Advice on Choosing a Dental School to Attend...

[Sassygirljp]

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Hi everyone... I need some advice.

I was accepted to Medical College of Georgia, University of Alabama at Birmingham, University of Maryland and University of North Carolina. My state school in MCG. I've listed all of the pro's and con's of each school. And I am still stuck! I think each school offers great things in different categories. If you have any feedback on any of the schools listed, I will listen. I just want to make the best decision...

Thanks so much....and congratulations to all of the future dentists!!!!🙂

 

[Mackchops]

If you ignore the cost of each school do you have a favorite? Is there a clear winner? An obvious loser? If not, then go where school will be the cheapest.

 

[Sassygirljp]

Ignoring the cost of each school, Maryland and North Carolina are the favorites. Considering the cost, it's between UAB and MCG because both will cost me about the same. Between those two, I am leaning towards UAB.

On one hand, I know I have to consider cost of attendance. But on the other hand, I am trying to decide whether overall reputation of the school outweighs the cost factor.

 

[Mackchops]

Reputation means absolutely zilch. Go for experience. Go for expense. Go because you like the shiny toys at one school more than another. But what do you get out of reputation? Nothing.

I can't help specifically with those schools because I didn't interview at any of them. How much more are UMB and UNC? What do you like about UMB and UNC (cost aside) that you don't get with the other two? What are you looking to get out of your dental education -- solid clinical skills? Broad exposure (outreach, clinical rotations, research, etc)? Do you want to specialize?

 

[Sassygirljp]

UMB and UNC will double the cost for me to attend the school (add'l $100K). UMB offers a broader patient base because of it's location and they have all of the new shiny toys. This appeared to set them apart from the the schools. UNC offers a diverse student body and 40% of the students go on to specialize. I am looking to obtain a great clinical schools, which I think I get get at all of the schools. It is important for me to be able to do research and clinical rotations. I would like to specialize in ortho (but I understand that this may change based on my experience in dental school and through rotations).

 

[Sassygirljp]

By the way, I appreciate your responses.... 🙂

 

[7 Iron]

I've heard from many people who say the same thing... go where it is cheapest. Right now it's easy to think: "dental school will be expensive, so who cares if this other school is 100k more expensive? I'm still taking lots of loans." This is flawed logic. If you can save $100,000 in tuition costs, you could keep up to $200,000 in your pocket (that would have gone to principal and interest). That amount of money goes a long way toward a house or a practice!

 

[Osity]

I've heard from many people who say the same thing... go where it is cheapest. Right now it's easy to think: "dental school will be expensive, so who cares if this other school is 100k more expensive? I'm still taking lots of loans." This is flawed logic. If you can save $100,000 in tuition costs, you could keep up to $200,000 in your pocket (that would have gone to principal and interest). That amount of money goes a long way toward a house or a practice!

I agree 100% with 7 iron. I think you go where its cheapest. I was going through a similar decision, and eventually it came down to cost. Any of those schools will provide you with a great education, but mcg and uab will save you a ton of money in the end.

 

[Maygyver]

I would have to agree. If a certain school doesn't really stand out to you like "Ah, I want to go here 100%", then money is a great deciding factor. If you were really set on one school, I wouldn't say don't go because of money, but when you are pretty ambivalent about where to go, I would then factor money in. Good luck on your decision.

 

[Sassygirljp]

Thanks for the responses. It's logical, simple and makes sense. I really appreciate it. It seems like such a hard decision when you are right in the middle of it....

 

[bigstix808]

Thanks for the responses. It's logical, simple and makes sense. I really appreciate it. It seems like such a hard decision when you are right in the middle of it....

not sure how going to UAB and MCG could cost you about the same (assuming you're a GA res) but anyway ...

augusta is not the best city, but school is great ... and we're moving into the new one come July!

 

[ChrisV5]

Hey! I was wondering if you could perhaps share with me(on here or private message) what your scores and gpa was. UMD is my first choice so i'm trying to find out what i need to get in 🙂

Anyway goodluck picking your college!

 

[beeho]

cost is a big deciding factor.

other things to look into: what getting patients for clinic does the school staff get the patients for you or do you have to go out into the community and find patients yourselves? you'd be surprised to find out how many schools make you go out on your own.

assistance with school: as in, what resources are available should you need help in a course? do they provide tutors? are the professors, in general, very helpful to create an environment for success? do they provide counseling, etc.

how were you treated when you visited the schools? some schools were probably very nice and some could have put you off.

what's the size of each entering class? professor to student ratio?

at my school: we don't have to worry about getting patients, there are plenty of resources to help us in our classes, the professors (except for just one) are very very nice and professional, and when i interviewed there they were by far the nicest to me. Also, we have a small class of just 58 students. with the smaller class, you get to know everybody and you can certainly get more attention/help from faculty.

 

[Maygyver]

Hey! I was wondering if you could perhaps share with me(on here or private message) what your scores and gpa was. UMD is my first choice so i'm trying to find out what i need to get in 🙂

Anyway goodluck picking your college!

www.predents.com Also, just do you best. If I tell you that you only need a 17AA to get in, are you going to try less than if I said you needed a 20AA or X GPA?