anyone from midwest?

[tsu05]

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It seems like everone in this forum is from the east or west coast. All I see people talking about is Temple, UPenn, Columbia ... etc. Is anyone from the midwest? I plan on attending UMKC next year and was curious if anyone else had interviewed or is planning on attending there.

 

[heyitscyndi]

It seems like everone in this forum is from the east or west coast. All I see people talking about is Temple, UPenn, Columbia ... etc. Is anyone from the midwest? I plan on attending UMKC next year and was curious if anyone else had interviewed or is planning on attending there.

Hi, yes, I'm from the midwest and I'm also planning on attending UMKC. I am still a sophomore in college, but that is where I'd really like to go. I'm working with the school already on admissions. I went to their Dental student for a day last month.

 

[StL_to_Boston]

It seems like everone in this forum is from the east or west coast. All I see people talking about is Temple, UPenn, Columbia ... etc. Is anyone from the midwest? I plan on attending UMKC next year and was curious if anyone else had interviewed or is planning on attending there.

I am originally from St. Louis (now residing in Boston for school). I was accepted to UMKC for 2005 and am 99.9% sure I'm going. I already sent in my deposit...

 

[tsu05]

StL_to_Boston,

what made you come back to the midwest? What did you think of UMKC compared to other schools up there? I thought the clinical experience they offer, plus all the new technology they have is really amazing. Also, the people I talked to at that school seemed to have a bit more of a life than people at oh, say UConn, but they were still ranked top 5 (number 2 last year I think) in part 2 boards for the last 5 years.

heyitscyndi,

If you are a sophomore do you know about their reserve acceptance program? If not you should definitely call the admissions office and get the info. Good luck with the next few years, it is the best feeling in the world when it all pays off!!

 

[StL_to_Boston]

StL_to_Boston,

what made you come back to the midwest? What did you think of UMKC compared to other schools up there? I thought the clinical experience they offer, plus all the new technology they have is really amazing. Also, the people I talked to at that school seemed to have a bit more of a life than people at oh, say UConn, but they were still ranked top 5 (number 2 last year I think) in part 2 boards for the last 5 years.

Mostly financial reasons. Boston is just about the moxt expensive place on earth to live. I'm getting married in May and my new hubby and I will be looking forward to starting our life out in a city with a lower cost of living.

Also, tuition at UMKC is lower than BU. MUCH lower.

I liked the "team" methodology that UMKC offers. And the fact that all of their records are computerized.

My father went to UMKC also for dental school so I feel a bit of a connection in an emotional way as well.

Also, my family lives in St. Louis still so it will be nice to be just a few hours' drive away.

 

[atw24]

Mostly financial reasons. Boston is just about the moxt expensive place on earth to live. I'm getting married in May and my new hubby and I will be looking forward to starting our life out in a city with a lower cost of living.

Also, tuition at UMKC is lower than BU. MUCH lower.

I liked the "team" methodology that UMKC offers. And the fact that all of their records are computerized.

My father went to UMKC also for dental school so I feel a bit of a connection in an emotional way as well.

Also, my family lives in St. Louis still so it will be nice to be just a few hours' drive away.

I have an interview at UMKC in January. If I get in I will probably go there. Where in St. Louis does your family live. My wife and I live in St. Louis.

 

[Mayusea]

I'm from Columbia, Missouri and I go to MU. I'll be at UMKC as part of the class of 2009! 🙂

 

[BGDentist01]

Yeah, I am also from Columbia, MO and go to MU. I haven't decided on a school yet but I want to go to NYU (accepted already). I don't know if I should go to UMKC, although it is way way cheaper.

 

[lbennett]

If you want to practice in MO it doesn't matter which school you go to. If you are unsure of where you want to end up it's worth going to NYU, especially if your gut is leaning towards that anyway. I'm from StL also and am a senior at Penn right now and people i've spoken to at Penn Dental and beyond say that the school I go to does matter. You can network tons in NY from nyu. They also have some of the best specialty programs in the country and as a predoctoral student you can get your foot in the door. But then I talk to dentists at home and they all tell me to just go to UMKC. I didn't apply to umkc, so I can't, but hopefully this helps you a little bit, at least. Feel free to pm me if you want to discuss.... I'm deciding between nyu and tufts.

 

[msf41]

I'm from Topeka, KS and I think the midwest has some great schools. I know a lot of people here on SDN talk about the east coast schools, but from what I have seen at UMKC, Nebraska, Creighton, and Iowa there are some great opportunities to get a good dental education at the mid-west schools.

I've interviewed at UMKC, nebraska, creighton, and Iowa. NOt accepted anywhere yet. After visiting the schools I still don't have a clear favorite.

What school do you think is the best in the mid-west?

 

[StL_to_Boston]

I have an interview at UMKC in January. If I get in I will probably go there. Where in St. Louis does your family live. My wife and I live in St. Louis.

I didn't realize that UMKC did interviews that late. I was under the impression that they chose their class Dec. 1st and got most interviews done beforehand? I must have misunderstood...

I'd rather not say where I live in St. Louis on the open forum but feel free to send me a private message and we can talk 🙂

 

[StL_to_Boston]

If you want to practice in MO it doesn't matter which school you go to. If you are unsure of where you want to end up it's worth going to NYU, especially if your gut is leaning towards that anyway. I'm from StL also and am a senior at Penn right now and people i've spoken to at Penn Dental and beyond say that the school I go to does matter. You can network tons in NY from nyu. They also have some of the best specialty programs in the country and as a predoctoral student you can get your foot in the door. But then I talk to dentists at home and they all tell me to just go to UMKC. I didn't apply to umkc, so I can't, but hopefully this helps you a little bit, at least. Feel free to pm me if you want to discuss.... I'm deciding between nyu and tufts.

See, I beg to differ. I interviewed at both BU and UMKC and I thought UMKC had a much better program FOR ME. They have a "team" structure instead of a departmentalized structure. Their records are all computerized with a brand new system that was very well put together. BU has a larger class size (over 120 I think) and also at BU they have a program where foreign dentists can get an American degree so there are an additional 50 or so of those added on to the 120.

I think that every school has good connections and good networking. Every school turns out good dentists, if they didn't they'd get shut down.

Go where you'll be happy. I'll be happy in Kansas City. After living in Boston for 6 years and paying more for my apartment than my parents' mortgage, I think I'll enjoy the cost of living in Kansas City.

 

[grinningrice]

I was born and raised in Chicago. I also am getting my BA from Purdue in west lafayette In 👎

 

[lbennett]

i believe you misunderstood, I never said umkc is a lesser school than boston univ, or any other school for that matter. If you want to end up in MO or the midwest it's just as good as any other place. If you want to be in boston or new york or anywhere on the east coast they are more familiar with students from east coast schools and thus are more likely to hire you or accept you into their specialty programs. that's only what i've noticed throughout this process.

 

[Omahahahaha]

It seems like everone in this forum is from the east or west coast. All I see people talking about is Temple, UPenn, Columbia ... etc. Is anyone from the midwest? I plan on attending UMKC next year and was curious if anyone else had interviewed or is planning on attending there.

I had a really big problem with this last year. You're right, everything is NYU this.... or Tufts that...or should i go to USC or U of Pacific?

I always had a difficult time finding out information about the schools I was interested in. But hey, those of us that are here have to represent and post info for others. I try to post about the schools I am informed about and I hope the rest of you do the same.

The fact of the matter is that most people are from the east or west and they usually want to attend schools in their region of the country because they think their schools are the better than po-dunk midwest schools. But to be fair, I feel just the same the other way. I love the midwest and wouldn't care to be anywhere else.

 

[msf41]

Iowa, UMKC, and Nebraska all said that their board I and II exam scores were in the top 10 most years. That says they are pretty good schools to me.

 

[studylikemad]

Hi,
I also attend Truman State. Great school. Just waiting to hear about dental school as well.
QUOTE=tsu05]StL_to_Boston,

what made you come back to the midwest? What did you think of UMKC compared to other schools up there? I thought the clinical experience they offer, plus all the new technology they have is really amazing. Also, the people I talked to at that school seemed to have a bit more of a life than people at oh, say UConn, but they were still ranked top 5 (number 2 last year I think) in part 2 boards for the last 5 years.

heyitscyndi,

If you are a sophomore do you know about their reserve acceptance program? If not you should definitely call the admissions office and get the info. Good luck with the next few years, it is the best feeling in the world when it all pays off!![/QUOTE]

 

[Bullfan16]

Hey...as some of you might already know...I too am from Chicago...I would love to go to UIC (right now I will go to any school I am accepted to) as my father and uncle both attended dental school there. To be honest, however, of the few schools I have seen so far and interviewed at, I liked Indiana a lot. SIU is a great place and I would also love to go there.....but like I said I think IU is a great school. First, however, I have to get in. Ultimately, I would really like to stay here in the midwest...I dont care what kind of experience X school offers for post-grad opportunities as I could care less about specializing. Yes, you network a lot on the east and west coast, but I am sure you can network just as much in cities like Indianapolis, Chicago, Milwaukee, etc. Also, if you want to specialize and you know you want to...knowing people helps a bit...but ultimately the burden falls on your shoulders and in the end those who want to will do so...attending a particular school will not help you achieve this goal.

 

[Zurik5]

From St. Louis. Go to school in Chicago. Cardinals own.

 

[Pi__Guy1]

Born Creve Coeur, MO (St. Louis). Raised in Chicago and go to school at NYUCD. Loved the midwest b4 dental school, but after I got out of the midwest bubble, I want to live in the east or west coast! I really recommend using the 4 years of dental school to explore another city. Love Chicago to death, but nothing compares to the vitality of NYC. How bout them Bearsssssssss???????

 

[Comet208]

I live in St. Louis now b/c i am doing graduate work at Wash U (moved here from MA). Didnt apply to UMKC b/c i dont qualify but i likewhat they say on their website. St. Louis isnt too bad, granted i have not yet seen much of it as i spend most of my time on Wash U campuses. Too bad Wash U Dental school was closed in 1991 (ANYONE KNOWS WHY??). their med school is #2 in the country!!!

 

[lbennett]

WashU and a number of other great private schools (Northwestern included) had to close their dental schools because they could no longer fund the research required to keep the schools' reputations up. Without strong research there is lack of strong faculty... etc. It's a vicious cycle. Anyway, I think it's absurd. There's a shortage of dentists in this country and the primary goal of every institution should be to educate people especially where it's needed. They probably allocated the money that was going to the dental school to the med school to keep it at #2 in the country. I think Emory used to have one, as well. UMKC's class size has increased a lot in the past few years to compensate for the loss. There used to be a dental school at St.Louis Univ, too, though I think the post graduate programs are still intact there.

 

[Comet208]

thanks for the info. and this is very sad. Wash U has SO MUCH endowment that they dont know what to do with it. its not the school with the most endowment, but it is fairly off. you walk on the campus and see how much $$$ they have spent on certain stuff. i think the idea of closing a dental school due to lack of research money is a bit werid as their research facility is growing everyday. plus, in most cases, med and dental schools share faculty.. it was just matter of hiring adjuct faculty to teach the clinics. i am sure it must have been more complicated than this though.

btw: a lot of schools out there dont do much of research anyway... IU being one of them. it is surviving!

 

[Zurik5]

Slu has endo, ortho, and perio. All good programs. It’s sad that the city doesn’t have a DDS program, St. Louis is a great town.

 

[heyitscyndi]

StL_to_Boston,

what made you come back to the midwest? What did you think of UMKC compared to other schools up there? I thought the clinical experience they offer, plus all the new technology they have is really amazing. Also, the people I talked to at that school seemed to have a bit more of a life than people at oh, say UConn, but they were still ranked top 5 (number 2 last year I think) in part 2 boards for the last 5 years.

heyitscyndi,

If you are a sophomore do you know about their reserve acceptance program? If not you should definitely call the admissions office and get the info. Good luck with the next few years, it is the best feeling in the world when it all pays off!!

tsu05

Yes, I am actually working on my application right now. I'm so stressed out about it!! There are so many questions, I've already put a good 2 hours working on this thing and I'm not even about half way done. I just found out that I got a B in chemistry so now I don't have a 4.0 anymore. Do you think that is going to make a big difference? I'm just so nervous! Congradulations on being accepted!! 🙂

 

[tsu05]

tsu05

Yes, I am actually working on my application right now. I'm so stressed out about it!! There are so many questions, I've already put a good 2 hours working on this thing and I'm not even about half way done. I just found out that I got a B in chemistry so now I don't have a 4.0 anymore. Do you think that is going to make a big difference? I'm just so nervous! Congradulations on being accepted!! 🙂

UMKC has the most extensive secondary application I have seen from any school. Mine was about 10 pages long, and probably took more than 15 hours of work. They really like to get to know their applicants on a more personal level than just gpa and test scores. Make sure you do a lot of extracurriculars, community service, and shadowing and your gpa will not matter as much. Having a 4.0 can definitely get your application noticed, but it will not get you in if that is all you have.

 

[heyitscyndi]

Ok, so here's a question since you know what I'm going through with this application. How much did you end up writing for the application? I don't know if I'm not saying enough or not. I'm writing a good sized paragraph for each question, but do you think that I should be writing more than that?

Also, for the question about what have you done to improve your hand/eye coordination, I put that I play X-box. Is that silly? I mean, there are so many buttons on that controller that it takes alot of hand/eye coordination to do!

 

[tsu05]

Ok, so here's a question since you know what I'm going through with this application. How much did you end up writing for the application? I don't know if I'm not saying enough or not. I'm writing a good sized paragraph for each question, but do you think that I should be writing more than that?

Also, for the question about what have you done to improve your hand/eye coordination, I put that I play X-box. Is that silly? I mean, there are so many buttons on that controller that it takes alot of hand/eye coordination to do!

I would write as much as it takes to get your point accross. Trust me, they read every word of these. Its not the length that matters, but the content. If you are articulate and succinct, then a paragraph for each question is perfect. The hand/eye thing, just learn to sew and tell them you hem your own pants. 👍 I told them about how I have built a few custom PCs for people and have done a lot of work with car audio which involve delicate equipment. I think this is one of the most unimportant questions on the app. Hope that helps.

 

[StL_to_Boston]

Ok, so here's a question since you know what I'm going through with this application. How much did you end up writing for the application? I don't know if I'm not saying enough or not. I'm writing a good sized paragraph for each question, but do you think that I should be writing more than that?

Also, for the question about what have you done to improve your hand/eye coordination, I put that I play X-box. Is that silly? I mean, there are so many buttons on that controller that it takes alot of hand/eye coordination to do!

I'm not sure if x-box is the best answer 😉 (although I agree it takes plenty of hand/eye coordination)

Do you draw or paint? Do you like electronics or modeling or anything that has small parts? Play an instrument? Do calligraphy? Woodworking? There's gotta be something in those hands of yours besides x-box...

If it were me (and it was a few months ago - I filled out the giant quesitonaire too LOL) I wouldn't put video games. Too many people think they're "time wasters".

I play the piano and guitar. I also paint and do pottery (on a potter's wheel). These are the kinds of things I put down...

I also did an internship at a fashion magazine where I did professional makeup application for photo shoots. It doesn't have to be "artsy" it just has to be something someone would find interesting and "meaningful". I just don't think that x-box would be something that an adcom would find meaningful..

My $.02

 

[Mayusea]

I took a jewlery making class at the MU craft studio. That works well for manual dexterity questions because you saw, solder, and cast metals. Good Luck!

 

[heyitscyndi]

I'm not sure if x-box is the best answer 😉 (although I agree it takes plenty of hand/eye coordination)

Do you draw or paint? Do you like electronics or modeling or anything that has small parts? Play an instrument? Do calligraphy? Woodworking? There's gotta be something in those hands of yours besides x-box...

If it were me (and it was a few months ago - I filled out the giant quesitonaire too LOL) I wouldn't put video games. Too many people think they're "time wasters".

I play the piano and guitar. I also paint and do pottery (on a potter's wheel). These are the kinds of things I put down...

I also did an internship at a fashion magazine where I did professional makeup application for photo shoots. It doesn't have to be "artsy" it just has to be something someone would find interesting and "meaningful". I just don't think that x-box would be something that an adcom would find meaningful..

My $.02

Lol. That's not the only thing that I put down on the app. I also play the violin and do a little calligraphy. tsu05, that is a good idea to learn to sew. I should probably learn how to do that anyway!!

But thanx for the advice about the x-box. I really only play it because thats all my guy friends want to do on the weekends!

Is an adcom the interviewer?

 

[tsu05]

The interviews are all given one on one with a faculty member. Some of the faculty are on the adcom as well, some are not. Trust me, they are all very nice. It is not an easy interview, they ask a lot of tough ethical and hypothetical "character" type questions, but these are asked by all interviewers. They have a 3 page long list of questions they ask, and it is up to them how much they want to grill you. I had Dr. Elrod and we talked about baseball for like 10 minutes at the end (it was the playoffs at the time). If you check the interview feedback section you will find really good examples of the types of questions they ask. PM me if you want more details.

 

[tsu05]

anybody else interviewed or planning on attending UMKC?

 

[StL_to_Boston]

I got a "Happy Holidays" card from the folks at the UMKC Office of Student Programs.

I thought that was very sweet. A nice "family" atmosphere. 🙂

 

[Jaws]

I have just decided to pick UMKC. I really loved the fact that there was a strong family atmosphere at the school....it was not a cut-throat place like some of the other schools that I saw.

Oh...about the manual dexterity section...I mentioned that I played video games with my younger brothers. The interviewer said that he though that was halarious. 😀

 

[StL_to_Boston]

I have just decided to pick UMKC. I really loved the fact that there was a strong family atmosphere at the school....it was not a cut-throat place like some of the other schools that I saw.

Oh...about the manual dexterity section...I mentioned that I played video games with my younger brothers. The interviewer said that he though that was halarious. 😀

I've already sent my deposit to UMKC. I have an interview at SIU on the 5th of Jan. but they take so few out-of-staters a year it's sort of a long shot. That's the only acceptance that would make me think twice about UMKC.

 

[heyitscyndi]

Awesome, congrats on being accepted! I hope to see you all there in a year or so. I've got a question for ya. What did you put on the application about how you use critical thinking in everyday life? I'm trying to think of something creative but right now I've got nothing. That's pretty well the last question and then I'm done!!!! 👍 Well, except for the essay. Hope you guys have a Happy Holiday! Merry Christmas!!

 

[billiken10]

I am from Chicago, but I'm living presently in St. Louis (very near to Wash U.) after graduating from Saint Louis University. I agree that it is too bad St. Louis doesn't have a program. It would be a great town in which to study and live. But after 5 years, I'm ready to head home to Chitown... 😀

B10