cc vs 4 year university. How much does it matter?

[shemshad6682]

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Hello everyone:
just had a quick question.
I took some dental pre-req's at community college and then transferred to a 4 year university. I took bio1, physics 1, g chem1&2, and oraganic 1 in cc, which is a lot. I got A's in all of them. Overall, my cc credits add up to about 50. I wanted to know if that is going to seriously hurt my application compare to other applicant who have taken all the dental pre-req's at a four year university.
Thanks in advance.

 

[sfrice80]

There is no question that a 4 year University is better. For you, some schools might be out of the question because of their CC requirements. You gotta check every school you apply to otherwise you'll be wasting your money. It's not helping that you took them at a CC but whatever, whats done is done. Good Luck!

 

[bing12]

i think a legit amount of schools dont accept from CC...mainly because its far easier than at a 4-year university. go on their websites and/or call them.

 

[rejuvenatedsoul]

depends on what schools you're applying to. taking pre-reqs at cc will hurt you in some cases. what i'd recommend is taking upper level science classes at the 4-year and then possibly retaking the pre-reqs at the 4 year as well. good luck!

 

[yappy]

It actully seems like the more "legit" schools dont care while the most $$$$ privites do. NYU, BU... any others?

 

[MrBeans]

It actully seems like the more "legit" schools dont care while the most $$$$ privites do. NYU, BU... any others?

Are you saying that NYU, BU, Creighton, Marquette, Loma Linda don't like CC credits? 😕

Sometimes I honestly wonder how a CC can be discredited so much. I took general chemistry at my local CC and I had a far better education (teacher and supplemental material) compared to what I've seen/encountered at my 4 year university.

Gen chem was so well instilled in me from my CC that I retained the information for 5 years until I took the DAT (by the way, I did well on the GC section). I'd also add that I'm not very inclined toward learning chemistry.

Frankly, filtering out applicants based on CC credits seems rather ridiculous. Maybe my CC was just a better/tougher learning institution that the majority of other CC?

 

[bing12]

yes, i agree. BUT, cc exams can not be as competitive as 4 year uni exams. I took a class at another easier 4 year univ than mine, and i learned more at the easier one, but i was getting 100s on the exams, it was the easiest A i have ever gotten before. so, although you learn more, the exams are easier and its more difficult to differentiate people if most people get an A.

 

[Vicviper]

Sigh... this again? Most schools don't particularly care (a significant amount) if you ended up taking pre-reqs at a CC, as long as you later went to a 4 year and got decent grades, as well as competitive DAT scores.

True, there are SOME - a VERY FEW - who will NOT accept CC credit, Tufts is the usual example. Loma Linda didn't care one bit that I took all of my pre-reqs at my CC, neither did Columbia - or Howard for that matter, a school that claims they don't take CC credit for pre-reqs.

And sure, CC tests can be easier, but that's like saying a Horse can be Purple - sure, it can be. It varies school to school, and having a blanket statement that CC classes don't count as much is just wrong. In my experience, my Community College classes in the Sciences were actually more difficult than my university classes, I also learned much more, and had a much better relationship with my professors. And, it's not like I went to an easy peasy undergrad - UCI, which I'm pretty sure is one of the top 25 dental feeder schools.

In conclusion, with the exception of the schools that will absolutely refuse to take CC credit, it won't hurt you in a really significant way - and I got in just fine with all CC pre-reqs.

Sigh [/Rant]

 

[Vicviper]

Gen chem was so well instilled in me from my CC that I retained the information for 5 years until I took the DAT (by the way, I did well on the GC section). I'd also add that I'm not very inclined toward learning chemistry.

Totally - it was the same thing for me. I hardly had to study for the Gchem section on the DAT other than some basic review, all because of my amazing CC class. In my classes, you only earned an A if you knew the material COLD.

 

[dentalWorks]

you will get many answers for this topic. Basically the people who only took classes at 4-year univ are going to say "CC sucks" and the people who took some CC classes are going to say "CC rocks". There is no definitive answer here.

HOWEVER, the only fact that all of us know is that some dental schools will NOT accept any pre-reqs done at CC, so don't even bother applying to them.

 

[americanpierg]

And sure, CC tests can be easier, but that's like saying a Horse can be Purple - sure, it can be. [/Rant]

Horrible analogy. It's more like saying a car can be expensive. The majority are, but there are a few cheap ones out there ($6,000 Kia). The majority of CCs out there are easy, but there are a few hard ones out there.

It's just common sense. The qualifications to get into a CC is much less than that of a University, and therefore, the quality of students in a CC is more than likely less than the quality of students in a University. Lower quality= lower competition. Notice I said quality of STUDENTS and not quality of the EDUCATION.

The education may be the same quality, but the grade is all that matters in this game. With lower competition, it would be easier to earn a certain grade at a CC than it would be at a University. Dental schools know this. They also know they can't comb the country and pick out these superior CCs out of the tens of thousands of easy CCs to make an exceptions list.

I know a LOT of schools out there do not want prereqs from CCs. Schools that accept all CC credits are the exception and not the norm. Many schools accept NONE, many schools accept a LIMIT number of credits, and FEW schools accept CC credit with no restriction.

In my state, each county has at least one CC (not sure if this is the same in every state). The classes are filled with people from all walks of life, teenagers, 40 year olds, stay at home moms, etc. Many are non-degree seeking students. People who went to a CC will always argue that a CC is the same as a University and should be looked upon the same, and those that went to a IVY will always say a University is better than a CC, but if you just look at it objectively and use common sense, its OBVIOUS a University holds MORE credential than a CC and dental school's decisions not to accept CC credit or at least put a limit on them is easily justified.

 

[Vicviper]

People who went to a CC will always argue that a CC is the same as a University and should be looked upon the same, and those that went to a IVY will always say a University is better than a CC, but if you just look at it objectively and use common sense, its OBVIOUS a University holds MORE credential than a CC and dental school's decisions not to accept CC credit or at least put a limit on them is easily justified.

I actually never said this. Like I said, clearly yes, you have to go to a 4 year, get good grades, and do decent on the DAT to prove that your great CC grades were actually earned from your understanding of the subject.

Also, as far as the level of competition goes, as far as my experience, it has had nothing to do with the grades in my CC classes as they were all straight scale, and so you could only get a good grade by having a strong grasp of the material - the average was 2 A's in my entire Ochem class.

Lastly, are there really more than say, 10 schools that refuse to take any CC credit? A number of the schools that say they won't take CC credit actually will.

Either way, it's pointless to have a pissing match over this - I'm just sharing my perspective and experience.

And yes, it may not have been the best Prose I've ever penned, but I think its suiting for such a broad over generalization.

 

[bing12]

overall...those classes will make you less competitive. my pre-health adviser specifically told me never to take any science pre reqs at a CC.

 

[Vicviper]

overall...those classes will make you less competitive. my pre-health adviser specifically told me never to take any science pre reqs at a CC.

Oh, you can be sure to take everything they say as gospel 🙂

Sure, Dental Schools would rather see you take pre-reqs at Universities, but, the real question is if it makes a big difference - from my experience, for the most part, that answer is no.

 

[dentaldawg32]

Sigh... this again? Most schools don't particularly care (a significant amount) if you ended up taking pre-reqs at a CC, as long as you later went to a 4 year and got decent grades, as well as competitive DAT scores.

True, there are SOME - a VERY FEW - who will NOT accept CC credit, Tufts is the usual example. Loma Linda didn't care one bit that I took all of my pre-reqs at my CC, neither did Columbia - or Howard for that matter, a school that claims they don't take CC credit for pre-reqs.

And sure, CC tests can be easier, but that's like saying a Horse can be Purple - sure, it can be. It varies school to school, and having a blanket statement that CC classes don't count as much is just wrong. In my experience, my Community College classes in the Sciences were actually more difficult than my university classes, I also learned much more, and had a much better relationship with my professors. And, it's not like I went to an easy peasy undergrad - UCI, which I'm pretty sure is one of the top 25 dental feeder schools.

In conclusion, with the exception of the schools that will absolutely refuse to take CC credit, it won't hurt you in a really significant way - and I got in just fine with all CC pre-reqs.

Sigh [/Rant]

Terrible analogy, where did you think this up?

 

[Baylor2011]

This thread is pointless

If you're applying to a school that doesn't accept CC pre-req credits, go somewhere else...if they're that arrogant they don't deserve your money.

True test: If you went to a CC and still got a 20+ I'd say it doesn't matter where you got your pre reqs...obviously you know the material.

Also...there are plenty of students at "universities" that get below a 20, so it's apparent to me that students don't learn the material any better at a university than at a CC...a completely false statement

 

[MrBeans]

This thread is pointless

If you're applying to a school that doesn't accept CC pre-req credits, go somewhere else...if they're that arrogant they don't deserve your money.

True test: If you went to a CC and still got a 20+ I'd say it doesn't matter where you got your pre reqs...obviously you know the material.

Also...there are plenty of students at "universities" that get below a 20, so it's apparent to me that students don't learn the material any better at a university than at a CC...a completely false statement

I agree completely. 👍👍

With respect to Universities holding more credential power over CC, I can see this as a legitimate argument given that CC are easier to get into and generally have lesser competition.

However, whether or not a person takes an equivalent class at a University or CC, will not objectively dictate competency no mater what grade given.

This is where the DAT becomes very important, in my opinion. It's a level playing field.

As far as snooty school rejecting applicants because of CC course work, I agree with you, Baylor. Those schools do not deserve the applicants money or time.

 

[Vicviper]

Terrible analogy, where did you think this up?

I realize it's bad, that's the point. Please refer to the huge over generalization that I'm taking about in that analogy.

 

[CMD1010]

overall...those classes will make you less competitive. my pre-health adviser specifically told me never to take any science pre reqs at a CC.

This thread is pointless, but like Vicviper, I always get sucked in. Some thoughts:

Prehealth advisors have never applied to or been accept to any dental school. The also work for the university that you go to and follow one standard formula. They have zero ability to think outside the box. This forum is testament that there is more than one path into dental school.

The "CC's are less competitive" argument is meaningless unless the school scales the test (by the way grade inflation is a problem at private universities not CC's....google Harvard Grade Inflation and read on). My experience has been that at CC's; you get what you get. For example, my Chem final was the American Collegiate Chemistry exam.....standardized across the country. The class was better than my private university and the test were harder. Whatever you scored...that's what you got....no scale. Doesn't matter if a rock was sitting next me or Einstein. Learning in a class is a solo pursuit. You compete against yourself and the test.

CC's are designed to assist people who are either working professionals or those who can't yet afford a university...they're no reflection of intelligence (good or bad). All the private schoolers are nervous that there's a better way than their $50K tuition.....I was one of you.....get over yourself....I felt better when I did and I found CC students put us to shame in the "character" department. In this economy you're going to see more sharp students coming out of CC and Tufts, BU, etc....are losing out due to their stereotyping.

 

[threeblindmice]

What I'm wondering is why you even put your grades in question by sticking around a CC so long? I don't know how schools look at it but if they are left with one spot and are comparing you to another student. They see one student took 50 CC credits of pre-req's and the other took his pre-req's at a legit University and the gpa's and dat scores are the same......they take the one from the legit University.

 

[CMD1010]

What I'm wondering is why you even put your grades in question by sticking around a CC so long? I don't know how schools look at it but if they are left with one spot and are comparing you to another student. They see one student took 50 CC credits of pre-req's and the other took his pre-req's at a legit University and the gpa's and dat scores are the same......they take the one from the legit University.

You missed the point. Some students aren't choosing CC over a university. They have to go to a CC first due to finances or some other circumstance (like they work full-time) If they had the choice then I agree with you. Why not choose a university? My point is that it's offensive that some schools write-off these students (who often are great) because their parents couldn't afford to send them elsewhere. I also think it bothers the privileged kids who have the way paved for them to have to compete with these individuals. Ironically, it's the working-students who are more likely to serve the under privileged and whose work-ethic is far superior than the kid who takes a 12 hour course load and has no job or other commitments. So to answer your question....if I was on admisssions...I think I would take a good look at the CC kid.

 

[civiapt]

*Just a side note so new applicants don't get confused reading this thread:

Tufts definitely takes CC courses, just not the prerequisite pre-dental classes (gchem, ochem, bio 1 &2, Phys 1&2). I have an associates degree from a CC and Tufts accepted me for class of 2014.

 

[MrBeans]

You missed the point. Some students aren't choosing CC over a university. They have to go to a CC first due to finances or some other circumstance (like they work full-time) If they had the choice then I agree with you. Why not choose a university? My point is that it's offensive that some schools write-off these students (who often are great) because their parents couldn't afford to send them elsewhere. I also think it bothers the privileged kids who have the way paved for them to have to compete with these individuals. Ironically, it's the working-students who are more likely to serve the under privileged and whose work-ethic is far superior than the kid who takes a 12 hour course load and has no job or other commitments. So to answer your question....if I was on admisssions...I think I would take a good look at the CC kid.

Great post.

I was locked into a CC for my first 2 years of undergraduate work because I started my college career in my junior year of high school. I did this because I had little means to attend a university, and I chose the route of CC to save me money by utilizing a PSEO scholarship. It's not like I wanted to go to a CC to boost my grades, it was a matter of financial necessity. I might add that I felt I received a nice education too. I continued on for 2 more years at a university completing a B.S. in biology.

Bottom line: due to financial circumstances I chose to search for scholarship opportunities in high school. I would have gladly chosen to go to the university on a PSEO scholarship, however, the PSEO scholarship was offered to the CC.

Such be life. 😕 🙄

 

[hoylematt]

What I'm wondering is why you even put your grades in question by sticking around a CC so long? I don't know how schools look at it but if they are left with one spot and are comparing you to another student. They see one student took 50 CC credits of pre-req's and the other took his pre-req's at a legit University and the gpa's and dat scores are the same......they take the one from the legit University.

Arogant more? To be honest I bet there are a lot of kids that went to CC because they didn't have any idea what they wanted to do with their lives. In my case I wasn't completely sure about dental school until after my freshman year and didn't realize that there were graduate schools that wouldn't accept you if you took CC classes until long after I transferred.

That being said, Mr. Arrogant, you act as if everyone comes at college objectively and with the obvious choice of a "legit" school (4 year U) over a non-legit school (CC). Maybe we all weren't as cool as you.

P.S. I agree this thread does suck.

 

[americanpierg]

Arogant more? To be honest I bet there are a lot of kids that went to CC because they didn't have any idea what they wanted to do with their lives. In my case I wasn't completely sure about dental school until after my freshman year and didn't realize that there were graduate schools that wouldn't accept you if you took CC classes until long after I transferred.

That being said, Mr. Arrogant, you act as if everyone comes at college objectively and with the obvious choice of a "legit" school (4 year U) over a non-legit school (CC). Maybe we all weren't as cool as you.

P.S. I agree this thread does suck.

You do know a CC doesn't award a bachelors degree, and almost everyone DO go to college to earn a bachelors degree and NOT a certificate or associates degree.


And you were trying to be sarcastic, but it really IS obvious.

CC- not legit- associates degree
University- legit- bachelors degree

 

[biorenaissance]

.

 

[americanpierg]

You missed the point. Some students aren't choosing CC over a university. They have to go to a CC first due to finances or some other circumstance (like they work full-time) If they had the choice then I agree with you. Why not choose a university? My point is that it's offensive that some schools write-off these students (who often are great) because their parents couldn't afford to send them elsewhere. I also think it bothers the privileged kids who have the way paved for them to have to compete with these individuals. Ironically, it's the working-students who are more likely to serve the under privileged and whose work-ethic is far superior than the kid who takes a 12 hour course load and has no job or other commitments. So to answer your question....if I was on admisssions...I think I would take a good look at the CC kid.

Okay, then lets put your explanation into another scenario.

Some students can't afford to go to medical school in the US. Caribbean medical schools are much less expensive. Why do many residency and specialty programs write off medical students that graduated from caribbean medical schools becuase they coudlnt afford US medical schools? Its near impossible to get into a radiology program from a caribbean. I'm sure the quality of education that carribean med students get are the same as what students at US schools get. If its not, then it shouldnt be worst that the quality between CC and a University.

But you say caribbean schools are much easier to get into and are less quality? You could say that about CC and University. But you say the med kids cant use money as an example cuz they could just take out loans? You could say taht about CC and Univeristy.

 

[dentaldawg32]

You do know a CC doesn't award a bachelors degree, and almost everyone DO go to college to earn a bachelors degree and NOT a certificate or associates degree.


And you were trying to be sarcastic, but it really IS obvious.

CC- not legit- associates degree
University- legit- bachelors degree

Honestly, do you know how many ****ty universities there are out there? Almost anyone can earn a bachelor's degree, especially from some of these tier 4 degree mills, which are just as bad as CC's. It's not the 'legit' achievement it used to be.

 

[threeblindmice]

Call me arrogant if you want. The reason I made my comment is due to the fact the original post took so many science pre-reqs. I understand the need for CC in many cases but a CC is the place to take generals not your core classes. I'm sure its obvious to a dental school when you've taken physics, biology, gen chem, and o-chem at a CC that those aren't generals and that the person is using the CC system to boost their g.p.a.

 

[dentalaee]

Here we go again.. hahaha.. Look for old threads -- this has been debated over and over again.

 

[CMD1010]

Okay, then lets put your explanation into another scenario.

Some students can't afford to go to medical school in the US. Caribbean medical schools are much less expensive. Why do many residency and specialty programs write off medical students that graduated from caribbean medical schools becuase they coudlnt afford US medical schools? Its near impossible to get into a radiology program from a caribbean. I'm sure the quality of education that carribean med students get are the same as what students at US schools get. If its not, then it shouldnt be worst that the quality between CC and a University.

But you say caribbean schools are much easier to get into and are less quality? You could say that about CC and University. But you say the med kids cant use money as an example cuz they could just take out loans? You could say taht about CC and Univeristy.

This is incoherent jibberish. Irrelevant comparison and I never said a word about Caribbean Schools. I know nothing about the subject. Never mentioned med school either.

 

[americanpierg]

This is incoherent jibberish. Irrelevant comparison and I never said a word about Caribbean Schools. I know nothing about the subject. Never mentioned med school either.

Yes we've come to understand that you don't know much about anything. Could that be due to the quality of education you received from your CC .

And the comparision is perfectly relevant.

Caribbean med schools are looked down upon in the same way CC schools are and that mostly comes down to the fact that they are easier to get into and therefore are perceived as lower tiered.

Residency programs look down upon graduates of Caribbean medical schools, as does some dental schools of students taking classes at CC schools. Yes, totally irrelevant comparison, its like night and day!

 

[dentaldawg32]

Okay, then lets put your explanation into another scenario.

Some students can't afford to go to medical school in the US. Caribbean medical schools are much less expensive. Why do many residency and specialty programs write off medical students that graduated from caribbean medical schools becuase they coudlnt afford US medical schools? Its near impossible to get into a radiology program from a caribbean. I'm sure the quality of education that carribean med students get are the same as what students at US schools get. If its not, then it shouldnt be worst that the quality between CC and a University.

But you say caribbean schools are much easier to get into and are less quality? You could say that about CC and University. But you say the med kids cant use money as an example cuz they could just take out loans? You could say taht about CC and Univeristy.

The best caribbean medical schools are not cheaper than US allopathic schools. People go to the caribbean for medical school because they can't get into US MD schools, not because its cheaper. You ever hear about someone that got into US MD schools, but picked a carib school instead? It's never happened, I promise you that. People primarily go to CC's because its CHEAPER, not because they couldn't get into a 4 year university. ANYONE can get into a 4 year university, there are tons that accept well over 90% of applicants.

Not a good comparison at all.

 

[americanpierg]

The best caribbean medical schools are not cheaper than US allopathic schools. People go to the caribbean for medical school because they can't get into US MD schools, not because its cheaper. You ever hear about someone that got into US MD schools, but picked a carib school instead? It's never happened, I promise you that. People primarily go to CC's because its CHEAPER, not because they couldn't get into a 4 year university. ANYONE can get into a 4 year university, there are tons that accept well over 90% of applicants.

Not a good comparison at all.

There are only four "good" caribbean med schools and yes, they are cheaper than US allopathic schools. Yes, I HAVE seen people choose caribbean schools over US med schools. Some people may only get into Tufts or Temple with their 50k tuition and opted for the caribbean instead. Im assuming they just wanted to GP and didnt want to enter a competitive residency program or otherwise they wouldve went to Tufts instead.


So the point is, if, you waanted to become a Radiologist or something competitive like that, you should have gone to a US medical school

Similarly, if you wanted to become a dentist, you should have gone to a 4 year University.

The bottom line, do your research ahead of time and dont complain if you didnt becuase its your own fault. If they don't accept your CC credits, suck it up and redo those credits at a 4 year.

I don't see caribbean med students complain about how the US residency programs are unfair to them and their degree just because of where they went to school, but i always see CC kids complain because their credits arent accepted by med and dental schools. carribean med kids know what theyve gotten into by choosing that school, and cc kids would too if they did their research ahead of time. its not like these med and dental schools just decided to stop taking cc credits this year.

On a different note, the obvious trend from all the topics like this is that the only people saying CC credits are equal to a university's credits are those who went to CC. If you did a random poll from everyone in the US, random people, college students, highschool students, its a guarantee that they will say CCs are much easier than a University. This could all be assumptions, but with a "rumor" this widespread, it obviously has a hint of truth involved. Anyway, COMMON SENSE tells you a university holds more weight than a CC. Lets just save all these posts and paste them in 3 months when the next CC vs University thread pops up.

 

[UltimateHombre]

The best caribbean medical schools are not cheaper than US allopathic schools. People go to the caribbean for medical school because they can't get into US MD schools, not because its cheaper. You ever hear about someone that got into US MD schools, but picked a carib school instead? It's never happened, I promise you that. People primarily go to CC's because its CHEAPER, not because they couldn't get into a 4 year university. ANYONE can get into a 4 year university, there are tons that accept well over 90% of applicants.

Not a good comparison at all.

Agree completely...

But when all is said and done.... it really doesn't matter where you went to school, but how you scored on your DAT. You could go to yale, UC berkley, or MIT and score a 19 or 20 on the DAT.... but if the CC student gets a 22... guess what they win.

The DAT is the master equalizer. Further more it is my understanding the GPA inflation really doesn't matter that much... maybe at the most 2 tenths. So in no way is a 3.3 from an Ivy equal to a 3.8 from 2 year CC and 2 years at uni. Unfortunately there is no where on the application form that asks for how much "prestige" your school has. All that matters is GPA, DAT, and EC's.

Sorry if this hurts and Ivy peoples feelings....

 

[Vicviper]

Haha, CMD, yeah, I always go get sucked into these whether I like it or not - it's my hot button issue. 🙂

Anyways, lets stop with the personal attacks, and bring this back to a constructive conversation that will help the OP.

OP - I feel that admissions staff will know that many higher tier universities require you to take many of those pre-reqs before you transfer - IE, UCLA requires the year of Ochem, Gchem, and Bio before you transfer, so I don't think that will really hurt you in a significant way, so, like I said before, as long as you do well in your upper division classes and the DAT, you should be just fine if you avoid the schools that will not take CC pre-req credit.

 

[Vicviper]

Agree completely...

But when all is said and done.... it really doesn't matter where you went to school, but how you scored on your DAT. You could go to yale, UC berkley, or MIT and score a 19 or 20 on the DAT.... but if the CC student gets a 22... guess what they win.

The DAT is the master equalizer. Further more it is my understanding the GPA inflation really doesn't matter that much... maybe at the most 2 tenths. So in no way is a 3.3 from an Ivy equal to a 3.8 from 2 year CC and 2 years at uni. Unfortunately there is no where on the application form that asks for how much "prestige" your school has. All that matters is GPA, DAT, and EC's.

Sorry if this hurts and Ivy peoples feelings....

Great point, and very true.

 

[dentaldawg32]

There are only four "good" caribbean med schools and yes, they are cheaper than US allopathic schools. Yes, I HAVE seen people choose caribbean schools over US med schools. Some people may only get into Tufts or Temple with their 50k tuition and opted for the caribbean instead. Im assuming they just wanted to GP and didnt want to enter a competitive residency program or otherwise they wouldve went to Tufts instead.


So the point is, if, you waanted to become a Radiologist or something competitive like that, you should have gone to a US medical school

Similarly, if you wanted to become a dentist, you should have gone to a 4 year University.

The bottom line, do your research ahead of time and dont complain if you didnt becuase its your own fault. If they don't accept your CC credits, suck it up and redo those credits at a 4 year.

I don't see caribbean med students complain about how the US residency programs are unfair to them and their degree just because of where they went to school, but i always see CC kids complain because their credits arent accepted by med and dental schools. carribean med kids know what theyve gotten into by choosing that school, and cc kids would too if they did their research ahead of time. its not like these med and dental schools just decided to stop taking cc credits this year.

The difference in cost between the big four and US MD schools is not significant enough to warrant choosing the former over the latter. The disadvantage you place on yourself by going to a carib school over even a US DO school is significant when it comes to residency placement.

Only an idiot (Yes an IDIOT) would choose a caribbean medical school over its US counterpart. This has been pretty well established. These "people" you know are in the very, very small minority of medical school applicants, I assure you. It makes absolutely no sense to choose a carib school if you were accepted into a US MD school. These days, it's difficult for FMG's to obtain any residency at all and they must do very well on the Step to even have a fighting chance.

Obviously, you've never been to valueMD.com, cause if you had, you would see how FMG's constantly complain about the difficulty of obtaining residency in the states and bias they face.

 

[americanpierg]

The difference in cost between the big four and US MD schools is not significant enough to warrant choosing the former over the latter. The disadvantage you place on yourself by going to a carib school over even a US DO school is significant when it comes to residency placement.

LOL This is EXACTLY my point. These med kids are SMART enough to do their research ahead of time and know the consequences of their decisions. They understand the fact that going to a carib school greatly limits their options.

These kids who go to CC schools and want to become a dentist HAVE NOT done their research otherwise they would know that CC credits LIMIT them at many of the dental schools they would like to apply to.

What do you think those residency programs will say to those carib med kids when they play the ignorance card, "i didnt know going to carib schools would affect my chances at your program..." or "i didnt think i would specialize until halfway through med school..."??? They wouldnt care at all, and you would agree with their decision would you not? Why would this be any different with dental schools about kids who went to CC when these dental schools have had their requirements set a decade ago??

 

[alanan84]

Similarly, if you wanted to become a dentist, you should have gone to a 4 year University.

Tell that to the many MANY dental students that did work (including prereqs) at a CC.

Thanks for your opinion, can we move on to fact now please?

 

[dentaldawg32]

Agree completely...

But when all is said and done.... it really doesn't matter where you went to school, but how you scored on your DAT. You could go to yale, UC berkley, or MIT and score a 19 or 20 on the DAT.... but if the CC student gets a 22... guess what they win.

The DAT is the master equalizer. Further more it is my understanding the GPA inflation really doesn't matter that much... maybe at the most 2 tenths. So in no way is a 3.3 from an Ivy equal to a 3.8 from 2 year CC and 2 years at uni. Unfortunately there is no where on the application form that asks for how much "prestige" your school has. All that matters is GPA, DAT, and EC's.

Sorry if this hurts and Ivy peoples feelings....

Adcoms have been in this game a long time and they know which schools produce the best applicants. That said, I attended a so-called "top" university, and at the majority of my interviews, a comment was made regarding the quality of the school.

In short, I will say that prestige itself isn't all that important. However, the track record of your school at the dental school in question certainly plays a role.

 

[alanan84]

What do you think those residency programs will say to those carib med kids when they play the ignorance card, "i didnt know going to carib schools would affect my chances at your program..." ??? They wouldnt care at all, and you would agree would you not? Why would this be any different with dental schools about kids who went to CC when these dental schools have had their requirements set a decade ago??

If someone's complaining about not being able to get into Tufts because it's their dream school, I can see your point. However, I've never seen anyone with that complaint...

Most of the time they're just wondering which schools will not accept their credits so they don't waste money there.

 

[dentaldawg32]

LOL This is EXACTLY my point. These med kids are SMART enough to do their research ahead of time and know the consequences of their decisions. They understand the fact that going to a carib school greatly limits their options.

These kids who go to CC schools and want to become a dentist HAVE NOT done their research otherwise they would know that CC credits LIMIT them at many of the dental schools they would like to apply to.

What do you think those residency programs will say to those carib med kids when they play the ignorance card, "i didnt know going to carib schools would affect my chances at your program..." or "i didnt think i would specialize until halfway through med school..."??? They wouldnt care at all, and you would agree with their decision would you not? Why would this be any different with dental schools about kids who went to CC when these dental schools have had their requirements set a decade ago??

Look, I agree with what you're saying about community colleges, I just disagree with the comparison you are making to carib medical schools. You're comparing CC's to carib medical schools, I get it. You state that a few select people you know chose carib schools over US allopathic schools because they were cheaper (which I find hard to believe), and the same is true with CC's. I am telling you now that this comparison is not good because in the vast majority of cases, it's not correct. Very, very few people choose carib schools over US MD schools. You just can't make a huge generalization based on a few isolated cases you heard about from your mother's cousin's brother. End of story.

 

[MrBeans]

Look, I agree with what you're saying about community colleges, I just disagree with the comparison you are making to carib medical schools. You're comparing CC's to carib medical schools, I get it. You state that a few select people you know chose carib schools over US allopathic schools because they were cheaper (which I find hard to believe), and the same is true with CC's. I am telling you now that this comparison is not good because in the vast majority of cases, it's not correct. Very, very few people choose carib schools over US MD schools. You just can't make a huge generalization based on a few isolated cases you heard about from your mother's cousin's brother. End of story.

I tend to agree with this analysis.

 

[alanan84]

I tend to agree with this analysis.

It's true but it has absolutely nothing to do with the subject of this thread.

Bottom line OP: All things considered equal, if you can go to a 4 year university instead of a CC, do it. If for whatever reason, you need to do some work at a CC, you will still be fine at most dental schools. Especially, if you do well at the 4 year when you transfer and on the DAT.

 

[dentaldawg32]

It's true but it has absolutely nothing to do with the subject of this thread.

Bottom line OP: All things considered equal, if you can go to a 4 year university instead of a CC, do it. If for whatever reason, you need to do some work at a CC, you will still be fine at most dental schools. Especially, if you do well at the 4 year when you transfer and on the DAT.

I'm gonna agree with you on this but provide an addendum. If you need to go to a CC for financial reasons, do it, but try not to take many or any of your prerequisites there. However, it is imperative you transfer to a 4 year university, preferably a reputable one (although its not necessary), and take a bunch of upper level science courses and do well in them. Additionally, do well on the DAT. Do all of this and adcoms won't give two ****s you went to a CC.

 

[alanan84]

I'm gonna agree with you on this but provide an addendum. If you need to go to a CC for financial reasons, do it, but try not to take many or any of your prerequisites there. However, it is imperative you transfer to a 4 year university, preferably a reputable one (although its not necessary), and take a bunch of upper level science courses and do well in them. Additionally, do well on the DAT. Do all of this and adcoms won't give two ****s you went to a CC.

yep, agreed.

 

[UltimateHombre]

yep, agreed.

I second that agreed. 😀

 

[MrBeans]

I second that agreed. 😀

Third agreed. 😉

 

[HopefulDDStobe]

Hello everyone:
just had a quick question.
I took some dental pre-req's at community college and then transferred to a 4 year university. I took bio1, physics 1, g chem1&2, and oraganic 1 in cc, which is a lot. I got A's in all of them. Overall, my cc credits add up to about 50. I wanted to know if that is going to seriously hurt my application compare to other applicant who have taken all the dental pre-req's at a four year university.
Thanks in advance.

Be careful with this, like others said, check with the school. One of my friends got an interview and he was told by one school that his cc classes did not look good, and if he could retake them in a university he would get a guaranteed admission...that's like starting from scratch! he got into other schools with it though, so I think it depends on the school.