Anyone from UMDNJ or Stony Brook?

[DentPursuer88]

Just out of curiosity, anyone familiar with UMDNJ and STONY BROOK? Can you give me some pros/cons about both? Thank you....

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[fightingspirit]

Just out of curiosity, anyone familiar with UMDNJ and STONY BROOK? Can you give me some pros/cons about both? Thank you....

stony brook here.


tuition is ridiculously cheap. nothin is paid out of pocket.
small class size ensures amazing faculty-student ratio.
suburban so no distractions
very medically oriented curriculum, they truly excpet you to be an oral physician, and not just a high-skilled glorified technician.
basic science classes at medical school so you get the real deal
great faculty
clinic starts early! i am seeing my very first patient in the middle of november and i am just a D2 still in the first semester!

having said that, stony brook is not for everyone. the small class full of stressed out sleep deprived ultra-smart kids can be a bit, well, clostrophobic and tense. also, you need a heart of stone to deal with the extremely rigorous curriculum. if you're from the city, you might feel a bit different there. in your second year, classes are from 8 to 5 literally, with one hour lunch break that is usually not a break but a time to hit the preclinic lab a bit or meet up with your mentor or make an important phone call. after classes, you have to study. second year has 23 classes. it is so much like being on chemotherapy for thyroid cancer. you basically get a large dose of extreme exam preparation every week, as there is an exam every week. the fatigue you experience is like the one due to weekly dose of thyrotoxin...

as far as UMDNJ, i know nothing.

 

[DentPursuer88]

hey fightingspirit, thanks for the reply. What were your stats when you got accepted? Did you have a BA/BS degree? Also were you in-state? As for me I currently live in Arizona, but I am moving back to NJ to continue my undergraduate courses. I was thinking about applying to UMDNJ because I would be a resident, as for stony brook, it could be a drive away, and TUITION would be great. I would like to be as close to NO debt as possible, even though that's impossible. But I would like some more info on both schools. Thanks for the help!

 

[wigglytooth]

stony brook here.


tuition is ridiculously cheap. nothin is paid out of pocket.
small class size ensures amazing faculty-student ratio.
suburban so no distractions
very medically oriented curriculum, they truly excpet you to be an oral physician, and not just a high-skilled glorified technician.
basic science classes at medical school so you get the real deal
great faculty
clinic starts early! i am seeing my very first patient in the middle of november and i am just a D2 still in the first semester!

having said that, stony brook is not for everyone. the small class full of stressed out sleep deprived ultra-smart kids can be a bit, well, clostrophobic and tense. also, you need a heart of stone to deal with the extremely rigorous curriculum. if you're from the city, you might feel a bit different there. in your second year, classes are from 8 to 5 literally, with one hour lunch break that is usually not a break but a time to hit the preclinic lab a bit or meet up with your mentor or make an important phone call. after classes, you have to study. second year has 23 classes. it is so much like being on chemotherapy for thyroid cancer. you basically get a large dose of extreme exam preparation every week, as there is an exam every week. the fatigue you experience is like the one due to weekly dose of thyrotoxin...

as far as UMDNJ, i know nothing.

Thanks for your reply, too! So with all of the sleep deprivation and stress, do you guys still get along? Because it's so small is there any time to be slightly anonymous (you know, as a break)? I'm interviewing there this Friday and have heard only good things. It's pretty close to home too. I just don't know about the class size/dynamic because right now I go to a big school. High school was relatively small though... hmmmmm. Yeah your thoughts on that would be helpful Thanks!

 

[Streetwolf]

I'm a D1 at SB so of *course* I'm looking forward to next year... haha.

First year has been great so far. Everything fightingspirit said is true. Most of my classmates are really cool and I'd say I've made about 10-15 good friends, though everyone is really nice.

I did spend some time at UMDNJ during their Gateway to Dentistry program. I would like to comment that their new clinics are really good. From what I gathered it looks like you will get a solid education there. I chose not go there for a few reasons but a big one was that there was all that corruption going on a couple years ago. I'm from NJ and anyone who read the papers back then would probably know about it.

 

[DeeEmDee]

I had a cousin who graduated from UMDNJ. He had a lot of horror stories about cheating, sadistic instructors, and more cheating. That made me cross NJ off my list, even though I'm a state resident.

 

[DentPursuer88]

hey streetwolf. I am moving from AZ to NJ in about 8 months. Do you live around NY now, or do you dorm in Stony Brook? How did it work out for you?

Anyone else have any information on the school? Has anyone actually visited these schools and checked it out besides just going on hearsay. Thanks

 

[Streetwolf]

I live in Lake Grove which is about 5-10 minutes from SB depending on traffic and the traffic lights.

Just search craigslist and keep an eye out for emails once you get placed on your class's listserv (over summer). Lots of students in the years above you will have offers for places to live that are close by.

There's also the option of living in grad housing. They give you two to choose from. From what I've heard they aren't bad, but I recommend living off campus.

 

[toothbud5]

I had a cousin who graduated from UMDNJ. He had a lot of horror stories about cheating, sadistic instructors, and more cheating. That made me cross NJ off my list, even though I'm a state resident.

UMDNJ is a top class dental school from my experience. very good clinical experience as compared to what many of my friends in other dental schools are getting. most of the faculty is awesome, some you can always ignore and choose not to work with. overall it is firstclass in my book.they are very strict now after the recent cheating accidents, but that is just somting that can happen to any school, it doenst necessarily scald the reputaiton of the school.
the only downside is the area, but u can beat it by living on campus or to a better area a little further up.

 

[DentPursuer88]

toothbud, do you think it will be worth it to go to UMDNJ(if i get accepted) rather than stony brook( if i get accepted)? Why or Why not? What if I think about specializing? Which is a better school to continue on? I obviously want to go to a school which can be at the lowest tuition for me. I don't want to walk out of school with a high debt. But I take account all in all( housing, food, gas, accessories) added to my tuition. I will live with my dad if I go to UMDNJ. He lives in Hackensack. What do you think is a better option? Please, anyone feel free to comment or give advice.

 

[toothbud5]

toothbud, do you think it will be worth it to go to UMDNJ(if i get accepted) rather than stony brook( if i get accepted)? Why or Why not? What if I think about specializing? Which is a better school to continue on? I obviously want to go to a school which can be at the lowest tuition for me. I don't want to walk out of school with a high debt. But I take account all in all( housing, food, gas, accessories) added to my tuition. I will live with my dad if I go to UMDNJ. He lives in Hackensack. What do you think is a better option? Please, anyone feel free to comment or give advice.

I dunt know much about stony brook , so cant really compare but I can tell you you wudnt regret going to UMDNJ.

 

[sinned]

I dunt know much about stony brook , so cant really compare but I can tell you you wudnt regret going to UMDNJ.

at UMDNJ you see your first clinic patient for Complete Dentures 4 weeks into your 2nd year and full clinics towards the end of your second year...

 

[DentPursuer88]

Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeettttttttt@!!!

 

[Streetwolf]

at UMDNJ you see your first clinic patient for Complete Dentures 4 weeks into your 2nd year and full clinics towards the end of your second year...

Stony you start seeing patients very late October 2nd year. They'll start you off with the simpler cases but you work your way up. I think that 2nd years have clinic once a week. Maybe more later on, idk. I'm only D1.

Just to make you more confused about where to go

 

[DentPursuer88]

lol thanks wolf...i appreciate all your help....i hope i can get more feedback from people who actually go to these schools. Please keep me up to date at alll times...thanks guys!