Penn Dental - Class of 2009

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edkNARF

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Hello to all my future classmates of the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine 's Class of 2009!

I want to start off my asking if anyone has started thinking about housing. When I was at the interview, several students mentioned that they lived in the Dental House the first year. I have heard some negative things about it, but the though of living in a dorm with only dental students sounded great. When I transferred to Cornell, I lived in a transfer-only dorm and it was an amazing experience. I called up Sue Schwartz to ask for more information about the Dental House, and she told me that the program is no longer being offered🙁. I was wondering if I could get anybodies opinions on whether they are going to go with off-campus housing or Sansom Towers.
 
hey you went to cornell? i was class of 2003. 😀 i'm trying to decide b/n penn, columbia, and ucsf right now. so what did you like about penn?? i'm from texas but i got attached to the east coast after cornell, so now i'm trying to decide if i should go back....
 
javagrl said:
hey you went to cornell? i was class of 2003. 😀 i'm trying to decide b/n penn, columbia, and ucsf right now. so what did you like about penn?? i'm from texas but i got attached to the east coast after cornell, so now i'm trying to decide if i should go back....

I also went to Cornell and lived in Texas for a while too. And I'm from Southern California (writing this from San Diego right now!). So to answer your question I think you should consider where you want to practice. If you're going to Cali you should go to UCSF so you can take the California boards and make contacts out there. Coming back east with the intention of practicing elsewhere is possible (the faculty will help you prepare for other regional boards) but it is an additional headache. You'll have to fly patients out there, etc (assuming they retain the clinical portion of the boards). Just my two cents!

Oh,... and hello future classmates! Live off campus I think it is way better.
 
I just decided to go to Upenn, and I have no idea where to get housing. I was considering the dental house, but I guess that won't work out. Since I am from Chicago I'm unfamiliar with the area, so I'm going to Philly in April sometime to figure out what I'm going to do. How much earlier are you guys gonna move there?
 
sushee45 said:
I just decided to go to Upenn, and I have no idea where to get housing. I was considering the dental house, but I guess that won't work out. Since I am from Chicago I'm unfamiliar with the area, so I'm going to Philly in April sometime to figure out what I'm going to do. How much earlier are you guys gonna move there?

Hi sushee45 - I am planning on moving there sometime in July just so I can get settled in. I might make a trip up there this May to get a feel for the area, the housing market, etc.
 
Sprgrover said:
Hi sushee45 - I am planning on moving there sometime in July just so I can get settled in. I might make a trip up there this May to get a feel for the area, the housing market, etc.

Is may too later to think about housing? I was under the impression that housing needs to get take care of asap.
 
edkNARF said:
Is may too later to think about housing? I was under the impression that housing needs to get take care of asap.

I could be wrong, but I don't think the Philly housing market is as cut-throat as NYC. I have been browsing the market online and a lot of the listings are available immediately or will be in a month or so (i.e. at the end of a current lease).
 
Thought I would bring this up from the dead... certainly more people have decided to come to Penn by now 🙂
 
hey UPenn 2009s. what made you pick penn over other schools? i have until the 21st to decide if i'll be joining you.... i'm torn between penn and 3 other schools.

quick question - how did you guys feel about the clinic situation at penn - the way they share a chair with like 4 other students as opposed to having their own chair?

thanks 🙂
 
jessUMD said:
hey UPenn 2009s. what made you pick penn over other schools? i have until the 21st to decide if i'll be joining you.... i'm torn between penn and 3 other schools.

quick question - how did you guys feel about the clinic situation at penn - the way they share a chair with like 4 other students as opposed to having their own chair?

thanks 🙂

I asked the students if getting a chair was a problem, and they said it has never been a problem. When you book a patient, you also book a chair. They said that the people who have problems are those who get lazy, and book their patients last minute.

What other schools are you considering JessUMD?
 
jessUMD said:
hey UPenn 2009s. what made you pick penn over other schools? i have until the 21st to decide if i'll be joining you.... i'm torn between penn and 3 other schools...

For me it was a very tough decision. I loved Case and it came down to it and Penn. Penn was just a little bit more expensive, but not by much, than Case when all things were considered. Beyond cost and tuition (all of the schools I was accepted to were private, thus total cost of attendance was expensive across the board) I wouldn't need to have my car while at Penn, which is just another expense that I would rather do without. While there I spoke to several students who said they didn't have vehicles and getting around was no problem for them - so this was a selling point. I was also drawn to Penn's selectives program, Penn is implant 'friendly' and offers several courses related to this topic (implants fascinate me and I wanted to go somewhere that would give me exposure to and educate me about this field), the opportunity to augment my education with courses from other colleges (Dr. DeRossi said they encourage such interdisciplinary ventures), and Penn's varied externships. Yes, their large clinic was a strong contrast to Case's individual operatories - but if I can help it I am bound and determined to be assigned to one of Penn's smaller clinics. I also loved their campus as well as Philadelphia, which is a city that I can be comfortable calling home for the next four years. These are some of the reasons that I picked Penn; they are my reasons and some people reading this might have a different set of criteria or priorities. In regards to your decision I too would like to know what the other three schools are that you are deciding between. I hope this helps, and feel free to pm me if you have any further questions. 👍
 
jessUMD said:
hey UPenn 2009s. what made you pick penn over other schools? i have until the 21st to decide if i'll be joining you.... i'm torn between penn and 3 other schools.

quick question - how did you guys feel about the clinic situation at penn - the way they share a chair with like 4 other students as opposed to having their own chair?

thanks 🙂

I was not told that. Who told you that ?
 
Hey guys! I'll be attending Penn this fall also. I'm getting really excited about starting school and I've been looking online for different apartment options. I'd like to live within a couple blocks of the dental school. I emailed a couple of students on the Student Advisor list about different housing options but still haven't received a reply. Have any of you tried emailing these students and received any useful information? Anyway, I look forward to getting to know all of you better in the coming months and in August!!
 
Don't wait to get a reply from the student advisors, call off-campus housing to get the list of landlords. Their office is very helpful in finding places to live.
 
hi class,

for a place to live, try to call campus aparments. They own the entire town and are pretty easy to get a place through. that's just one option for you.

I think the phone number is 215-382-1300.

good luck and congratulations,

Van
 
thanks for the replies edknarf and sprgrover. i am deciding between uconn, upenn, maryland, and columbia.

i think i have somewhat conclusively eliminated uconn due to its location and that its students dont get as much clinical exposure. i know that penn and columbia are much more boards-oriented and maryland is more clinical, so i'm having a hard time deciding which i think i should weight more heavily. my goal is to specialize, but i'm aware that many pre-dents feel this way and totally change their minds. it is unlikely that i'll change my mind but i do want to go to a school that does have a strong clinical background for this reason. did you feel that at penn your clinical requirements would prepare you enough to enter GP if you desired? are you both interested in specializing?

thanks again.
 
jessUMD said:
thanks for the replies edknarf and sprgrover. i am deciding between uconn, upenn, maryland, and columbia.

i think i have somewhat conclusively eliminated uconn due to its location and that its students dont get as much clinical exposure. i know that penn and columbia are much more boards-oriented and maryland is more clinical, so i'm having a hard time deciding which i think i should weight more heavily. my goal is to specialize, but i'm aware that many pre-dents feel this way and totally change their minds. it is unlikely that i'll change my mind but i do want to go to a school that does have a strong clinical background for this reason. did you feel that at penn your clinical requirements would prepare you enough to enter GP if you desired? are you both interested in specializing?

thanks again.
in 2004 34 students from UPenn opened a private practice and 33 students decided to do a general practice residency. I know that the new dean is trying to emphasis the clinical component of the curriculum at UPenn. All students I asked at UPenn said that they feel comfortable with their clinical skills. I don't know if this helps. I hope these numbers would help.
 
zidanereal2003 said:
in 2004 34 students from UPenn opened a private practice and 33 students decided to do a general practice residency. I know that the new dean is trying to emphasis the clinical component of the curriculum at UPenn. All students I asked at UPenn said that they feel comfortable with their clinical skills. I don't know if this helps. I hope these numbers would help.

thanks for posting this. this does help, as this is almost a third of their students feeling comfortable enough going right into private practice. that's good to know.

someone on this site a while back mentioned that philadelphia area dentists shy away from hiring penn grads as associates because of the lack of their clinical skills. have any of you heard any of this? it seems that dentists elsewhere seem to think highly of their curriculum (ie my dentist here in MD).
 
jessUMD said:
thanks for posting this. this does help, as this is almost a third of their students feeling comfortable enough going right into private practice. that's good to know.

someone on this site a while back mentioned that philadelphia area dentists shy away from hiring penn grads as associates because of the lack of their clinical skills. have any of you heard any of this? it seems that dentists elsewhere seem to think highly of their curriculum (ie my dentist here in MD).

I read it here in one of the posts but I would say the guy he wrote doesn't like UPenn for some reason maybe he couldn't get in or something.
 
jessUMD said:
thanks for posting this. this does help, as this is almost a third of their students feeling comfortable enough going right into private practice. that's good to know.

someone on this site a while back mentioned that philadelphia area dentists shy away from hiring penn grads as associates because of the lack of their clinical skills. have any of you heard any of this? it seems that dentists elsewhere seem to think highly of their curriculum (ie my dentist here in MD).

That was a quote by an SDNer who rarely has nice things to say about private dental schools (the ivies to be specific). When I told my dentist I was accepted to Penn, he told me that I was making a very wise decision. I trust a man who has been practicing dentistry for 30+ years over an SDN D2 anyday.
 
Hey guys..I'm also trying to decide between Upenn and several other schools. The one thing that is holding me back for Penn is that for the rather high price we pay to go there, the quality of the facilities especially for 1st and 2nd year students is lacking. The preclinical labs, the main lecture hall, and that whole basement area seriously needs renovation. The dentsims are amazing, but I kind of felt very cramped in that room. Even the main clinic is very standard--nothing very special about it (compared to other schools that have incorporated a paperless system, digital radiography, and LCD monitors in each cubicle!). Of course the Robert Schattner center is beautiful, but I kind of got the sense that if you're not a postdoc or doing research, you're never there!

Don't get me wrong though..I love Penn and every other aspect about the school. It just seems that for the same price (or less), schools like Tufts, Stony Brook, etc provide really nice facilities--especially the clinics!

For those of you definitely going to Penn, did the quality of facilities concern you? What are your thoughts on this?
 
asr28 said:
Hey guys..I'm also trying to decide between Upenn and several other schools. The one thing that is holding me back for Penn is that for the rather high price we pay to go there, the quality of the facilities especially for 1st and 2nd year students is lacking. The preclinical labs, the main lecture hall, and that whole basement area seriously needs renovation. The dentsims are amazing, but I kind of felt very cramped in that room. Even the main clinic is very standard--nothing very special about it (compared to other schools that have incorporated a paperless system, digital radiography, and LCD monitors in each cubicle!). Of course the Robert Schattner center is beautiful, but I kind of got the sense that if you're not a postdoc or doing research, you're never there!

Don't get me wrong though..I love Penn and every other aspect about the school. It just seems that for the same price (or less), schools like Tufts, Stony Brook, etc provide really nice facilities--especially the clinics!

For those of you definitely going to Penn, did the quality of facilities concern you? What are your thoughts on this?

I agree that the basement area need renovation. My question is would you rather having good teachers and high quility students or good quility preclinic labs and lecture halls ? I rather to have both but I don't think there is one single dental school that offers both. Plus, It is a preclinic lab its main goal to prepare you for the main clinic rotations..
The main clinic is pretty good actually.
Robert Schattner center was designed for postdoc and DMD students.
About how expensive UPenn is ..
Okay most private schools will cost you as much as UPenn will cost you..
When you compare a state school and a private school you are talking roughtly about 100k-150k difference in four years. I am sure you could pay this amount of moeny back after graduation don't worry so much about it.

I hope this helps.
 
After all is said and done, the reason to choose Penn is because you will likely come out looking better on paper. Not to tout the Ivy name but because of what the program offers. It sounds really good and you have a lot of opportunities in dentistry and in other academic endeavors.

There is one awesome facility that no one shows you on the tour -- the student lounge. It has plasma tvs and nice places to sit. Another plus is that they really try to take care of you even though the work load is demanding. Just today people who had their pathology exam in the morning and then path seminar in the afternoon got 15 pizzas courtesy of the course director.
 
Hi everyone!

After months of perusing the interview feedback and forums I finally decided to break down and register so I could meet some future Penn Dental students. I've all but decided that I'll be going to Penn, but at this point I'm just trying to find reasons why I shouldn't go there. The major contender at this point is Buffalo, but it could just be that the biggest pros for me to go to UB are the cost and the prospect of a shiny new PowerBook G5. Sorry, it's the Mac fan in me.

So considering that all things are pointing towards Penn, I'd dig talking to people about housing. I didn't realize that the Dental House was no longer an option, but I had heard some folks say they weren't the best digs around. I'm sure I'll enjoy everyone in our class, but I'd also wager some away time is pretty handy.

Aside from here, does anyone know if there is a housing list where you can find other folks looking for a place to stay?

Thanks guys! I'm looking forward to meeting you all. 😀
 
William Olympus said:
Hi everyone!

After months of perusing the interview feedback and forums I finally decided to break down and register so I could meet some future Penn Dental students. I've all but decided that I'll be going to Penn, but at this point I'm just trying to find reasons why I shouldn't go there. The major contender at this point is Buffalo, but it could just be that the biggest pros for me to go to UB are the cost and the prospect of a shiny new PowerBook G5. Sorry, it's the Mac fan in me.

So considering that all things are pointing towards Penn, I'd dig talking to people about housing. I didn't realize that the Dental House was no longer an option, but I had heard some folks say they weren't the best digs around. I'm sure I'll enjoy everyone in our class, but I'd also wager some away time is pretty handy.

Aside from here, does anyone know if there is a housing list where you can find other folks looking for a place to stay?

Thanks guys! I'm looking forward to meeting you all. 😀

Regarding a Mac.... Apple has not announced PoweBook G5s yet. They are expected some time around May 05. Did Buffalo actually tell you that you would be getting a G5? Who says you can't get a PowerBook when you are at Penn? I am a true mac addict, and I do intend to get a Mac when I am at Penn. I just hope the PowerBook G5 will be out in time.
 
Oh believe you me, I've been following all sorts of rumor sites and the various Apple-related blogs for hints about the PB G5. Chances are that we won't see them by the time school starts, but I'm hoping upon hope that we do. The AppleCare on my G3 iBook is about to run out, so with luck we'll see the PB update along with Tiger in June.
 
marshall said:
I also went to Cornell and lived in Texas for a while too. And I'm from Southern California (writing this from San Diego right now!). So to answer your question I think you should consider where you want to practice. If you're going to Cali you should go to UCSF so you can take the California boards and make contacts out there. Coming back east with the intention of practicing elsewhere is possible (the faculty will help you prepare for other regional boards) but it is an additional headache. You'll have to fly patients out there, etc (assuming they retain the clinical portion of the boards). Just my two cents!

Oh,... and hello future classmates! Live off campus I think it is way better.


Hi Marshall,

I'm curious as to why you think living off campus is better?
 
niceteeth said:
Hi Marshall,

I'm curious as to why you think living off campus is better?

Living "off-campus" at Penn usually means living within a 4 block radius from the main campus. When I was there looking for my apartment, I realized that students are really the only ones living in this 4 block radius. You should be able to find a nice place close to the dental school. From what students told me, few people are happy with Penn's "on campus" graduate housing, Sansom Place.
 
Did you end up finding a place? I have visions of it being difficult to find a good apartment.
 
Are any of you guys planning to share an apartment together? I have always had roomates for the past 4 years and I find it more upbeat to come home to a not-so-empty apartment.

Thanks edkNARF for the insights.
 
niceteeth said:
Hi Marshall,

I'm curious as to why you think living off campus is better?
I think on campus living is limited anyway so basically everyone lives 'off' campus. How far away is up to you. I think that you get a lot more bang for your buck the farther away you go into west Philly. I know people that have share a 4br house and only pay 400/mo/pp in rent but its about 4-5 blocks from school.
 
I have also had roommates for the past 4 years, so sharing a studio with my shadow did not sound too appealing. I went on upenn's housing website, and there seem to be a lot of houses/room shares. I guess you just rent out one room, and share kitchen/living area in a house. I am planning a trip to Philly in March to visit a few of these places and hopefully sign a lease. Their off- campus website is really awesome, and has a ton of info on it. For you guys that already have a place, what neighborhoods are you looking at? Are most d-students in downtown Philly, or by the school? Also, is a car necessary on campus? I am trying to decide if I should bring mine with me or not.
 
sushee45 said:
...Are most d-students in downtown Philly, or by the school? Also, is a car necessary on campus? I am trying to decide if I should bring mine with me or not.


The students that I spoke to said that a lot of students tend to be closer to campus, although there are some that do live downtown. These same students also said that a car is not necessary, especially if you live around campus.
 
Question- Do any of you guys know what percentage of student pass the NB part 1 or 2 on first sitting for UPenn?
 
asr28 said:
Hey guys..I'm also trying to decide between Upenn and several other schools. The one thing that is holding me back for Penn is that for the rather high price we pay to go there, the quality of the facilities especially for 1st and 2nd year students is lacking. The preclinical labs, the main lecture hall, and that whole basement area seriously needs renovation. The dentsims are amazing, but I kind of felt very cramped in that room. Even the main clinic is very standard--nothing very special about it (compared to other schools that have incorporated a paperless system, digital radiography, and LCD monitors in each cubicle!). Of course the Robert Schattner center is beautiful, but I kind of got the sense that if you're not a postdoc or doing research, you're never there!

Don't get me wrong though..I love Penn and every other aspect about the school. It just seems that for the same price (or less), schools like Tufts, Stony Brook, etc provide really nice facilities--especially the clinics!

For those of you definitely going to Penn, did the quality of facilities concern you? What are your thoughts on this?


hey asr28,
are you still an undergrad at Cornell? I am too and i hardly ever meet any other predents...just wondering who you were i guess
 
teetharecool said:
hey asr28,
are you still an undergrad at Cornell? I am too and i hardly ever meet any other predents...just wondering who you were i guess

are you from the far atop cayuga's waters too? we have alot of people from cornell coming to philadelphia next year. besides the people who post here, i know a few other cornellians planning to attent cornell.
 
edkNARF said:
are you from the far atop cayuga's waters too? we have alot of people from cornell coming to philadelphia next year. besides the people who post here, i know a few other cornellians planning to attent cornell.


really? who are you guys?! where have you people been the past few years? i've met..maybe 2 other dental kids my whole time here..anyways i just interviewed last thursday & i'm keeping my fingers crossed..how long does it take to hear back?
 
Hey-

Yea, I'm still at Cornell..finishing up senior year! I also have only met 1-2 other predents here. I think Cornell should really work on getting us together. Everything is geared towards the premeds! Overall I think the prehealth advisor--judy jensvold--said there's about 10-12 of us every year..who knew!

Anyway, it took me 2 weeks after my interview to hear from Penn..and I think it's the same for a lot of other people. That would be awesome if we had a strong Cornell presence at Penn! Send me a PM or email ([email protected]) if you want to meet up or have any other questions..

-Amit

teetharecool said:
really? who are you guys?! where have you people been the past few years? i've met..maybe 2 other dental kids my whole time here..anyways i just interviewed last thursday & i'm keeping my fingers crossed..how long does it take to hear back?
 
I arranged a talk last Spring with an OMFS from Ithaca... did any of you guys go to that?
 
Anyone from So Cal (Orange County/ Newport Beach) going to UPenn next year?? 😀
 
I will also be going to Penn, and I wish I was from the OC...does that count?That's soo cool that you're from there! I absolutely love the TV show, my friends and I really want to visit, but only if the guys there are half as cute as the ones they show on tv 😛 Is real life Newport anything like the show?

Anyways, do you guys know if Penn's d-school runs into the summer? I hope this isn't my last summer of freedom, but if it is, I need to plan things to make it really memorable!
 
sushee45 said:
I will also be going to Penn, and I wish I was from the OC...does that count?That's soo cool that you're from there! I absolutely love the TV show, my friends and I really want to visit, but only if the guys there are half as cute as the ones they show on tv 😛 Is real life Newport anything like the show?

Anyways, do you guys know if Penn's d-school runs into the summer? I hope this isn't my last summer of freedom, but if it is, I need to plan things to make it really memorable!

You take two months off over the summer.
 
marshall said:
Thought I would bring this up from the dead... certainly more people have decided to come to Penn by now 🙂

Yeah, I just made my final decision and I will be attending UPENN next year. If anyone is interested, I am finishing up my last year at Wake Forest University and I am from Chicago. I just decided to go to PENN over Michigan cause I want to get back to the city and live downtown. Plus, I am a huge Illinois fan and I could never wear Michigan clothes. I have done some research on off-campus apartments and have called some landlords and it sounds like there are plenty of places still open. I will be up there sometime in May to look around and figure out a place to live next year. Congrats on everyone's acceptance and I'm sure I'll meet y'all soon.
 
Penn is an excellent school, but very expensive. How do you justify the cost especially having to live in the basement the first two years?
 
wakechall said:
...I have done some research on off-campus apartments and have called some landlords and it sounds like there are plenty of places still open...

It's filling up fast - I just returned from Philly and while I was there I found a great place and signed a lease. There are some leases up in July and September, and not a lot in August. The landlords that I spoke / met with said that now is the time to nail down a place. Congratulations on your decision!
 
smang said:
Penn is an excellent school, but very expensive. How do you justify the cost especially having to live in the basement the first two years?

Most schools have their students in lectures for the first two years.
 
Hey guys look forward to seeing you all next year!!
I found a cool apartment on 42nd and Spruce just a few blocks from school. They are privately owned by a guy named mike levine (found him on the off campus housing list). Big 1BR with a private, fenced in backyard (if you get the bottom floor) and free parking out front -- $1100 a month. Its expensive but worth it for me because in the middle of winter I can just throw my dog out back and run back in and sit by the fireplace!! When is everyone moving? Ill be there in mid July. It would be fun to get together and put some faces to the names and posts.
 
gatorf150 said:
Hey guys look forward to seeing you all next year!!
I found a cool apartment on 42nd and Spruce just a few blocks from school. They are privately owned by a guy named mike levine (found him on the off campus housing list). Big 1BR with a private, fenced in backyard (if you get the bottom floor) and free parking out front -- $1100 a month. Its expensive but worth it for me because in the middle of winter I can just throw my dog out back and run back in and sit by the fireplace!! When is everyone moving? Ill be there in mid July. It would be fun to get together and put some faces to the names and posts.

Congratulations! You will be one block west of me!
 
gatorf150 said:
...I can just throw my dog out back and run back in and sit by the fireplace!! When is everyone moving? Ill be there in mid July. It would be fun to get together and put some faces to the names and posts.

Poor pooch! I found a place on Chestnut (Large 1 bedroom, fifth floor, quiet, hardwood floors) just a couple of blocks away from the dental school. My lease starts on August 1st and that is the date I'll probably move in. Yes, we should exchange information and all meet when we all move up there.
 
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