Calling all Dental Students! HELP!!!!

[dentaldamnedstudent]

Hey y'all!

Here is my dilemma. I am 32 years old... a non-traditional student... and I will be a first year at 33. I think that I would want to specialize, most likely orthodontics... my father is an ortho on the east coast and I live on the west coast.

Here's my question. I may not specialize because I would be 40 by the time I finish, or because I may not be in the top percent of my class... which is fine... I am honest with myself. My question is this...

I like the west coast and think that I would like to practice somewhere in Cali (Los Angeles where I live is a bit saturated) Should I stay in LA to go to my only Cal school of USC and take the chance that the PBL will work for me? OR go to what I know will probably be harder and more time consuming but what I am used to and got me into dental school (books and lectures) and go back east to TUFTS or UPENN. And if so, which of these would be better?(even though, I loved Boston more)

There you have it. I have seen the PBL and think I could manage, but it is still so new at USC that it seems a good percentage of students there kind of go through the motions more than love it. But they know that they want to practice on the west coast and want the alumni connection which is strong at USC.

Tufts does have a seminar for students who are taking the cal boards and want to go out west, but is it true that just a small percentage of east coasters get back out west, and if you want to practice on the east, go east, and in the west, go west?

I have talked enough... whatever you can write, would be GREATLY appreciated!!! Thank you in advance and for your time.

---Dentaldamnedstudent, DDS.

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[Rome]

I couldn't decide which Post I wanted to reply to, but there are a couple of issues I would like to address. 1)It seems like people are freaking out about what schools they should attend, after they've narrowed there choices to those with tuition of $25,000. My a advice is to find the cheapest dental school with the most support from the state gov., and in a metropolitan area. You'll find patients easier to find, and when you get out it will be easier to buy that lex or jag (if that is what you're in too). 2.) ALL DENTAL SCHOOLS ARE HARD. If anybody goes to or graduated from an easy dental school (in north america) please post a reply. It doesn't matter what school you go to, it will be hard. So you need to focus more on making it through each semester rather than trying to spealize in ortho(which seems like every entering dental student wants to do). Maybe after a couple years of school then you can focus on post-docs. Speaking of ortho...3.)Don't let money be your motivation for anything, especially dental school. If it is you are nothing but a prostitute, and eventually you WILL be pimped. 4.) Go to school in a state that will prepare you for your Boards. 5.) Where are the dental students? It seems like only pre-dents write anything on this forum. I would like hear about some of the things that other people experience while in school. Just some thoughts.

 

[gryffindor]

I am currently a dental student and I couldn't agree more with Rome's points, especially number 2 - ALL DENTAL SCHOOLS ARE HARD. Look at the state schools first b/c debt after a private school can become huge. But there may be students who only got accepted to private schools, so a state school might not be an option for them.

For dentaldamned student, if you want to practice on the west coast, then I would find out how many of USC's students get licensed to practice in California right after graduation. Ask the same thing at Tufts too. I am at an east coast school, and we all take the NERB exam for licensing (NorthEast Regional Board - covers 14 or 15 states). Even the students at my school from California who want to go back take the NERB so they can at least be licensed somewhere because those of us on the east coast know it is hard to get a California license. California probably has the strictest licensing laws - they administer their own exam and won't accept any other regional exams. Taking a licensing exam outside your region is very expensive and you have to find patients too, so if you want to stay in California, it is probably a better idea to go to school there so you can get licensed there quicker.

 

[baracuda]

Hey,

I just wanted to add something to what griffin04 said . I'm also a CA resident and pretty much in the same exact shoes you're in right now in that I'm considering TUFTS as a school choice ( not lucky enough yet to be accepted to UCLA and SF and didn't like the PBL at USC). What I wanted to add was that with the new law that has been passed in CA and a few other states, if you are a licensed dentist from another state and have been practicing for at least 5 years, you do NOT need to take the CA boards when you come back to cali, so it solves a lot of problems. From what I hear they pay a little bit better up in boston, so I'm thinking if I go to school there, if I don't choose to come back to cali immediately, I can stay and make some good money and then come back without the hassle of taking the boards.

Hope that helps. Good luck with everything. We might be classmates!!!