Like I said on another post, patients were canceled due to the snow, so I'll pass on some advice from someone finishing school.
Columbia
- + Great specialization rates
- - Not exactly crazy about integration with med school since I want to get to doing dentistry. I don't know if I'll like the first 2 years.
- - Less clinical skills development compared to other schools
- + Lots of research opportunities
- - Very expensive. ~$500k. Probably not readily manageable without HPSP or specializing from what I read.
- + Prestige (Not too important to me. Just knowing I got accepted is good enough for me)
- - Even pre-pandemic, I've never been to crazy of "city life"
- + Liked the people I met in the virtual interview day. Seemed very driven and passionate about dentistry.
- COMMENT: Supposedly the lack of ranking might make it easier to specialize. But is it really easier or are we just seeing selection bias with certain types of students choosing to go here?
- Specializing depends on YOU, not the school. I cannot emphasize that enough. Please, please, do not chose a dental school to specialize. Let's use an example, Rutgers is going to match 4/4 to OMFS this year. Columbia will probably match like 30/35. Which is better? It's apples to oranges. Don't pay a school extra money because you think they are going to somehow help you do the necessary work to get into a speciality.
- Intergrating to med school is great if you want OMS. If they do small learning groups, that could be nice too even if you don't want OMS. But yeah, you are going to be pounded with a lot of non-dental stuff.
- Don't worry about clinical skills too much. All schools train you to a ridiculously low degree. You'll catch up quickly.
- Why do people care about research? Maybe if you're trying for Ortho it makes sense.
- SUPER EXPENSIVE. That should be your first bullet point. Don't you dare tell yourself "I'm going to specialize, so the debt will be fine".
- It does feel good to be liked by a school. But that prestige isn't taking you anywhere the day you leave the clinic.
- Washington Heights is a cool place, not the crazy city life of Manhattan. I wouldn't sweat that.
- The people during interview days are hand picked by the administration, so I'd be a little skeptical.
- Correct. No rank makes specializing tricky. Everyone going to Columbia wants to specialize which also makes it tricky. This is why I don't think these schools help students specializing.
Rutgers
- + Great clinical education
- + I liked the faculty
- + Lots of service opportunities including overseas opportunities
- - ~$400k if I commute from home in NY. It's about 1.5 hrs but traffic in the city is fickle. Still much cheaper than Columbia.
- + CODE Sites where a limited number of 4th years spend their year at community health sites. Cool concept. But I guess a GPR or AEGD can prepare me for independent practice too.
- Yes, clinical requirements at Rutgers are more than most schools, but that means you'll be sweating as a D4 trying to finish everything. Also, no school has great clinical experience. They are all mediocre at best. Your real learning happens after school.
- Some faculty are cool, some aren't. You only met a small fraction. In the end, it probably doesn't matter too much.
- The service opportunities are an Admission selling point. Very very few students get the chance to go.
- You cannot commute 1.5 hours. Absolutely not. People who have tried have either dropped out or found apartments mid semester. Get an apartment in Newark for $800/month, and get 3 years of in-state tuition!
- CODE is amazing. Basically a GPR year build into D4.
Touro
- + Nice facilities
- + Students and faculty seemed happy when I went there
- + ~$330k if I commute from home. It's about 35min - 1 hr. That's the sweet spot for me. And even without HPSP, this falls below my "soft" limit of $350k.
- - Less well known so getting into competitive or popular residencies might be more challenging.
- + 94% boards pass rates last I checked so clearly students are well prepared
- + No residency programs so more exposure to complicated cases.
- + Gave me a free face mask
- Heard they are pretty new, so that's cool, but it shouldn't affect your decision much.
- Heard decent things from students.
- That's still hella far and I definitely would NOT recommend commuting that much.
- I met people on interview trail from Touro. School won't matter for specializing.
- Most schools are at 95%+ for boards. It shouldn't be a deciding factor.
- I would ask students whether that is ACTUALLY true or not. Even if it's true, you learn so little in dental school compared to GPR or working that experience during dental school really doesn't make a huge difference.
My verdict: Compare the total cost of living between Touro (with an apartment) and Rutgers (with an apartment and 3 years in-state tuition). Pick the cheaper option. Both are fine schools. Don't kill yourself with the commute. If you find it manageable after the first year or two, then move back with your family.
