UConn (OOS) vs. Harvard

[dentaldiva1]

School 1: UConn (OOS)

Pros:

• P/F curriculum
• Price
• Great reputation
• Combined med/dent

Cons:

• Location
• Not aware of programs specifically catered to those who want to go into academic dentistry

School 2: Harvard
Pros:

• Great program for future dental educators; Has programs catered to future dental educators (ex. Scholars in Dental Education)
• P/F curriculum
• Great reputation
• Location
• Same as UConn, but seems to be more cohesive in how med/dent is combined

Cons:

• Price
• Not "clinical oriented"

Summary:
Both are great schools and have similar structure in their curriculum (Being pass/fail, combined med/dent, etc.) I am interested in doing either a GPR/AEGD, or a pediatrics residency after dental school, but have a pretty open mind. I want to go into academic dentistry pretty much immediately after my further education, if possible, and plan to stay in it throughout the entirety of my career. I also have an interest in doing public health research, but am not sure if I want to get an MPH just yet.

I am fully aware of the price difference between the schools and understand for some people that they may feel price is the most important factor. For me that is not the case, but of course price is weighing heavily on me and I'm not neglecting it. I am going to apply for NHSC, but I know that it is not a guarantee.

I would really like to hear opinions that do not only focus on the price aspect.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[macsak]

School 1: UConn (OOS)

Pros:

• P/F curriculum
• Price
• Great reputation
• Combined med/dent

Cons:

• Location
• Not aware of programs specifically catered to those who want to go into academic dentistry

School 2: Harvard
Pros:

• Great program for future dental educators; Has programs catered to future dental educators (ex. Scholars in Dental Education)
• P/F curriculum
• Great reputation
• Location
• Same as UConn, but seems to be more cohesive in how med/dent is combined

Cons:

• Price
• Not "clinical oriented"

Summary:
Both are great schools and have similar structure in their curriculum (Being pass/fail, combined med/dent, etc.) I am interested in doing either a GPR/AEGD, or a pediatrics residency after dental school, but have a pretty open mind. I want to go into academic dentistry pretty much immediately after my further education, if possible, and plan to stay in it throughout the entirety of my career. I also have an interest in doing public health research, but am not sure if I want to get an MPH just yet.

I am fully aware of the price difference between the schools and understand for some people that they may feel price is the most important factor. For me that is not the case, but of course price is weighing heavily on me and I'm not neglecting it. I am going to apply for NHSC, but I know that it is not a guarantee.

I would really like to hear opinions that do not only focus on the price aspect.

cheapest

 

[dentaldiva1]

cheapest

Anything besides price..?

 

[LolaDent007]

Hahhhhhvahhhhhhd

 

[S1710]

Just reading your own descriptions it seems like you're more interested in Harvard and you feel that they cater more towards your intended career. So if price really isn't a factor, go where you want to go!

 

[bracketbuster68]

If you’re going to practice clinical dentistry stay away from Harvard

 

[Dr Dimbsa]

I know you said don’t mention price… but PRICE!! In state tuition after a year at UConn will literally save you a house after insurance accrual… aside from that, UConn also loves when students want to go into academia, we have quite a few students interested and the faculty are very supportive with that. UConn has a DMD/PhD program if that’s something you’re interested in. We also have some dental educator program, idk much about it cause I’m not looking to do that. Good luck, you’ll do great wherever you go!

 

[deleted903013]

Not even close. UCONN. It's cheaper, and It's a great school and is Pass/Fail.

 

[dentaldiva1]

I know you said don’t mention price… but PRICE!! In state tuition after a year at UConn will literally save you a house after insurance accrual… aside from that, UConn also loves when students want to go into academia, we have quite a few students interested and the faculty are very supportive with that. UConn has a DMD/PhD program if that’s something you’re interested in. We also have some dental educator program, idk much about it cause I’m not looking to do that. Good luck, you’ll do great wherever you go!

Thank you for your comment! Super helpful because I want my choice to not be ONLY based on price, especially if I were to get the NHSC scholarship -- if that makes sense. I'm going to look further into the dental educator related program you mentioned because that would make a pretty big difference for me. I imagine it is just not as heavily advertised by the school as Harvard's is.

 

[LolaDent007]

If you’re going to practice clinical dentistry stay away from Harvard

I personally know a few dentists who went to Harvard for dental school and currently practice dentistry- they are doing just great. Not sure why people continue to speak like this. Do you realize how problematic it would be for an institution to not properly train their dental students to practice dentistry?

If a student attends HSDM and is not prepared to leave and immediately practice general dentistry, then they probably chose the wrong institution based on their career route of choice! Maybe then another school is a better choice for them. On the other hand, if someone leaves HSDM and goes on to specialize, there is no reason for them to not be as good as any other student in their specialty program.

Most don't have the option to choose between the two programs- so rather than listening to the opinions of those people on SDN, try to do it yourself!

edit: both are absolutely fantastic schools and at the end of the day it's up to you 🙂

 

[bracketbuster68]

I personally know a few dentists who went to Harvard for dental school and currently practice dentistry- they are doing just great. Not sure why people continue to speak like this. Do you realize how problematic it would be for an institution to not properly train their dental students to practice dentistry?

If a student attends HSDM and is not prepared to leave and immediately practice general dentistry, then they probably chose the wrong institution based on their career route of choice! Maybe then another school is a better choice for them. On the other hand, if someone leaves HSDM and goes on to specialize, there is no reason for them to not be as good as any other student in their specialty program.

Most don't have the option to choose between the two programs- so rather than listening to the opinions of those people on SDN, try to do it yourself!

This doesn’t change the fact that what I said is true. Happy to PM why.

 

[Gustavo dos Santos]

When you say you want to be in academia, do you mean you want to work and teach in the school clinics? Maybe work towards being a program director or something?

Or do you want to focus your career on research? And do tons and tons of research?

 

[Big Time Hoosier]

If I were dead set on a career in academia, I would strongly consider doing a joint DDS/DMD/PhD. Both schools offer this. Often these joint programs cover your tuition. However, there is no guarantee you’d get in, especially if you don’t already have a pretty solid research background.

UConn-NIDCR T90/R90 Research Training Program | School of Dental Medicine

UConn-NIDCR T90/R90 Research Training Program The UConn-NIDCR T90/R90 Research Training Program at the UConn School of Dental Medicine supports and enhances ...

dentalmedicine.uconn.edu

PhD in Biological Sciences in Dental Medicine

The Biological Sciences in Dental Medicine (BSDM) Program, leading to a PhD degree, is located at Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) and is offered through the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University. BSDM was established in 2001 and is one of the programs of Harvard...

hsdm.harvard.edu

You say cost isn’t your number one priority, but I assure you it will be once you graduate and you’re now faced with paying back your student loans. Based on that, guess which school I’d choose...

Big Hoss

 

[wengerout]

If you really want to do academics your entire time, you could try to get PSLF after 10 years but might come down to who is in the White House at the time.

 

[Big Time Hoosier]

If you really want to do academics your entire time, you could try to get PSLF after 10 years but might come down to who is in the White House at the time.

Since there are so many unknowns at play here (Will the OP actually go into academia? Will PSLF and other loan forgiveness programs exist in the future, as they are going to be wildly more expensive than originally planned? And etc...) it would be best to keep the debt down from the very beginning. OP, hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.

Big Hoss

 

[dentaldiva1]

When you say you want to be in academia, do you mean you want to work and teach in the school clinics? Maybe work towards being a program director or something?

Or do you want to focus your career on research? And do tons and tons of research?

I want to work/teach in a dental school, which is what drew me to apply to Harvard in the first place. They have a program specifically for students seriously interested in this. Slightly interested in doing public health research related to preventative dentistry in children (hence my interest in pediatrics), but not sure if I want my entire career to be research oriented, which is why I did not pursue DDS/PhD. The research requirement in the curriculum at Harvard would allow me to explore this aspect of my interests.

 

[dentaldiva1]

If you really want to do academics your entire time, you could try to get PSLF after 10 years but might come down to who is in the White House at the time.

Not familiar with this, so looks like I need to do more research! Thank you!!

 

[dentaldiva1]

Since there are so many unknowns at play here (Will the OP actually go into academia? Will PSLF and other loan forgiveness programs exist in the future, as they are going to be wildly more expensive than originally planned? And etc...) it would be best to keep the debt down from the very beginning. OP, hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.

Big Hoss

I understand the significant amount of debt I'd be taking on if I don't get NHSC, which is a likely scenario. However, it feels wrong (to me) to choose a school based ONLY on price. That may just be because I am not choosing dentistry for "the money" at all/ I don't have the mindset that once I become a dentist I'll be rich because I know I won't be. I know I want to teach and not be in private practice for long, if at all - likely won't be making the big bucks, but that isn't what is important to me. I don't need the fancy cars, vacations, big house, etc. Would be nice, but not a requirement for my happiness.

I essentially want people to convince me that there is more to UConn compared to Harvard besides price, because of course I'd like to make the more economically logical choice, but I don't want money to dictate that and have regrets down the line in my career.

 

[Big Time Hoosier]

However, it feels wrong (to me) to choose a school based ONLY on price.

Both are reputable schools. Both will offer you whatever opportunities you need to advance your career. So, go to the cheapest.

You say you’re not going into dentistry for the money. Great. But, you are going to need a pile of it every month to pay your student loans. I’m going to guess you’ve never been in that situation. It sucks. It will have a significant impact on your quality of life whether you like it or not.

I know that in your head it’s hard to turn down a school with a name like Harvard. I went to a “fancy” school like that before dental school. From that I realized there’s nothing really fancy about them. I had no problems turning down Columbia, UPenn, UCSF etc to go to a less “fancy” school, because I knew I would fit in there. I have zero regrets. Wherever you go to school, you are going to get out what you put in.

Best of luck in your decision.

Big Hoss

 

[0rgansm]

I would speak to people at both Harvard and UConn (students, faculty, etc.). No one knows what it's like to attend both programs, but getting an objective point of view of each will be useful.

I typically agree with "go to the cheapest school," but Harvard has always had an asterisk in my mind. It's a no-brainer if you plan to go into academics and get your loans forgiven.

 

[dentaldiva1]

Both are reputable schools. Both will offer you whatever opportunities you need to advance your career. So, go to the cheapest.

You say you’re not going into dentistry for the money. Great. But, you are going to need a pile of it every month to pay your student loans. I’m going to guess you’ve never been in that situation. It sucks. It will have a significant impact on your quality of life whether you like it or not.

I know that in your head it’s hard to turn down a school with a name like Harvard. I went to a “fancy” school like that before dental school. From that I realized there’s nothing really fancy about them. I had no problems turning down Columbia, UPenn, UCSF etc to go to a less “fancy” school, because I knew I would fit in there. I have zero regrets. Wherever you go to school, you are going to get out what you put in.

Best of luck in your decision.

Big Hoss

I do not come from a wealthy background by any means, but you are right in the fact that I do not have to pay loans as of now. I'm fortunate to not have any undergrad debt because of financial aid. But yeah, I do not know what it feels like to dump like >1/2 my monthly salary into paying back loans. I can assure you I will keep this in mind though, so thank you for your opinion!

Just an add on - I go to an ivy league for undergrad so the whole fancy name thing has lost its novelty like you mentioned, haha. People here are just like those anywhere else.

Thanks again.

 

[Nana_]

Maybe you can think about which city you prefer? Boston or Farmington? Which city can you picture yourself living in? Dental school is not only about education, it's also about life as a person.

 

[deleted903013]

I typically agree with "go to the cheapest school," but Harvard has always had an asterisk in my mind. It's a no-brainer if you plan to go into academics and get your loans forgiven.

Why would Harvard be an asterisk? It's ridiculously expensive and I'm not convinced they teach dentistry there better than your average state school. If you want to go into academics, especially go to the cheapest school. Academia pays much much lower than private practice so you're going to want to have as little debt as possible. Call me crazy, but I wouldn't bank on PSLF either.

 

[somefuturedoc]

UConn by a million. You don’t need a special scholars program to get into academia, considering 99% of faculty probably didn’t do one. Cost is the end all be all factor.

 

[predent_24]

.

 

[deleted923283]

You got into the best school in the country. You also got an invite from Harvard.

Would be an easy choice for me.

 

[dentaldiva1]

UConn by a million. You don’t need a special scholars program to get into academia, considering 99% of faculty probably didn’t do one. Cost is the end all be all factor.

Fair enough, but I'd like to be able to have some sort of structured program (or really anything) that would allow me to continue growing my teaching skills and fully understand what a career in academia would look like. It is a passion thing.

 

[deleted923283]

Fair enough, but I'd like to be able to have some sort of structured program (or really anything) that would allow me to continue growing my teaching skills and fully understand what a career in academia would look like. It is a passion thing.

You're overthinking this. Dental school is you slaving away trying to get your requirements done before time runs out. It's not going to give you a leg-up anywhere for some fancy structured program they're trying to sell. Get in, get through, get out. If you're attracted to academia, you can talk to the professors about it. Schools are dying for attendings - you won't have any troubles finding a job.

 

[Big Time Hoosier]

OP, it looks like this program would be available to you at UConn. So now you have no excuse...

Academic Fellowship

Big Hoss

 

[Boat on the Chesapeake]

You can be an academic pediatric dentist from anywhere. Most go in to private practice so there’s always academic job openings. If you’re really trying to “change the world” or be a big-wig within the field nationally then maybe the Harvard name has a little importance. But I wouldn’t value it more than $50-100k difference. Uconn is a pretty recognizable name too.

Think about cost of living, and lifestyle of Boston VS CT. Which is closer to family and support? Which curriculum do you feel like you can struggle less in? You seem like you’d be able to get in to a big name peds program where you at least get a stipend instead of tuition.

Cost is super important unless someone else is paying for you, but your career goals make a reasonable argument for Harvard.

 

[RMGI]

Both are great options, you can't go wrong. One thing people haven't mentioned yet that might be worth looking into is talking to current D3 students (since D4s are still affected by covid) and asking about their experiences clinically and in terms of culture. Dental school is tough so having a good class and school culture can make the 4 years feel a lot better. This will also give you an idea about how the schools are different clinically.

 

[predent_24]

My interviewer at Penn just told me that Penn competes and compares itself with 3 other schools, UConn, Harvard, and Columbia. In the dental world, both schools are powerhouses and have amazing opportunities for research / academia. Obviously one is an IVY and the other is a state school. The ivy is more expensive and the state school is cheaper. Farmington / Hartford is way cheaper than Boston as well (I'm from Boston lol). But at the end of the day, it's an investment you making and it's something you doing with your life and no one can tell you otherwise. However, I feel like you can't go wrong either way. I just had my tour at UCONN and I def recommend you go to it. Same with HSDM. Also, yea HSDM is expensive but for people that are low income, they be hooking it up. Don't sleep on their financial aid man. Fill out yo fafsa. Same with UCONN as well tho. UCONN HCOP scholarship (full ride) and need base scholarships are hugeeeeee!!! (25k yearly bruh). It's a hard choice to make but follow yo heart. Check both schools out, feel the vibe at both. However, finances are scary. 5-7% interest every day for 30+ years is tough. It's like a whole azz Roth IRA that you gotta pay back. Financial freedom gives people the ability to pursue their passions. I feel you man. Both options are amazing. However, dental school is temporary and no matter what school we go to, there are always drawbacks like location or name. Dental school is 4 years but loans are a lifelong commitment if not paid off. At the end of the day, if you want something in life, you'll get it. Follow yo heart but also use yo logic. It's hard. I feel you. But you can't go wrong with either. I wish you the best man. Think about what is going to make you more happy in the long term. Financial freedom? Academia / opportunity? Location? Alumni Network? So many things to consider. Write it all out and follow yo heart.

COA: HSDM << UCONN
Research: HSDM >> UCONN
Class Size: HSDM ~ UCONN (35 v 48)
Medical Curriculum: HSDM = UCONN
Pass/Fail: HSDM = UCONN
Clinic / technology / facilities: HSDM << UCONN
Specialization Rates: HSDM ~ UCONN (Both really high rates)
Location: Boston >>>>> Farmington (Yes, I'm biased).

Big 24

 

[predent_24]

My interviewer at Penn just told me that Penn competes and compares itself with 3 other schools, UConn, Harvard, and Columbia. In the dental world, both schools are powerhouses and have amazing opportunities for research / academia. Obviously one is an IVY and the other is a state school. The ivy is more expensive and the state school is cheaper. Farmington / Hartford is way cheaper than Boston as well (I'm from Boston lol). But at the end of the day, it's an investment you making and it's something you doing with your life and no one can tell you otherwise. However, I feel like you can't go wrong either way. I just had my tour at UCONN and I def recommend you go to it. Same with HSDM. Also, yea HSDM is expensive but for people that are low income, they be hooking it up. Don't sleep on their financial aid man. Fill out yo fafsa. Same with UCONN as well tho. UCONN HCOP scholarship (full ride) and need base scholarships are hugeeeeee!!! (25k yearly bruh). It's a hard choice to make but follow yo heart. Check both schools out, feel the vibe at both. However, finances are scary. 5-7% interest every day for 30+ years is tough. It's like a whole azz Roth IRA that you gotta pay back. Financial freedom gives people the ability to pursue their passions. I feel you man. Both options are amazing. However, dental school is temporary and no matter what school we go to, there are always drawbacks like location or name. Dental school is 4 years but loans are a lifelong commitment if not paid off. At the end of the day, if you want something in life, you'll get it. Follow yo heart but also use yo logic. It's hard. I feel you. But you can't go wrong with either. I wish you the best man. Think about what is going to make you more happy in the long term. Financial freedom? Academia / opportunity? Location? Alumni Network? So many things to consider. Write it all out and follow yo heart.

COA: HSDM << UCONN
Research: HSDM > ~ UCONN
Class Size: HSDM ~ UCONN (35 v 48)
Medical Curriculum: HSDM = UCONN
Pass/Fail: HSDM = UCONN
Clinic / technology / facilities: HSDM << UCONN
Specialization Rates: HSDM ~ UCONN (Both really high rates)
Location: Boston >>>>> Farmington (Yes, I'm biased).

Big 24

No patient is going to ask you where you went to school. If you good doctor, you a good doctor. But in academia, they gon ask you what research have you done and some schools got better research than others. That is also something to think about.