for these schools?
3. Would it be weird to live by yourself the first year? Personally, I am not comfortable having roommates, but I know that comes with a price.
4. How does BU compare to Tufts in producing people who go into postgrad? I know tufts isnt that strong in that area.
5. Is it better to have a BU dental degree or Tufts degree when looking for a job? For those who say it doesnt matter about which school you go, well it DOES matter because when you interview for jobs, they base some of their judgements on where you went to school.
5. Is there any big problems CURRENTLY with any of the schools?

BU Pros
-Smaller class size than tufts
-I like the APEX program
-Exams are spread out
-Flexible and more time to study for boards

BU Cons (From what I have researched)
-Location: hard to get to (i think)
-Not as strong clinically compared to tufts
-Tufts has a better name compared to BU (i think)

Tufts Pros
-Facilities slightly better
-Seem more straightforward on telling the truth to students
-Location better....also reason why more patients go there (reason is that subway is right there)
-Clinical program is great
-Apparently better name than BU (i think)

Tufts Cons
-Larger class size
-Exams are blocks (dont like that)
-Does not produce that many people who go into post grad
-Have to study boards while taking classes

sketo43 · Dec 24, 2009

I'm also a predent, but since no one else has responded, and I live in Boston, I'll try to help:

1 & 2. For both schools, I would recommend living within walking distance. I don't think driving is an option, and waiting for trains/buses takes a lot of time.

3. Live however you're comfortable. Living alone will be more expensive than having roommates, but if you can pay the extra $$, and you prefer to live by yourself, then do it.

4. I don't have any real information for BU, but I would guess around 10-15%, similar to Tufts and most other schools. That's just a guess. Try asking someone in the BU admissions department.

5a. Regardless of where you go, I don't think you'll have a problem getting a job.

5b. I don't know of any big problems. I think that at both schools, reserving a chair is kind of a pain, but I would consider this more of an inconvenience than a big problem.

I think you have a good understanding of the differences. Where would you feel more comfortable?

Maybe some students or graduates can give their input

somethinpositiv · Dec 27, 2009

sketo43 said:
I'm also a predent, but since no one else has responded, and I live in Boston, I'll try to help:

1 & 2. For both schools, I would recommend living within walking distance. I don't think driving is an option, and waiting for trains/buses takes a lot of time.

3. Live however you're comfortable. Living alone will be more expensive than having roommates, but if you can pay the extra $$, and you prefer to live by yourself, then do it.

4. I don't have any real information for BU, but I would guess around 10-15%, similar to Tufts and most other schools. That's just a guess. Try asking someone in the BU admissions department.

5a. Regardless of where you go, I don't think you'll have a problem getting a job.

5b. I don't know of any big problems. I think that at both schools, reserving a chair is kind of a pain, but I would consider this more of an inconvenience than a big problem.

I think you have a good understanding of the differences. Where would you feel more comfortable?

Maybe some students or graduates can give their input

Sketo43 answered this as well as anyone could 👍

A couple things I could add.
-Neither school is a feeder for specialties, but if you work your ass off and get in the top 10% of the class, it doesn't matter where you go, you can specialize from any school.
-Tufts has a better clinical reputation, therefore producing arguably better General Dentists, but if you're absolutely sure you're going to specialize anyways, it wouldn't matter because you'll get all the training you need doing postgrad.
-The Tufts name does matter, if you're looking for a GP Associate job in the Northeast. If you're specializing (sounds like you are) or moving out of the Northeast, it makes no difference if you went to Tufts or BU as far as finding a job.
-BU has a smaller class, sure, but it's still one of the largest schools in the country. Tufts has 180, BU has ~120, but they're both huge, and I don't think you'll get too much 1-to-1 instructor attention at either school.
-You will hate the block scheduling if you come to Tufts. You will wish for block scheduling if you go to BU. The grass is always greener on the other side 😉

OP, it looks like you've mapped out your pros and cons after interviewing at both schools, so you probably have a better idea of both schools than the one-dimentional input of any Tufts or BU student. Consider which priorities matter most to you, and choose based on that. Good luck.

Cold Front · Dec 27, 2009

bwdgator said:
Hey everyone, I am like a lot of other ppl here debating on which school boston school to go to BU or Tufts. I really need advise and please don't tell me to research the forums because I have. Some of the information is outdated for example I know BU has cleaned up their problems about scheduling for clinics. I just need the facts. Below is what I know about the schools (pros and cons for me) but if anyone can answer the other questions that would be helpful.

Thanks for your help

Questions:
1. How do people get to BU dental school (bus, car, etc)
2. Where do most people live for these schools?
3. Would it be weird to live by yourself the first year? Personally, I am not comfortable having roommates, but I know that comes with a price.
4. How does BU compare to Tufts in producing people who go into postgrad? I know tufts isnt that strong in that area.
5. Is it better to have a BU dental degree or Tufts degree when looking for a job? For those who say it doesnt matter about which school you go, well it DOES matter because when you interview for jobs, they base some of their judgements on where you went to school.
5. Is there any big problems CURRENTLY with any of the schools?

BU Pros
-Smaller class size than tufts
-I like the APEX program
-Exams are spread out
-Flexible and more time to study for boards

BU Cons (From what I have researched)
-Location: hard to get to (i think)
-Not as strong clinically compared to tufts
-Tufts has a better name compared to BU (i think)

Tufts Pros
-Facilities slightly better
-Seem more straightforward on telling the truth to students
-Location better....also reason why more patients go there (reason is that subway is right there)
-Clinical program is great
-Apparently better name than BU (i think)

Tufts Cons
-Larger class size
-Exams are blocks (dont like that)
-Does not produce that many people who go into post grad
-Have to study boards while taking classes

BU is not hard to get to, plus there is a special BU shuttle that goes through town that directly takes you to the school. Boston in general have a very reliable transportation, so I never met anyone who complained about getting to the school, including patients. If anything, Tufts is harder to get to than BU, simply because they are located in the heart of china town, where traffic can be ridiculous during rush hour periods.

Both schools train their students well. Here at BU, we have faculty who use to teach at Tufts, and I am pretty sure Tufts has ex-BU faculty as well, so the training is more or less the same within the school's clinic. As far as curriculum and requirements, I feel BU has more clinical exposure due to our externship program, and our passing rate on the clinical boards is higher in some areas than Tufts. But in the end, it's down to how much effort a student puts into their learning experience, and not simply the institution holding their hand at every aspect of their training.

Tufts has a better name than BU? There is no such thing as a better name when it comes to dental school. When you get out to the real word, all that your patients care about is your clinical experience and your personality (honesty, your demeanor, etc). So go to a program which fits your preferences, and not by name.

Lynnette188 · Jan 13, 2010

Hi BWDgator!! I am currently in the same decision process between the same two schools....how's it going? Did you make your decision?

somethinpositiv · Jan 15, 2010

Cold Front said:
If anything, Tufts is harder to get to than BU, simply because they are located in the heart of china town, where traffic can be ridiculous during rush hour periods.

I don't know if you've interacted with the Tufts patient pool at all, but these aren't people who have cars and are driving to Chinatown just so they could park for $18 and then get discounted dental care. These are people who are trying to spend as little as possible, therefore most are getting to Tufts by way of the subway, which drops them off at the doorstep of the dental school.

Cold Front said:
As far as curriculum and requirements, I feel BU has more clinical exposure due to our externship program

Is that the only justification for BU having more clinical exposure than Tufts? Tufts has an 5-week externship program as well...

Cold Front said:
Tufts has a better name than BU? There is no such thing as a better name when it comes to dental school. When you get out to the real word, all that your patients care about is your clinical experience and your personality (honesty, your demeanor, etc). So go to a program which fits your preferences, and not by name.

I agree with you that your patients couldn't care less what school you went to, whether it was a name brand school or not. However, dentists who are hiring you as a GP Associate will care what school you went to, because they know (or think they know) which schools produce better clinicians. This is a minor factor to consider, but we can't pretend that factor doesn't exist.

Need Info on Tufts and BU

bwdgator

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sketo43

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somethinpositiv

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Cold Front

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Lynnette188

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somethinpositiv

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