Congratulations on your acceptance. I hope this can help you little bit.
Pros:
- Hands on with digital dentistry big time. We do most digital dentistry (digital impression, milled crowns, placing an implant by the pre-doc,etc). This was not so important before, because not many practice used to have CEREC or other digital stuff, but now tech has advanced alot and learning this + conventional method will make you appreciate dentistry more when you get out. It is moving fast into digital world.
- This can be bad and good. Renovation. School will be doing renovation and it will start to get new facilities etc, but I don't know when this is to be completed, because Im graduating this year.
- Didactic education is exceptional, especially removable prosthodontics. Second years learn to place implants and now it became a requirement to place implants I think.
- Clinical education. I personally feel very confident that BU prepares you well overall. I finished my 10 week externship and I felt that BU students were able to handle clinical problems very well. This is the most important part for me, because when you go out to real world, you are stuck with problems and you question yourself time to time, but I was able to apply lot of things I learned in school in clinical setting outside of school during my externship without any help at fourth year dental student level.
- Very hands on. It depends on faculties, but usually we can do complex cases most of the time. Its what you make out of it and how much you push yourself.
- Group practice. This could be hit or miss. It depends on what group you are in, because some group leaders are amazing and they push you to work hard. Some other group people have tough times.
Cons:
- # of chairs. This is my main concern. We share chairs with DMD III, IV and Advanced standing II students. I personally did not have chair issues, because school did good job with distributing students out on externship or rotations, but this seems to be the major cons that gets brought up from majority of people.
- Patient pool? It really depends. Some students are lucky with jackpot cases and some students are not lucky. I think this happens in every dental school. I have some trouble finding certain cases, but overall Im doing okay. Quite abit of my classmates finished requirements already to graduate.
- Renovation. School is shifting things here and there alot. But, this doesn't really apply to first and second year students because they spend most of time outside of clinic in lecture room or simulation center.
- Old simulation center. Bad thing is its just old and could be changed. Equipment doesn't make you better dentist. You have to work in whatever condition to become a good dentist.
- Not pass or fail. This is big. Makes you work hard if you want to specialize.
- Lack of vacation. School makes you do APEX in first year and school cut down winter break now in third and fourth year. This doesn't really matter because lot more worse things happen in dental school than getting a short break.
- Neighborhood and rent. South End Sucks. Period. with few exceptions.
I think I covered what I need to say. Likewise, its what you make out of dental school. You have to be lucky and you have to work hard. Some people may complain of their problems but that is only small sample size. If there are cheaper school, I would go cheaper school, cuz loan sucks. All schools teach you same thing mostly, some may teach you less, but BU does teach you enough to be a good dentist and we do digital. That is the Biggest selling point of BU. The number of digital case we do is not comparable to ANY other dental school in United States.
P.S Don't PM me. I will answer everything here.
