Advice on U. Pitt....

[MINI430]

Hey Guys,

I'm guessing this question would be great for the students in dental school. What are the pro and cons of U. Pitt. dental school. What do like and don't like about the school? I just got off the waitlist today (3/16/04) and very excited about my acceptance! I plan to come up early April for another visit. I am currently still waitlisted at NYU and BU and wondering should I still consider them if they offer me acceptance. Until then, thanks for the information and assistance!

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[lnn2]

Congrats

It depends on what you want to get out of it, really. There're also many other factors involved such as housing, traffic, entertainment places around/in the city, cost of living & tuitions... to name a few.

Pitt is known for an excellent Oral Surgery Program, good clinical reputation... (or so I heard ) and a very good ratio of instructors to students in pre-clinic and clinic
Personally, I would take NYU out of the list (no offense )

Because things are always looking very good on postcards, the best way to find out is spending time at the school(s); check out AS MUCH AS you can about the school and the city itself; talk to dental students, 1st through 4th yr, ask for their honest (no bs) opinions about the school, professors, students, requirements for graduation....
most importantly: ask yourself that can you see yourself spending the next 4yrs there! some students love it, some are fine with it, some hate it (with a passion )

If you plan on living on campus, fill out an application for Ruskin Hall (housing for health professional students only, Meds and Dents) because there's a waiting list. It's 15minutes walking distance to school; bus stops are 1/2 block from the apt. Parking is a b***h though, $50-$100 per month. Stay away from Oak Hill apt, Hill districts.

Hope it helps

 

[MINI430]

Hey Inn2,

Wow! Thanks for the helpful advice. Are you from the Pittsburgh area? I plan to go visit mid April with my dad to get a feel for the campus again since my interview. Anymore information would be great!

 

[lnn2]

yes, I'm a DS3.

here're some more things you might want to know:

regarding dental patients, your instructor (module leader) will assign enough patients to you. You don't have to go out to the community to find your own patients.
If you're willing to spend time in clinic, treat your patients with care and respect then you most likely won't have to worry about getting your requirements done! you may even receive gifts from your patients . I'm almost half way there with the requirements. Of course, luck is always a part of it. I have patients who need 4-6 crowns, 2-3 root canals... There're patients who schedule an appointment and then no call, no show, reschedule and then do the same thing again and again. Some patients came in for treatments and never pay the fees after tx so you can't treat them anymore.

most of the dental students, lab techs, instructors, and professors are friendly and helpful; of course, there're always exceptions! some classes are more competitive than others. average acceptance GPA, DAT are higher every year, so is tuition.:mad

Minimum passing overall GPA per semester is 2.5 Most professors and instructors provide printed notes for their lectures. Some are very good at presenting the materials, easy to understand. Some are just so you're pretty much study on your own. DS1 1st semester about 20credits, 2nd about 28credits, some classes are half semester.

enjoy your free time now as much as you can, good luck with the incoming semester

 

[MINI430]

Hey Inn2,

I hope all is well with you! Wow you are so informative with your replies. I have a couple questions:

Do you feel there are enough patients for each student to gain competency in each particular dental procedure?

What was your reason for attending U. Pitt.? For me I particularly like the small class size of 80 and the warmth of the professors.

Looking over my interview packet I didn?t see anything about the vital book DVD program. I?m guess all the course materials are available in traditional book form.

Also, is acceptance to U. Pitt. more competitive compared to other schools such as NYU, BU, and Marquette?

I really appreciate your assistance and look forward to your reply!

 

[lnn2]

hey Mini430,

thank you!

there're more than enough patients for each student to gain competency in each particular dental procedure, especially restoratives (amalgams, composites) and extractions. Some other procedures are much less than restoratives such as Endo (not too many people want to have a root canal!) and crowns (due to costs)
You'll have more patients than you can schedule, granted that they'll show up!

Pitt is also one of the very few dental schools which have an implantology dept.

all courses are in traditional book form.

I don't know the current stats of Pitt's acceptance vs others so I can't answer your question. I think "competitive" depends mainly on the number of applicants each yr vs class size. But who really cares? for me, get in, stay in & absorb as much as I can, get out

btw, final exam wk is 4/19 -4/23, semester break 4/23 - 5/1