Choosing a dental school to go to

[rivers32342]

How much should cost of the dental school factor into the final decision?

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[jeffity]

100%

 

[LoupeFiasco]

$200,000
vs
$400,000

Same qualifications, same papers, different payback plan.

 

[mmmsteakdinners]

90%. And the reason I say this is because I am considering more expensive schools because of a loved one. By more expensive I mean around 50-75K total, but that is something important to me. I think a 50-75k swing for an important factor is reasonable, anything over 100k is too much.

 

[dentalWorks]

You'll find my highly opinionated opinion in this posting: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=962479

 

[dchoi]

But remember, if you are getting loans... Multiply the cost difference by 2. A $50,000 more school will actually be close to $100,000 when you pay off your loans

 

[qnzbabi91]

50%, you need to go where you are happy and feel like you fit in. If spending more money will make you feel better for 4 years, then by all means do it. It is not like that money is yours yet. It is just a number in a database that will go lower as you pay it off. Maybe my opinion diverges from other people's, but I wholeheartedly suggest to go where you will be happy. You will get more out of your education to eventually earn more money in the future. It takes money to make money.

 

[colombianDDS]

90%. And the reason I say this is because I am considering more expensive schools because of a loved one. By more expensive I mean around 50-75K total, but that is something important to me. I think a 50-75k swing for an important factor is reasonable, anything over 100k is too much.

Love makes you do crazy things sometimes...

 

[sparky450r]

50%, you need to go where you are happy and feel like you fit in. If spending more money will make you feel better for 4 years, then by all means do it. It is not like that money is yours yet. It is just a number in a database that will go lower as you pay it off. Maybe my opinion diverges from other people's, but I wholeheartedly suggest to go where you will be happy. You will get more out of your education to eventually earn more money in the future. It takes money to make money.

With all due respect....this is just the type of attitude schools that charge 70k would like you to have. You will be the perfect applicant.

 

[Bis-GMA111]

IF i planned on paying for school out of pocket, id suck it up and go to the cheaper school for 4 years, bc i know i'll be happier in the long run with less debt...rather than being "happy" for 4 years and then suffering for a good portion of my life trying to pay off even more debt. gotta think 'long term'. just my opinion though.

so if you're planning on paying out of pocket, i'd say cost should constitute 100% of your choice. as i've heard at all of my interviews thus far, any school in the US will give you a fine education and make you a competent dentist. your experiences in the private practice world are a big part of how successful you'll be.

 

[CMistry]

As someone who has been through dental school (unlike most people here) I can promise you that cost of attendance should be the biggest consideration in the school you choose, with one exception. If you absolutely need to be close to family or a loved one (spouse), make sure you are. This is the main reason I've seen people drop out. Other than that, this "go somewhere you feel comfortable" crap is really going to hurt once you're done. As someone mentioned above, $50k in more loans means $100k in repayment. I don't think you guys will realize what it means until you're making repayment, so you'll have to trust those who've been through this.

 

[UCSFx2017]

50%, you need to go where you are happy and feel like you fit in. If spending more money will make you feel better for 4 years, then by all means do it. It is not like that money is yours yet. It is just a number in a database that will go lower as you pay it off. Maybe my opinion diverges from other people's, but I wholeheartedly suggest to go where you will be happy. You will get more out of your education to eventually earn more money in the future. It takes money to make money.

Epicureanism will inevitably be short-lived once you're forced to pay dearly for your four years of supposed pleasure.
From your more recent posts, it seems as though you've completely changed your stance on this.
Is tuition now near 90-100% of the selection factor?

 

[toastybread]

I suppose I perceive "happiness" to be the shiny new dental school with the fancy toys and the big shot reputation...but lets get real, happiness comes from the people you choose to surround yourself with. Obviously I haven't been to dental school yet, but I figured that as long as I have friends to hang out with after a huge string of exams and my significant other to come home to every day, I'll be happy.

I'll also be happy if I can pay off my loans by age 32 instead of age 38.

 

[Sal427]

But what about if you know you want to specialize? Do residency programs look at what school you went to based on their reputation?

For example, how would UMDNJ vs. Tufts compare?

 

[rebmem eman]

90%. And the reason I say this is because I am considering more expensive schools because of a loved one. By more expensive I mean around 50-75K total, but that is something important to me. I think a 50-75k swing for an important factor is reasonable, anything over 100k is too much.

 

[LuckyTangerines]

But what about if you know you want to specialize? Do residency programs look at what school you went to based on their reputation?

For example, how would UMDNJ vs. Tufts compare?

I'm not familiar with those schools, but you can specialize at any school you attend. Just do well, do research, and do extracurriculars to stand out.

The schools that are known to send students into specialties are those that have extensive research. Many residency programs have a research requirement prior to getting your certificate, so research while in dental school is something they highly value.

Costs should be a major factor in deciding which school to attend. It's definitely not the #1 deciding factor for many since other factors like family, friends, and location are considered. Just consider keeping costs low since some residency programs mean more money involved.

 

[Luonghd]

Let's say you get into Howard and Case. Which school would you choose to go to if you want to reserve the possibility to specialize.

 

[Sal427]

I'm not familiar with those schools, but you can specialize at any school you attend. Just do well, do research, and do extracurriculars to stand out.

The schools that are known to send students into specialties are those that have extensive research. Many residency programs have a research requirement prior to getting your certificate, so research while in dental school is something they highly value.

Costs should be a major factor in deciding which school to attend. It's definitely not the #1 deciding factor for many since other factors like family, friends, and location are considered. Just consider keeping costs low since some residency programs mean more money involved.

Wow, that's very interesting. Thank you for the advice! Do you think doing research matters more for some specialties over others? I'd like to go into pediatrics.

 

[Luonghd]

Wow, that's very interesting. Thank you for the advice! Do you think doing research matters more for some specialties over others? I'd like to go into pediatrics.

Sidebar---

God bless you man, I can not see myself doing Pedo. They are pains in the butt to work with and very little financial return.

 

[Sal427]

Woman* haha and I love kids! There's always the possibility that ill change my mind in dental school, but for now I wanna pick the school that will help me most with this.

 

[Luonghd]

Woman* haha and I love kids! There's always the possibility that ill change my mind in dental school, but for now I wanna pick the school that will help me most with this.

Lol, sorry girl.