Bu

DATBooster | The Ultimate DAT Resource
This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
G

glassbowl

Full Member
10+ Year Member
Joined
Nov 6, 2011
Messages
16
Reaction score
0
Members do not see this ad.
I was reading some not so nice things online about the BU dental program. Things that have to do with not having enough patients and students not really getting enough experience. Could anyone shed light on this?
 
There's too much risk involved in attending BU and why I withdrew my application. Why spend all that money if you can't be clinically competent? What happens if you need to find a job as an associate--who the hell is going to hire a BU grad?

Whether these BU bashing and/or defending posts are legitimate or not, there is just too much uncertainty and risk involved. I would rather go with a sure thing.
 
hail2pitt said:
Wow, amalgam, you seem like a completely different person now! haha
Click to expand...

Haha yeah. I don't go to BU, so I really have no room to bash them. I'll wait until I get accepted to a school first, before I voice my opinion. 😛
 
amalgamgrillz said:
Haha yeah. I don't go to BU, so I really have no room to bash them. I'll wait until I get accepted to a school first, before I voice my opinion. 😛
Click to expand...

I liked the old amalgamgrillz better. This version is too tame and uninspiring. Boring 😴
 
YoHomey said:
I liked the old amalgamgrillz better. This version is too tame and uninspiring. Boring 😴
Click to expand...

LOL someone messaged me and said my as*hole posts weren't even mildly entertaining like YoHomey. So, I guess there's only room for one ego 🙁. Title is yours, champ. Do us proud.
 
amalgamgrillz said:
LOL someone messaged me and said my as*hole posts weren't even mildly entertaining like YoHomey. So, I guess there's only room for one ego 🙁. Title is yours, champ. Do us proud.
Click to expand...

I think this is kinda weird.
The hundreds of other post of people telling you this didn't change you?
I just saw like twenty consecutive post of you being nice and helpful to people. WTH?????
Someone hit a soft spot I guess.

Personally, I believe this is fake as can be and I would prefer the a-hole amalgam
 
Baker2010 said:
I think this is kinda weird.
The hundreds of other post of people telling you this didn't change you?
I just saw like twenty consecutive post of you being nice and helpful to people. WTH?????
Someone hit a soft spot I guess.

Personally, I believe this is fake as can be and I would prefer the a-hole amalgam
Click to expand...

Haha, posts don't faze me. It just gets downright personal when someone takes the time to private message you! I'll try to up the a-holeness, though, just for you. You're a mean, mean, poopoo head.
 
Hey amalgam, did you have an NYU interview in October?


amalgamgrillz said:
Haha, posts don't faze me. It just gets downright personal when someone takes the time to private message you! I'll try to up the a-holeness, though, just for you. You're a mean, mean, poopoo head.
Click to expand...
 
There needs to be balance. Amalgamgrillz provided that. You can't cave into peer pressure with all this brain washing that people do behind the scenes via PMs. If this board was all la la land, how lame would it be.

It's alright... just as the saying goes, you can take a person out of the ghetto, but you can't take the ghetto out of the person. So it should be a matter of time before the true Amalgam returns! 👍

And what's wrong with you Amalgam haters?! Don't try to fix what's not broken! 😡
 
Haven't things improved the last few years? I mean I thought schools had to be re-accredited every 6 years or something and BU had to improve to maintain this accreditation? lol I don't know if I dreamed this up but I thought I remembered reading that on here somewhere.
 
Is there anything positive about the school? If it ends up being the only place I'm accepted to, I'd need justification for that price tag. Or is the only justification a DMD diploma?
 
glassbowl said:
Is there anything positive about the school? If it ends up being the only place I'm accepted to, I'd need justification for that price tag. Or is the only justification a DMD diploma?
Click to expand...

If you are worried about their clinical program, then apply for a General practice residency (GPR) after graduating. This gives you an extra year to master your hand skills.

BU is still an accredited school, and you will still receive the DMD.
 
AlbinoPolarBear said:
If you are worried about their clinical program, then apply for a General practice residency (GPR) after graduating. This gives you an extra year to master your hand skills.

BU is still an accredited school, and you will still receive the DMD.
Click to expand...

I guess. But I'm not down with paying patients to come in as budentite pointed out. I think that's just ridiculous.
From all this, I'm worried about the quality of education there compared to other schools.
 
glassbowl said:
Is there anything positive about the school? If it ends up being the only place I'm accepted to, I'd need justification for that price tag. Or is the only justification a DMD diploma?
Click to expand...

A lot of negative feelings floating around about BU but I don't care what anyone says. Who knows if they are rumors or if they are actually true.

I believe what I see with my own eyes and I will attend the interview (if I get one) and judge for myself.
 
glassbowl said:
I guess. But I'm not down with paying patients to come in as budentite pointed out. I think that's just ridiculous.
From all this, I'm worried about the quality of education there compared to other schools.
Click to expand...

I'm sure BU will get you where you need to be with becoming a dentist. Just make the most of what is given to you. Don't share cases or patients with your classmates, and just look out for yourself in d-school.
 
ya... when i interviewed there i asked the student tourguides and my interviewer about the patient competition... doesn't seem to be an issue in their eyes but who knows :/ some students even said they were inundated with patients and wished they could give some away
 
When I interviewed at BU I was impressed with how realistic the students were. They mostly focused on how happy they were with the environment, and the relationships they had developed with faculty. When asked difficult questions they tended to look at each other and laugh a bit, but then they seemed forward and honest. As a student admissions representative for my undergraduate school, I've had these moments as well. There are certainly things wrong with my school, but I would still highly recommend the experience here. I asked specifically about getting patients, and they said that, yes, there were times when patients could be sparse, but that only those who sat around and whined about it didn't find enough to graduate. They mentioned how important it was to be proactive. It may have been a scapegoat argument, but they also mentioned how being proactive about your patient pool was a skill you would need as a GP. Overall, I felt very comfortable there. It sucks that some have badmouthed it so badly, because it really turned me off going into the interview. Luckily I think the interview day was so welcoming that I came out with a positive perspective. It could have all been a horse and pony show, though, so who knows. After all, no school is going to tell you the truth when it sucks.
 
itsallabout18 said:
When I interviewed at BU I was impressed with how realistic the students were. They mostly focused on how happy they were with the environment, and the relationships they had developed with faculty. When asked difficult questions they tended to look at each other and laugh a bit, but then they seemed forward and honest. As a student admissions representative for my undergraduate school, I've had these moments as well. There are certainly things wrong with my school, but I would still highly recommend the experience here. I asked specifically about getting patients, and they said that, yes, there were times when patients could be sparse, but that only those who sat around and whined about it didn't find enough to graduate. They mentioned how important it was to be proactive. It may have been a scapegoat argument, but they also mentioned how being proactive about your patient pool was a skill you would need as a GP. Overall, I felt very comfortable there. It sucks that some have badmouthed it so badly, because it really turned me off going into the interview. Luckily I think the interview day was so welcoming that I came out with a positive perspective. It could have all been a horse and pony show, though, so who knows. After all, no school is going to tell you the truth when it sucks.
Click to expand...

Yeah, it's hard to really get a good feel for a school from students in that case. No matter how much I disliked certain aspects of my undergrad, I can't exactly voice my opinion with absolute honesty because:

1) I'm a selected representative for the school, so I'm pretty much obligated to put everything nicely...even the bad parts need to be sugar coated

2) I'm a student here, so I'm damn well going to make it seem like best thing out there since ribbed condoms. I would even go as far as to say the dog crap on the lawn smells than the dog crap at another school.

So, whenever someone raises legitimate concerns about a professional program (bitter or not), I would do some thorough investigating about these claims...especially if you have multiple offers to attend other schools.
 
If anyone has any specific questions to ask, feel free to PM me.

I'll answer a few general questions on here.

The problems with BU have been so severely over exaggerated on SDN. People keep bringing up the posts from budentite. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that he was obviously pissed off about something. The guy bumped threads that were over a year old just to bash BU. There have been other current students on here that have refuted what he's said.

With that said, some of the things he's said were true, but not to the extent he was trying to portray.

- Does BU have people that don't graduate on time? Absolutely... there are always people that leave their requirements to the last minute or people that put in no effort to get patients. There's also the issue of patients canceling. There are also people that are finished in the fall semester of their senior year because they are proactive. This happens at almost every school.

- Do students have to pay patients? I have yet to talk to a 3rd of 4th year that has paid a patient. I'm sure there are students that do, especially for the NERB exam. Once again, it's usually the people that are doing their best to catch up on their requirements that resort to paying patients so they can graduate on time.

- Do you graduate without doing a root canal? This is laughable. BU wouldn't be accredited if they graduated students without knowing how to do them. If you sit back and wait for a patient with a root canal to fall on your lap, you're probably going to get screwed. Do you see a trend here? There are 3rd years that have already done root canals.

- Last but not least, I keep reading on here that you won't be clinically competent if you graduate from BU. I'm not sure how that generalization came about (I'm guessing it had to do with BUdentite's rants). Every individual is different. There are students who live in lab and clinic that refine their skills. There are also students that show up to do the bare minimum. There will be certain individuals that will require a GPR. There will also be certain individuals that are confident in their skills and join a practice right out of school. There are those that try very hard and just don't have the hand skills yet. There are also those students that pick up on it very easily and quickly. The above holds true for any school. There were also over 10 students last year that matched into specialties. The upperclassman I assisted during my first year is now in an oral surgery program in Fort Worth, TX. Last I remember, specialty programs don't accept incompetent students.

My advice is that if there is a cheaper school you get into, go ahead and go there. The biggest con about BU is the ridiculous pricetag that comes with the degree. Since people are paying out the ass, they expect everything to be handed to them on a silver platter from this school, and I won't argue with that. But I also don't have any sympathy for the students that put in zero effort and then expect a 120k starting salary right after school (trust me, there are definitely a few of those in every class including mine).

I hope this post has helped and if there are any questions, I will honestly answer them to my knowledge.
 
Thanks for the well written response, longhornpride. I'm really considering BU as my home for D-school! I knew that rant about root canals was BS.

Hope I get an invite soon!
 
This whole BU vs. The World argument is getting super old.

Personally, I would be extremely frustrated having to defend my school like that all the time. I'm sure it's not as bad as BUDentite says, and perhaps not as jolly as longhornpride puts it (my friends at BU share a mix of both views, but I have heard more personal views agreeing with BUDentite's perspective.) My D1 and D2 friends are really happy, my D4 friends are wishy-washy; perhaps they've improved the curriculum, and it's just bitter seniors there for now.

If you like BU and think its reputation is a myth, then go there. If you don't like BU and think its reputation is sketchy, then don't go there. Hopefully we all have choices on December 1st, where we can politely decline whatever school.
 
smthngintheway said:
Thanks for the well written response, longhornpride. I'm really considering BU as my home for D-school! I knew that rant about root canals was BS.

Hope I get an invite soon!
Click to expand...

I've spoken to a few BU students about this, and all said that you do root canals, but your competancy is on a fake tooth; also, the requirements for RC aren't rigorous, so you graduate, but aren't really 'proficient.' They said to think of it like this "Do I know how to do a root canal? Absolutely. Can I do a root canal successfully? 100% sure on a typodont. Am I comfortable doing a root canal on a real patient? Definitely not." All were OK with that because they plan to just get experience through residency programs anyway.
 
DentalGunner said:
I've spoken to a few BU students about this, and all said that you do root canals, but your competancy is on a fake tooth; also, the requirements for RC aren't rigorous, so you graduate, but aren't really 'proficient.' They said to think of it like this "Do I know how to do a root canal? Absolutely. Can I do a root canal successfully? 100% sure on a typodont. Am I comfortable doing a root canal on a real patient? Definitely not." All were OK with that because they plan to just get experience through residency programs anyway.
Click to expand...

Thus, BU is theoretically a 5-yr program. Wouldn't it be better just to attend a 4-yr program with no need for a GPR? Scratching my head.
 
Just throwing my thoughts into the ring: I really liked what I saw of BU and would be to attend. The students seemed like they would be fun to hang out with and like they were happy with the education they were receiving. The faculty was friendly, upbeat and welcoming.

TL,DR: I like BU.
 
JOoa0ky said:
In my humble opinion... a GPR should be mandatory for every state.
Click to expand...

I disagree. A GPR is simply throwing a dental student into hard cases, in a different setting and paying them less. You can essentially view your first year as a private practice dentist as a "GPR". Just because you're working with special needs/hospital cases/medically compromised patients during a GPR, it doesn't mean the clinical expectations are any different.

If you're pushed to excel during clinical requirements and exposed to a diverse patient pool during your DMD training, there should be no reason for you to need to do a GPR.

I guess during a GPR you are doing seminars and stuff, but really, I'm skeptical if doing more homework is going to make you a more competent dentist.
 
JOoa0ky said:
In my humble opinion... a GPR should be mandatory for every state.
Click to expand...

When I used to work with GPR residents last year at a clinic, they were not happy after a few months as they complained about working for peanuts and having nothing left over for paying bills, student loans, etc.
 
I'm copying and pasting an excerpt I posted on another thread as it will enlighten some regarding GPRs in regards to a BU clinical backup plan:

Note that not everyone can get accepted into a GPR program. You still have to apply and the selection will be based on GPA, reputation of school, ECs, etc. In fact, I worked at a clinic last year with 3 GPR residents. About 60 people applied for this program each year -- I know this because I was the one responsible for shredding all the apps after the review process. I peeked at everyone's resume, transcript, 2x2 photos, etc. And trust me there were a lot of impressive candidates from the Ivies and other reputable schools who applied, most of whom were rejected.

I hope everyone doesn't think it's just a matter of showing your driver's license lol.
 
YoHomey said:
I'm copying and pasting an excerpt I posted on another thread as it will enlighten some regarding GPRs in regards to a BU clinical backup plan:

Note that not everyone can get accepted into a GPR program. You still have to apply and the selection will be based on GPA, reputation of school, ECs, etc. In fact, I worked at a clinic last year with 3 GPR residents. About 60 people applied for this program each year -- I know this because I was the one responsible for shredding all the apps after the review process. I peeked at everyone's resume, transcript, 2x2 photos, etc. And trust me there were a lot of impressive candidates from the Ivies and other reputable schools who applied, most of whom were rejected.

I hope everyone doesn't think it's just a matter of showing your driver's license lol.
Click to expand...

I assume it's more heavily weighted on gpa since national board is now pass or fail. Do you know if they also look at your undergrad gpa?
 
YoHomey said:
I'm copying and pasting an excerpt I posted on another thread as it will enlighten some regarding GPRs in regards to a BU clinical backup plan:

Note that not everyone can get accepted into a GPR program. You still have to apply and the selection will be based on GPA, reputation of school, ECs, etc. In fact, I worked at a clinic last year with 3 GPR residents. About 60 people applied for this program each year -- I know this because I was the one responsible for shredding all the apps after the review process. I peeked at everyone's resume, transcript, 2x2 photos, etc. And trust me there were a lot of impressive candidates from the Ivies and other reputable schools who applied, most of whom were rejected.

I hope everyone doesn't think it's just a matter of showing your driver's license lol.
Click to expand...

One of the dental students at my interview said that you're pretty much guaranteed a GPR spot...as long as you're ok applying everywhere and willing to relocate to BFN.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

T
BU Dental Pass/fail requirement
Replies
1
Views
986
Mr.Smile12
Mr.Smile12
P
BU OHS vs. Marquette BMPD Program
Replies
3
Views
1K
OncePreDent
OncePreDent
P
BU OHS 2024-2025
Replies
10
Views
3K
spacedent
S
D
UNE vs BU
Replies
5
Views
1K
GoDental101
GoDental101
P
TUFTS VS BU
Replies
2
Views
1K
Mr.Smile12
Mr.Smile12
Top