Columbia vs. U of Minn.

[Skibum19]

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Hi guys

 

[topdent1]

I've heard the experience at Columbia is unmatched to anywhere else. MN is good too, but you can't compare a state school to an ivy league.

 

[DrReo]

Columbia is extremely nice and does have a large specialization rate. I posted it earlier. The sim labs are okay, but there are many who still dislike them because, well, it's technology. The senors can be bumped slightly, hand pieces are not accurate, etc.

I think regardless you'll have a good education at either school. If you're from the midwest, living in NYC for a while would be a good experience.

Do you have anyother thoughs?

 

[PSU SHC 414]

Hi guys, I am wondering what you guys think about these two schools. They were my top two schools and I have been accepted to both and am having a VERY hard time choosing one. I have been a surgical assistant for the past two summers now working for a group of oral surgeons, which has really lead to a pretty high interest in this. However, I don't think I've had enough exposure for me to say that I would like to go into oral surgery. I feel like if I go to Minn. I will get a better clinical experience with their new sim labs, and this is much closer to home for me. However, if I am considering oral surgery, would Columbia be the way to be because of their prestige and specialization rate? Do you guys think if I went to Columbia and decided oral surgery was not for me I would still have an awesome education to be a general dentist. And vice versa, would Minn. give me the opportunity to specialize (I think at Minn. I'd have to be in the top couple of the class to do this while at Columbia I wouldn't have to be quite at the top) Any thoughts appreciated so I can open up a seat at one of these schools!! Thanks in advance!'

I think the simple answer to this question is no - if there is one thing that Columbia's program gets knocked on, it's for the lack of clinical training you get. So if you were to come out of Columbia and want to go straight into practice, I think you'd be behind the ball.

Some would argue, however, that b/c you're required to do post-grad training to get NY licensure even if you're going into general dentistry, you'll "make up" the subpar clinical training in a GPR or AEGD...

 

[DrReo]

I think the simple answer to this question is no - if there is one thing that Columbia's program gets knocked on, it's for the lack of clinical training you get. So if you were to come out of Columbia and want to go straight into practice, I think you'd be behind the ball.

Some would argue, however, that b/c you're required to do post-grad training to get NY licensure even if you're going into general dentistry, you'll "make up" the subpar clinical training in a GPR or AEGD...

No one comes out of dental school extremely competent

 

[PSU SHC 414]

No one comes out of dental school extremely competent

That's what I've heard so it seems like it's the norm to do a GPR/AEGD regardless, but wouldn't you agree that Columbia doesn't put nearly as much emphasis into their clinical training as most other schools?

 

[PrincessDDS]

Yeah, I've talked to a D4 at Columbia who honestly admitted that coming out he most likely won't have the clinical skills offered at other schools simply because it is expected that students will pursue other post grad programs. That being said, Columbia IS changing their curriculum for our entering year to help alleviate this issue.

 

[Flipper405]

Yeah, I've talked to a D4 at Columbia who honestly admitted that coming out he most likely won't have the clinical skills offered at other schools simply because it is expected that students will pursue other post grad programs. That being said, Columbia IS changing their curriculum for our entering year to help alleviate this issue.

Yeah, especially when the two students who were talking with my interview group said they have SOOO much free time 3rd and 4th years... kinda put me off a little

 

[Skibum19]

thanks for the info so far!

 

[CUDental]

hey - i'm in at both too and i'd definitely go with MN. maybe not as highly thought of as columbia, but still a respected school with plenty of opportunity for research, etc. you can definitely specialize from MN if you work hard and get involved in the right things. i really didn't like nyc though so that definitely factors in here. if you did like nyc then maybe columbia is the place for you. either way, you can't really go wrong... both are good schools, so it just depends on your preferences

 

[Wax n Relax]

Im here at the U of Minn so i might be a little biased. That being said, i dont know anything about columbia but i can tell you that minnesota has great clinical experience. Im just in my first year, but i know the curriculum. We start seeing patients late second semester of 2nd year, so 3rd and 4th year students get alot of experience in the clinics. As for oral surgery, im sure some schools have better rates of getting into residencies, but its all about how bad you want it. If you want to be an oral surgeon, work hard and do well no matter what school you are at. It would be wise to think of a plan just incase you dont actually want to do oral surgery once you start experiencing some of the things the actual oral surgeon does. I have been considering endodontics because the dentist i worked for did alot of root canals. I found these to be pretty cool, but i have not yet completed one myself. I may turn out to hate them. In that case i would be happy to be a general dentist. So in the end, weigh all your options (desire to be an oral surgeon, living situations, tution, etc.) And one last thing, i know of a couple people in my class that have chose to do armed forces scholarships with the intentions of getting into the residencies a little easier. So say if your grades arent at the top of the class, you still have a shot of being an oral surgeon through a residency within your armed forces training. Good luck and go golden gophers.

 

[BadgerPreDent]

your predents profile says you were accepted to MN on September 26... this would mean that you were EDP... isn't this a binding decision? so don't you have to go to MN?