Why Nova?

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ucla2134

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Hi, can sb here from Nova help me out?
I search through interview feedback, it seemed majority tells the same thing: new facility and the weather.
I also search through SDN, have found nothing much since it was open 1997.

Any comments would be appreciate.
Thank you, SDN
 
I'm also wondering the same. Any nova dental students who can tell us about what is unique about the school that we probably can't find on the website?
 
I said that I loved the area of the country from when I had visited before, that I loved the facilities, and that it seemed from feedback of other students that the faculty really cared about the students and wanted to see them do well. Best of luck!!
 
I interviewed a few months ago and I really liked everything about the school.

Pros-
1. They have a strong clinical focus and they don't push you into research like some schools do.
2. Large patient pool with all of the retired people down in South Florida. No fighting between students for patients.
3. Nurturing atmosphere, instead of "Sink-or-Swim".
4. Students don't seem to be competitive with each other.

Cons-
1. COST
 
JPGator3 said:
I interviewed a few months ago and I really liked everything about the school.

Pros-
1. They have a strong clinical focus and they don't push you into research like some schools do.
2. Large patient pool with all of the retired people down in South Florida. No fighting between students for patients.
3. Nurturing atmosphere, instead of "Sink-or-Swim".
4. Students don't seem to be competitive with each other.

Cons-
1. COST
Click to expand...

I agree with gator.
Dr. Ramer gave me an in-depth tour of the clinic following my interview, which appeared to be a great learning environment with friendly professors providing help for students throughout the floor. Students did not appear to be waiting for chair time.
I like how they take their boards after the first year and are involved with and work in the clinic starting in the first year as well.
Students were very fond of the digitized and search-able texts/notes.
 
you guys interviewing this thursday as well?? If so see ya there!
 
dentaldam5 said:
I agree with gator.
Dr. Ramer gave me an in-depth tour of the clinic following my interview, which appeared to be a great learning environment with friendly professors providing help for students throughout the floor. Students did not appear to be waiting for chair time.
I like how they take their boards after the first year and are involved with and work in the clinic starting in the first year as well.
Students were very fond of the digitized and search-able texts/notes.
Click to expand...

Did Nova have digital x-rays? I don't remember if I saw/asked that on the tour.
 
Aren't you responsible for finding your own patients at Nova AND you don't get your own chair in the clinic? That's what I've heard from multiple people that interviewed there. I went to UF interview with a friend that interviewed at Nova the week before and he said the 2 Nova students he spoke with both said they only went there because they didn't get in anywhere else and that if any of them (interviewees) got in somewhere else, they should not go to Nova. Additionally, he said UF's clinics were far nicer than Nova's, despite Nova marketing themselves as having these really nice clinics, etc. I'm sure I'll get flamed for saying these things (its funny how people prefer polite over honest these days) but oh well, people considering Nova should be made aware of ALL things said about the school and not just the cushy nice stuff.

ps - I'm not sure if it was said yet, but I've seen a lot of people saying they want to go to Nova because of the 'beautiful campus and area'. This should set off alarms on those peoples' priorities. Anyone who says they picked Nova because of the 'beautiful campus' is a *****, its a dental school, not a cruise ship.
 
Some people are so preoccupied with having to find your own patients. Think about it this way. School's that don't supply your patients create an atmosphere that is more representative of the real world, where your patients don't just magically appear. Why don't we all embrace the challenge of having to find our own patients?

The reason I'm applying to Nova is because Florida has good weather, I'll be closer to my family who lives in Orlando, I will have many friends living in South Florida, and because of the Jewish population. The only part of the school that stands out to me over other schools is that they offer a combined DO-DMD program which is something I'd like to consider.

...but most of all, I'm applying to Nova because if this is the only school I get accepted to, then this is where I will go. I'm pretty sure this is the case for most Floridians.
 
dentaldam5 said:
I agree with gator.
Dr. Ramer gave me an in-depth tour of the clinic following my interview, which appeared to be a great learning environment with friendly professors providing help for students throughout the floor. Students did not appear to be waiting for chair time.
I like how they take their boards after the first year and are involved with and work in the clinic starting in the first year as well.
Students were very fond of the digitized and search-able texts/notes.
Click to expand...

Can you explain the digitized and search-able notes further, how does that work? There's no textbooks? Everythings on the computer?

Thanks!
 
pinkpari27 said:
Can you explain the digitized and search-able notes further, how does that work? There's no textbooks? Everythings on the computer?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

The textbooks come on computer so you can Ctrl-F things to find them quickly.
 
whateveryoulike said:
Aren't you responsible for finding your own patients at Nova AND you don't get your own chair in the clinic? That's what I've heard from multiple people that interviewed there. I went to UF interview with a friend that interviewed at Nova the week before and he said the 2 Nova students he spoke with both said they only went there because they didn't get in anywhere else and that if any of them (interviewees) got in somewhere else, they should not go to Nova. Additionally, he said UF's clinics were far nicer than Nova's, despite Nova marketing themselves as having these really nice clinics, etc. I'm sure I'll get flamed for saying these things (its funny how people prefer polite over honest these days) but oh well, people considering Nova should be made aware of ALL things said about the school and not just the cushy nice stuff.

ps - I'm not sure if it was said yet, but I've seen a lot of people saying they want to go to Nova because of the 'beautiful campus and area'. This should set off alarms on those peoples' priorities. Anyone who says they picked Nova because of the 'beautiful campus' is a *****, its a dental school, not a cruise ship.
Click to expand...

Nova is one of the schools at the top of my list so I appreciate all "honest" discussion especially if I have to make a choice between Nova and other schools.
To the discussion.....
Finding your own patients: Don't most schools require you to find your own patients? The only school that provides patients for you that I interviewed at is UMN. Also Nova has plenty of patients.
The chair issue: yeah it there and it sucks, but there is a new clinic in North Miami where students can go for rotations. Atleast the school acknowledges the problem and trys to solve it.
Nova as a backup: for most Florida natives and most OOSers Nova is a backup for one reason.... cost. For me cost is not that big of a factor since all schools for me are basically equally expensive.
Nova vs UF clinics: I read the contrary and Nova clinics are newer.
Beautiful campus and location are just great additions that I add into the equation. I eventually want to practice in the Southeast region... so yeah location is important. Also for those few breaks we get in dental school, it would be a good time for barbecue and Coronas on the beach. :laugh:

Seriously, lets continue this discussion... it can only help us pick schools when it comes time to pick out of the handful of letters we get. :luck::luck::xf::xf:
 
yuppers said:
The textbooks come on computer so you can Ctrl-F things to find them quickly.
Click to expand...

So instead of opening multiple textbooks looking up info on gingivitis, you can do a search for the term and every e-text/paper it appears in comes up.

Regarding the chairs, In addition to the N.Miami Beach Clinic, I was told there were other off-site clinics where students get chair time and that list would be growing.
 
dentaldam5 said:
So instead of opening multiple textbooks looking up info on gingivitis, you can do a search for the term and every e-text/paper it appears in comes up.
Click to expand...
Yeah.
dentaldam5 said:
Regarding the chairs, In addition to the N.Miami Beach Clinic, I was told there were other off-site clinics where students get chair time and that list would be growing.
Click to expand...
The problem is not if there will be more off-site clinics but when.
 
I interviewed at Nova today and had the chance to talk to a D4. He said that the chair and patient problem really wasn't that bad. Its more dependent on people prioritizing their time and not procrasinating...he personally told me that he had everything done quite early, will graduate on time and is now simply picking and choosing cases which he finds interesting.

And to whomever thinks that the area of a school shouldn't play a factor, your an idiot(sorry but I'm just being blunt as you were). Good luck spending the next four years being miserable and complaining. Area is a huge part of my decision. Though dental school is tough, I want to be in a place which I will enjoy myself. I can guarantee you that if I'm in a place which I absolutley love, I'm going to do better in school versus a place I despise. You do realize that there is life OUTSIDE of school as well right? Having a balance in life is crucial IMO. And honestly if people want to pick a school based on the area, its up to them, theres really no right for you to criticize that decision!
 
justwu86 said:
I interviewed at Nova today and had the chance to talk to a D4. He said that the chair and patient problem really wasn't that bad. Its more dependent on people prioritizing their time and not procrasinating...he personally told me that he had everything done quite early, will graduate on time and is now simply picking and choosing cases which he finds interesting.
Click to expand...
Good source as well.

justwu86 said:
Good luck spending the next four years being miserable and complaining. Area is a huge part of my decision. Though dental school is tough, I want to be in a place which I will enjoy myself. I can guarantee you that if I'm in a place which I absolutley love, I'm going to do better in school versus a place I despise. You do realize that there is life OUTSIDE of school as well right? Having a balance in life is crucial IMO. And honestly if people want to pick a school based on the area, its up to them, theres really no right for you to criticize that decision!
Click to expand...
I agree. Just to add... a school's location is also important because you will probably end up practicing in that location.
 
justwu86 said:
And to whomever thinks that the area of a school shouldn't play a factor, your an idiot(sorry but I'm just being blunt as you were). Good luck spending the next four years being miserable and complaining. Area is a huge part of my decision. Though dental school is tough, I want to be in a place which I will enjoy myself. I can guarantee you that if I'm in a place which I absolutley love, I'm going to do better in school versus a place I despise. You do realize that there is life OUTSIDE of school as well right? Having a balance in life is crucial IMO. And honestly if people want to pick a school based on the area, its up to them, theres really no right for you to criticize that decision!
Click to expand...

Ya know, most people tend to have this thing called "adaptability", they adapt very well to new situations now matter how much they hate it initially. I am one of those people, throw me in any hell hole and in a weeks worth of time, I'll end up making friends and end up enjoying my place. To people like me, location is not an issue, the vibe I get from a school is NOT going to influence my decision if they accept me because simply, I'll eventually adapt to thier environment.

Now I'll give you a scenario. You say that you would prefer to only attend a school that "makes you feel happy inside"... Well say you applied to 20 schools, you picked those schools for your various "happiness" reasons, you went to all 20 interviews and realized that THE ONLY school that accepted you, was the one you absolutely hated. Are you seriously telling me your going to reject their offer because you didn't feel all "warm and cozy inside" ????
 
yes people can adapt...but would you do better in an area you enjoyed or an area you hated? I think you'd be lying if you said you would do the same in both. What makes it so wrong to go somewhere that you would enjoy for four years?

If the scenario does come up where I only get into 1 school, sure I'll have to go but thats not the matter at hand. Whats being discussed is discrediting the location of a school as a valid reason why you want to attend the school. I believe location is important, as well as the schools themselves. I am not saying I wouldn't attend a school due to location, I am just saying its a big factor for me when I make a decision.

For what its worth, NOVA had some of the most funny, welcoming, warm, and easy to talk to faculty out of any school I've interviewed at so far. It really seemed like a great atmosphere.
 
justwu86 said:
yes people can adapt...but would you do better in an area you enjoyed or an area you hated? I think you'd be lying if you said you would do the same in both. What makes it so wrong to go somewhere that you would enjoy for four years?
Click to expand...

Lying?? I don't think you underestood the point I was trying to make. For someone like me there is no such thing as an area I hate. No matter how bad a place is initially, I'll eventually (over a short period of time) adapt to it and enjoy it just as much as any other.


justwu86 said:
If the scenario does come up where I only get into 1 school, sure I'll have to go but thats not the matter at hand. Whats being discussed is discrediting the location of a school as a valid reason why you want to attend the school. I believe location is important, as well as the schools themselves. I am not saying I wouldn't attend a school due to location, I am just saying its a big factor for me when I make a decision.
Click to expand...

Ya know, I don't know what kind of vacation spot your looking for, but most of us who want to attend dental school do it because we want to become dentists. Comfort should not part of the vocabulary list. I saw my sister get through dental school and let me tell you, I sometimes ask her to compare the difficulty of ds to undergrad and she just laughs and says first year in dental school is going to through more information at you than all 4 years of undergrad. Point I am trying to make is, no matter how "comfortable" you initially find the place, your going to be overworked to the point where your not going to feel that initial comfort

To the OP of this thread, I really like NOVA because of thier dual DDS/DO option. I dunno if you know about it, but they offer a 6 year program for those of us who want to become DO and DDS, and the best part about this program is you able to get into it from either thier DO or DDS school, meaning if you get accepted to thier dental school, you can apply to this special 6 year program without taking the MCATs, which is not the same for CASE which offers a dual dental/MD degree but you have to take the MCATs
 
Thats great, you can adapt to anywhere. You'd be just as happy going to dental school in paradise, versus a desert..? Given they are the same exact schools? If you can truly say yes, then by all means for you location really doesn't matter. For 99.99% rest of us, I think location is an issue and will affect our mental health and thus performance in school to some extent. Some maybe more than others.

I expect dental school to be hard, but I really do plan on having a balance in my life. I'm not looking for a VACATION. If I wanted to go on vacation I wouldn't go to dental school. I'm looking for an area in which when I do have the little free time I get, I can do something I enjoy. Whether that be hiking, snorkeling, surfing w/e. Whats wrong with picking a dental school in an area you enjoy?

I went to undergrad at UCSD, and school was definetely tough at times, BUT the fact that I was living in SD really made my life easier and a lot more enjoyable. When I did get free time I could go hiking, surfing, tons of things to do. My love for SD made it easier to deal with the stresses of school. It gave me a great balance. I really enjoyed all of my undergrad regardless of how tough my academic load was. That initial comfort you claimed really never wore off...and it made my life a lot better.

I know dental school is going to be hard, I know its going to be time consuming, that is the reason why location is an even more important factor for me. When I finally do get time off, I can really enjoy myself and have a release. Furthermore I won't have the added stress of being stuck somewhere when I'd rather be elsewhere..

Your statements were contradictory. First you say location doesn't matter because you will adapt and be happy anyways. Then you say happiness is not important because you'll be stressed from dental school regardless...so why bother adapting then? Just go somewhere where you'll be miserable it'll all be the same!

This is the last time I'm going address this issue, I think I made stance very clear. Regardless, people choose dental schools based on w/e criteria they feel is important, nobody has the right to discredit their reasons. In the end, I guess people just have different philosophies in life. For me its not just about the final destination but the journey as well...
 
Last edited:
being able to balance stress and work is ESSENTIAL in dental school - whether it be bar hopping, or birdwatching, your hobbies will help you cope with the inevitable stress that comes with dental school. Same goes for, I dunno, THE REST OF YOUR LIFE? obviously location plays a factor (i would be miserable in buffalo weather)

dentalWorks, if you are expecting on being a hardass for 4 more years, and continue that trend for the rest of your life, then i feel sorry for you
 
Does nova incorporate research in their 4 year curriculum or is it more clinically based. I know they have MS in dentistry program where you can get research experience, but thats outside of the 4 year curriculum..anyone know more about the school's focus?

Thankss!
 
pinkpari27 said:
Does nova incorporate research in their 4 year curriculum or is it more clinically based. I know they have MS in dentistry program where you can get research experience, but thats outside of the 4 year curriculum..anyone know more about the school's focus?

Thankss!
Click to expand...

Definitely clinical based. You are not required to do any research, but there will be opportunities to do so if you are interested.
 
yuppers said:
Definitely clinical based. You are not required to do any research, but there will be opportunities to do so if you are interested.
Click to expand...

Thanks! does anyone know how well nova dental students do on clinical boards? I'm trying to find out more about the clinical experience at nova.
 
pinkpari27 said:
Thanks! does anyone know how well nova dental students do on clinical boards? I'm trying to find out more about the clinical experience at nova.
Click to expand...

For the boards: I'm sure they do fine, but it's really up to the extra effort you put in. The difference between the some of the top scoring schools and the bottom scoring schools may only be a point or two anyway.
About the clinical experience: this is one of the things that really big for me as well. And I'll say what many DSs will say, "you get what you put in". I try looking if research is mandatory, how early into clinic, sim labs, etc. The one problem with Nova may be the chair issue, but they are trying to compensate for the lack of chairs by sending students to offsite clinics.
 
I'm not dental student rather pharmacy student at nova and one of the unique things about nova southeastern health profession division is that it feels like a hospital at least initally because which other school do you guys know of that has dental, opt, medical, pharmacy, nurse, and anesthesia assistant students all in the same building. Of course we don't all take the same class well for dental, opt, med, pharm the 1st year are all very similar u take the basic science classes again with some minor difference between each profession. The NSU health profession division is also very deep into professionalism. The only bad thing is the food sucks lol. Oh yeh the dental student's clinic is very nice and new, i was taken a shock when i went for my pharm interview and walked around to see how nice the dental clinics are.
 
ok here we go.....after reading all this I feel I need to give my input

I have a choice between Creighton in NE or Nova in Ft. Lauderdale. We are talking about complete opposite in weather. I checked the weather on my phone today for Omaha and it was 12 degrees EEK lol. But I am putting weather and location aside and looking into it further and realizing that a Creighton education is a pretty good one. They don't have specialties at the school therefore the students are performing all the complicated cases. Thats a plus because I believe we would all want to graduate a more competent and confident dentist. I have been down to Nova four times now and I can honestly say the location is amazing. We are all going into a war zone our first years so we might as well enjoy the times we have off. My friend goes there right now and she is D1. She loves it....she spent a week in Key West in dental school???? Who can say that? Now I can only speak for myself and my ultimate goal is too graduate a competent dentist. On the contrary I have heard some bad things about Nova. Its known as a slacker school. It has a shoddy education etc. etc. But that aside its important not to get involved in the politics at the end of the day you'll be called Dr. Sooo what I am trying to say is go where it makes you happy and only you know yourself best. For me I was raised in Fl and idk what it will be like to live somewhere cold. Who knows I might end up choosing Creighton but as far as I am concerned do whats best for you in the best case scenario....Good luck everyone 🙂
 
jroque3313 said:
ok here we go.....after reading all this I feel I need to give my input

I have a choice between Creighton in NE or Nova in Ft. Lauderdale. We are talking about complete opposite in weather. I checked the weather on my phone today for Omaha and it was 12 degrees EEK lol. But I am putting weather and location aside and looking into it further and realizing that a Creighton education is a pretty good one. They don't have specialties at the school therefore the students are performing all the complicated cases. Thats a plus because I believe we would all want to graduate a more competent and confident dentist. I have been down to Nova four times now and I can honestly say the location is amazing. We are all going into a war zone our first years so we might as well enjoy the times we have off. My friend goes there right now and she is D1. She loves it....she spent a week in Key West in dental school???? Who can say that? Now I can only speak for myself and my ultimate goal is too graduate a competent dentist. On the contrary I have heard some bad things about Nova. Its known as a slacker school. It has a shoddy education etc. etc. But that aside its important not to get involved in the politics at the end of the day you'll be called Dr. Sooo what I am trying to say is go where it makes you happy and only you know yourself best. For me I was raised in Fl and idk what it will be like to live somewhere cold. Who knows I might end up choosing Creighton but as far as I am concerned do whats best for you in the best case scenario....Good luck everyone 🙂
Click to expand...

You say you are putting whether and location aside, yet you mention it several times later in the same paragraph.:laugh: You have to do what feels right and according to your all your posts lately, it sounds like you are leaning towards Creighton.
BTW, you mention Nova is a slacker school in many of your posts... that is the fault of the students not the school. But it is funny how a "slacker school" with "shoddy education" is producing students that do well on the boards. just my 2 cents.
 
yuppers said:
You say you are putting whether and location aside, yet you mention it several times later in the same paragraph.:laugh: You have to do what feels right and according to your all your posts lately, it sounds like you are leaning towards Creighton.
BTW, you mention Nova is a slacker school in many of your posts... that is the fault of the students not the school. But it is funny how a "slacker school" with "shoddy education" is producing students that do well on the boards. just my 2 cents.
Click to expand...


It can be the schools fault to a certain extent. If students are able to slack off and study the night before for exams it likely means two things: 1) The tests aren't hard enough, or they are too much alike the previous tests that are available to all the students. 2) Nova may teach a little bit too much to the test (NBDE).

So I don't think it's just the students' faults - It's probably both the students' and the school's faults.
 
Ryltar said:
It can be the schools fault to a certain extent. If students are able to slack off and study the night before for exams it likely means two things: 1) The tests aren't hard enough, or they are too much alike the previous tests that are available to all the students. 2) Nova may teach a little bit too much to the test (NBDE).

So I don't think it's just the students' faults - It's probably both the students' and the school's faults.
Click to expand...

1) Sure some students study for a night before the test and do fine, but some study much more and do great. It is the students who study more that do great and get the high class rank.
2)A DS is supposed to prepare a student didactically and clinically. The quality of this didactic education is measured by the NBDE (in addition to other things). So if Nova prepares the students for the NBDE and the students strive to learn as much as they then that is all that is important.

But I do agree with you that it is actually both parties fault... in my previous post I meant to say it is more so the students' fault. Students should strive to learn as much as they can and go beyond just the school is teaching. But the school should definitely challenge the students to do so.
 
gorgeous dental chicas there
 
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