Is it easier to specialize by attending a school that produces mostly GP's?

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icepinkish

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Hi, I am a pre-dental student who is seeking kind opinions from d-students--
(so this is on the pre-dental forum, too. :p )

Quite some people say that it doesn't matter which school a person attends if one wants to specialize. I wonder how true this is. I mean, I know that one has to work hard in any school in order to get in a specialty program, but does the school really not matter AT ALL?

Let's say if a student works very hard and attends a school A that is known for sending many students into specialty programs, compared to a student who works just as hard and attends a school B that produces mostly GPs. They can get into specialty programs in either school, but is the former more likely to be able to get in a better specialty program by attending school A, since the school probably has more to offer in order to prepare its students for specialty programs?

I have always thought the above is true. However, I had a chance to talk to a GP, and he actually thinks otherwise. He says the student who attends school B would more likely to be able to get in a good specialty program, since there is less competition in school B, and therefore easier for him to grab the opportunities around him and make his application strong.

:confused: I am confused now and wonder which reasoning is more plausible. Could anyone please kindly help?

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Hi, I am a pre-dental student who is seeking kind opinions from d-students--
(so this is on the pre-dental forum, too. :p )

Quite some people say that it doesn't matter which school a person attends if one wants to specialize. I wonder how true this is. I mean, I know that one has to work hard in any school in order to get in a specialty program, but does the school really not matter AT ALL?

Let's say if a student works very hard and attends a school A that is known for sending many students into specialty programs, compared to a student who works just as hard and attends a school B that produces mostly GPs. They can get into specialty programs in either school, but is the former more likely to be able to get in a better specialty program by attending school A, since the school probably has more to offer in order to prepare its students for specialty programs?

I have always thought the above is true. However, I had a chance to talk to a GP, and he actually thinks otherwise. He says the student who attends school B would more likely to be able to get in a good specialty program, since there is less competition in school B, and therefore easier for him to grab the opportunities around him and make his application strong.

:confused: I am confused now and wonder which reasoning is more plausible. Could anyone please kindly help?

So your deciding between UCLA and...;)?
 
Define better specialty program.
 
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Let's say if a student works very hard and attends a school A that is known for sending many students into specialty programs, compared to a student who works just as hard and attends a school B that produces mostly GPs. They can get into specialty programs in either school, but is the former more likely to be able to get in a better specialty program by attending school A, since the school probably has more to offer in order to prepare its students for specialty programs?

In this scenario you give, they both stand pretty much an equal chance at all "better" specialty programs. What will set them apart once both get invited to interview is not the school they attended but other subjective factors.

I have to agree with the advice your GP friend gave you.
 
Personally I think there is some benefit going to a school that doesn't send a ton its students to residencies. Most residency directors don't want to intervew 25 kids all from the same school, even if they all have 90+ board scores. That being said, schools that are geared to sending students postgrad put more emphasis on the boards and it might be easier to score higher there.

Ultimately, I think what really matters most, is you. Just go to the place that gives the best vibe and you will succeed.
 
Let's say if a student works very hard and attends a school A that is known for sending many students into specialty programs, compared to a student who works just as hard and attends a school B that produces mostly GPs. They can get into specialty programs in either school, but is the former more likely to be able to get in a better specialty program by attending school A, since the school probably has more to offer in order to prepare its students for specialty programs?

.....says the student who attends school B would more likely to be able to get in a good specialty program, since there is less competition in school B..

allright....schools do NOT send their grads to "good" specialty programs. it is the student who send himself/herself to a "good" speaiclty program. having said that, regardless of school A, B or C the student who 1-works hard and who 2-is interested in specializing WILL end up specializing regardless of school.

now as far as easier to specialize from a school that graduates GPs, this is also flawed logic because it assumes that a specialty-seeking grad from school X is only competing with fellow grads from school X. the truth is one will be competing with grads from other schools. there are NO specialty schools. i repeat: there are NO specialty schools. there are schools that attract specialty-oriented students and that's a different story
 
now as far as easier to specialize from a school that graduates GPs, this is also flawed logic because it assumes that a specialty-seeking grad from school X is only competing with fellow grads from school X. the truth is one will be competing with grads from other schools.

It's not flawed logic at all. If your school is less competitive and ranks its students, you can achieve a higher rank and therefore out-compete students who are attending a school with very competitive students. I'm betting that a class rank is a class rank; if you're ranked in the top 5% at a less competitive school, that's better than top 15% at a more competitive school. By this reasoning, solely based on class rank, it would be better to go to a school that turns out more GPs (translation: people that aren't as concerned with their grades and class rank) if you want to specialize. Board scores are another argument; but still, if you've got available time, drive, and capability, you can do well on the boards regardless of where you go.
 
There are certain schools out there that claim to be "dental schools for people who want to specialize". It has gotten so bad that a few of those schools have stopped giving GPA's and Class Ranks in order to protect that reputation.

I would avoid those pretentious schools and just get a good education at a clinically strong school. This will give you the most clinical exposure to the different specialties, and plenty of opportunity to build a strong CV. In addition, you could avoid their 60,000/yr tuition.

If you are a Pre-dent, you may not realize the significance now. But you need Clinical Experience in order to really know what (if anything) you want to specialize in. The high Board Scores and good CV could be obtained at any school (within reason).
 
It's not flawed logic at all. If your school is less competitive and ranks its students, you can achieve a higher rank and therefore out-compete students who are attending a school with very competitive students. I'm betting that a class rank is a class rank; if you're ranked in the top 5% at a less competitive school, that's better than top 15% at a more competitive school. By this reasoning, solely based on class rank, it would be better to go to a school that turns out more GPs (translation: people that aren't as concerned with their grades and class rank) if you want to specialize. Board scores are another argument; but still, if you've got available time, drive, and capability, you can do well on the boards regardless of where you go.

actually, most "more competitive schools" do not rank their students.
 
I must say, I admire your foresight - I wish that I had taken more time to consider this as a pre-dental student. :thumbup:

While I agree with the class ranking argument, you must keep in mind that a school committed to training GP's may not be as supportive of their students who are interested in specializing.

First of all, the curriculum may be focused more heavily on clinical dentistry than on basic sciences - the first 2 years may be devoted to coursework on clinical dentistry and clinical experience which will naturally detract from the coursework and study time available in the basic sciences.
For example: School A (the 'specialty friendly' school) may actually allot dedicated time for board study. Where School B (the 'GP producing' school) may require all of that time to be spent on clinic.

Who is a stronger candidate?
Student A - 95+ on boards and no class rank
Student B - 90+ on boards and top 5%

Secondly, schools where more students tend to specialize may have more information available available and may be more understanding of students scheduling externships, interviews, etc.

All of that being said - It is possible to go to a 'GP producing' school, rock boards, and be top of your class. I agree that this situation would be ideal. If this is what you are doing in college - more than likely you will do it in dental school as well and I would encourage you to consider this option.

Good Luck.:luck:
 
If you are a Pre-dent, you may not realize the significance now. But you need Clinical Experience in order to really know what (if anything) you want to specialize in. The high Board Scores and good CV could be obtained at any school (within reason).

You also need a good clinical experience so that you can fully understand the challenges that a GP faces and why they want something done a certain way. Then you can effectively communicate with them and deliver the product that they are expecting.
 
You also need a good clinical experience so that you can fully understand the challenges that a GP faces and why they want something done a certain way. Then you can effectively communicate with them and deliver the product that they are expecting.

It really depends on the specialty you are interested in. Some specialties aren't as concerned with clinical experience as others. For example, oral surgery looks mostly at board scores and class rank while endo or even some ortho programs also look for a couple of years as a GP. I agree with QC's statement for endo, but for ortho, it also allows them to assess whether you have gained enough dexterity and patient relation skills to keep up with the larger patient load. Coming from a school that produces mostly GPs, it was more difficult to do well academically. But the extra clinical experience helps your CV by letting them know you have gained enough skill to schedule more than one patient in a four hour block.
 
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