Buffalo or Columbia?

[ToothBlaster]

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I understand this has been done before, but as a NY state resident, a UPenn undergrad alumn, and someone who definitely wants to specialize, which school is the better option overall, Columbia vs Buffalo?
Because the way I see it:

Buffalo Pros:
Cheap
Good clinicals

Columbia Pros:
P/F/H (less stress)
NYC (location)
Close to home
High rate of Specializing
Status/Ivy League/Connections

 

[ToothBlaster]

Because I feel as though two top notch Ivy League diplomas in my office will really "wow" my patients haha

 

[UBDent19]

I seem to remember you saying you had already decided on Buffalo. Anyway, if cost isn't important, go to Columbia. If it is, go to Buffalo.👍

 

[flapaTron]

Columbia Pros:
P/F/H (less stress) <-- false, more stress
NYC (location) <-- yeah but you dont really get to experience the city much, plus washington heights is.....not the greatest neighborhood
Close to home
High rate of Specializing
Status/Ivy League/Connections [I]<-- subjective at best[/I]

it seems like being close to home is important to you as well.

 

[browncrack]

As crappy as dental school is, loan payments are worse. Go to Buffalo. If you absolutely need a big loan payment go to Buffalo and buy a fast car when you finish.

 

[kitejunky27]

i disagree with flapatron

sure having the H designation motivates people but i dont think its as stressful as having lettered grading.

Also I feel like I have definitely had plenty of chance to experience the city, though he is right in saying that washington heights is not exactly glamorous. A train and 1 train are super easy to get you to the fun stuff though.

 

[ToothBlaster]

Regardless, can't you just easily coast with a Pass at Columbia, if you intend on just doing general dentistry, thus it is less stressful?

 

[kitejunky27]

I would say that as long as you do your work and put in some effort at columbia you shouldn't have that hard a time passing. Whether this counts as coasting I am not sure since you definitely have to put some effort in. People have failed in the past from not putting enough effort in but they have been allowed to repeat and are fine now.

However there is a huge difference in the amount of effort it takes to Honor against just to pass so you could be relatively coasting.

I think if you do you work and are just looking to pass you should have a pretty stress free time as you shouldn't have any problems. If you know a good chunk of the stuff passing is no problem.

 

[7 Iron]

Because I feel as though two top notch Ivy League diplomas in my office will really "wow" my patients haha

I can't tell if you're joking or not with this comment. Your patients (1) will likely never see your office and (2) will not care where you went to school.

 

[rickblas]

I understand this has been done before, but as a NY state resident, a UPenn undergrad alumn, and someone who definitely wants to specialize, which school is the better option overall, Columbia vs Buffalo?
Because the way I see it:

Buffalo Pros:
Cheap
Good clinicals

Columbia Pros:
P/F/H (less stress)
NYC (location)
Close to home
High rate of Specializing
Status/Ivy League/Connections

please do not tell me TO THIS DAY almost June and the dawn of a new dental app cycle that you are STILL holding two seats at both bufflao and columbia? I thought we had to choose one way back on April 1st. 😱

 

[ToothBlaster]

Relax... it's called getting off the waitlist.

 

[rickblas]

Relax... it's called getting off the waitlist.

alrighty then. I thought you got into columbia a while back since you had similar threads like this before. my apologizes.

PS. if you went to penn undergrad hmmm you may already have a "prestige" diploma that could impress patients 😀. maybe try buffalo for dschool and then get into a balling ivy league residency haha?

 

[anonymouse1]

that depends on what important to you. if location is a big thing. and family is a big thing too. Then its columbia. the money, i think you can pay back regardless of where you go.

ps. which waiting list were you on? buffalo or columbia

 

[ToothBlaster]

Is there a final verdict please? 🙂

 

[jay47]

Is there a final verdict please? 🙂

You are the jury here, not us. Make a decision and go with it. I can tell you one thing guaranteed though: Ask 100 dentists who graduated in the last 10 years which factor would be most important to graduating from a dental school, and a large majority would say cost. You can specialize if you go to either school, but if there is a big difference in cost (not sure of the #'s personally), then go to the cheaper school.

 

[StarStunning]

Personally, I would go to Buffalo. Your patients wont even care where you graduated from, only family really would. And it's not like Buffalo isnt a great school, because it is a very competitive dental school.

By the way, Nobody likes an "Ivy league" showoff. It's annoying.

 

[preOMFS]

As others have said, you can specialize from just about any dental school if you really want to and loans are expensive to buy (i.e. interest). Plus living in NYC isn't all that great when you are in dental school (at least for me).

I would only pick Columbia if you really thought it was a better school than Buffalo, which I cannot offer any insight into because I know nothing about Buffalo. Your patients are not really going to care where you went to school. All they care about is that you are good at what you do and you don't cost too much.

On the upside, the honors/pass/fail system is pretty nice though. It allows you to "coast" when you want to and try for honors when you want. For example, if there is a class you are not really interested in you can kinda put it on the backburner for the semester until the final and study enough to pass, that way you can focus in on the other classes that you are trying to honor.

Good Luck.

 

[curlys87]

Did you decide which school you are attending?

 

[ToothBlaster]

Is there an overall consensus?
And doesn't the name and status of the school carry you far though in the long run?
Working with world renowed professors, ivy league connections, top nyc doctors, high specialty rates, opportunities, etc...

 

[7 Iron]

Is there an overall consensus?
And doesn't the name and status of the school carry you far though in the long run?
Working with world renowed professors, ivy league connections, top nyc doctors, high specialty rates, opportunities, etc...

lol

 

[eventualOMFS]

Is there an overall consensus? What does a "consensus" look like? Everyone said go to the cheaper school....
And doesn't the name and status of the school carry you far though in the long run? No. Where are you getting this?
Working with world renowed professors, ivy league connections, top nyc doctors, high specialty rates, opportunities, etc... World renowned professors? Top "NYC" doctors? The only valid point here is high specialty rates.

This decision is ultimately yours to make, my friend.

 

[Maygyver]

You can't have people hold your hand through every decision of your life. Take the advice people gave you and make up your own mind.