Columbia Vs. Upenn

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first I am not tryint to rank these two schools, I just want people's opinions on these two schools to make a informative decision

let me start
pros:
Upenn: nice area, pretty building, In philly , not taking class with med school 😕 (good or bad?)
Columbia: tuition cheap for private schools, resonable nice lab equipments, in NYC

COns:
UPenn: way too expensive, clinic looks 100 years old (my friend's dad went there, he said it did not change at all) 100years old lab and small sim lab in the shady basement (as I was told during interview, the first two years students will be only at the basement area)

Columbia: expensive living (tho according to their budget sheet, it looks OK), getto area, probably will get mugged during 4years there


I hope people can help add to the list

 

[lbennett]

don't know which you should pick, but I've spent lots of time in the clinics at Penn and even the one in the basement isn't bad. The walls and floors don't look pretty, but it is spacious and all the equipment is up to date. Only one of the 5 or 6 clinics is even down there, the rest are really nice and new. Also I knew someone who was miserable at columbia because it was really competitive, whereas friends at penn never seemed too stressed. both great schools, go where you'll be happier!

 

[TravisP]

uPenn's in a bad area.
Columbia is in New York 🙂.

 

[marshall]

I could write a book on Penn from the perspective of a pre dental student. I've been working at Penn SDM for the past year...

PENN PROS:
-classes usually taught by dentists so there is some relevance
-one of the best pathology courses in the country; students ace the path part every year
-high specialization rate (go ahead Dr BadVibes, say it isn't true)
-colocated with the undergrad
-possibility for externships abroad during school year
-very good patient pool

CONS FOR UPENN:
-expensive
-stuck in the basement for the first 2 years in dilapidated teaching facilities
-large class size (larger than the school can handle recently)
-graded system (A-F and HONORS)
-only top ten are ranked; if you aren't in that top ten it can look bad
-the majority of students in RECENT years have not finished their graduation requirements by graduation and are stuck in the clinic during the summer following for about a month

That should get this started 🙂

 

[Dr.BadVibes]

-high specialization rate (go ahead Dr BadVibes, say it isn't true)

HAHHAH...actually, I always congratulate Penn on its high match rate into Ortho and Oral Surgery....and I commend them for actually putting their FULL STATS on their website for everyone to see. Its Columbia where I think the whole "place for specialization" is a crock.

But going back on this topic of specialization, I still think that if a person wished to specialize, going to a school like mine would be the better choice. Why? Cause most of the people in my class just want to do general dentistry and study just to pass....so its much easier to put the extra work in and easily stand out. Just because Temple doesnt have so many people going into oral surgery doesnt mean that its bad for specialization....its just that not many people from Temple want to specialize and dont apply.

Whereas at competitive schools like Penn where mostly everyone goes to specialize, its much harder to "stand out" and its more of a cut-throat atmosphere.

Me and my buddies always say this about our Philadelphia neighbours at Penn:

"1/3 of Penn's class are gonna be amazing specialists. The other 2/3's are gonna be $hitty dentists with huge debts."

 

[netsn06]

as i see youve included general environment pros and cons, i will throw in my non-dental 2 cents. basis: i went to penn for undergrad, and dated a girl at columbia for a year and a half.
*disclaimer, i may be a bit biased.

PENN:
lots of ghetto surroundings, but campus is a bubble well insulated if youre scared of ghettonosity.
great studying resources.
loads of culture (especially food) all over the city, on a smaller scale but equal in quality to nyc.
cheap living.

COLUMBIA:
campus is pretty small, so you dont feel like youre part of a community.
easy (and cheap) access in getting around the city.
ny is ny.. you like energy and activity, you'll love ny.

hopefully this will help. maybe it confuses you. maybe it does nothing because you only care about the dental program.. well, at least i got to post today.. 😉

 

[marshall]

netsn:

Columbia dental school is not located on the main undergrad campus. It is like 100 blocks away in Washington Heights in case you didn't know that.

 

[MrBenny]

i commend badvibes for always sticking up for his school. but dude, you really need to get off your hate and bitterness about columbia (and it seems, penn also). i honestly don't know what you get out of trashing columbia at every turn you get.
from the perspective of someone who will be attending columbia in august, I can say this: sure, it might be more competitive. and yes, not every single student goes on to specialize. and yes, perhaps they don't focus as heavily on the clinical as other schools. But there's one thing you can't deny (and by no means am i trying to boast): Columbia kids are bright. they're smart people. The academic program is intense, but i'm sure ultimately rewarding. badvibes and others will say, who the heck needs academics, you're gonna graduate and clean teeth, why do you care what the pancreas does. Man, come on. First of all, you almost make it seem as it doesn't require brainpower to be a dentist. And second, when did a little more knowledge hurt anyone? Being around bright people will challenge you intellectually, and make you realize your true potential. going to an easier school and beating a bunch of slackers to get to the top spot cannot possibly provide the same satisfaction as, at the very least, keeping up with intelligent, hardworking people at a tougher school.

 

[SillyRabbit]

Columbia is top-notch. We get some of the best professors in the country. Not only are they experts, they really care about us and are always there to answer our questions and concerns. It's tough in that you have to keep up with the load but that's for any dental school you go to. My classmates share ALL review notes and old tests! I am really surprised sometimes with the camaraderie. People are always up for studying together and forming random study groups. And weekends are great for exploring the city! Wouldn't go anywhere else. But you have to decide for yourself.

 

[...]

Columbia is top-notch. We get some of the best professors in the country. Not only are they experts, they really care about us and are always there to answer our questions and concerns. It's tough in that you have to keep up with the load but that's for any dental school you go to. My classmates share ALL review notes and old tests! I am really surprised sometimes with the comaraderie. People are always up for studying together and forming random study groups. And weekends are great for exploring the city! Wouldn't go anywhere else. But you have to decide for yourself.

i was suprised by the hospitality(thanks dyarhea, thaz what happens when you post early in the morning, early for me ) of columbia students during the interview as well
during none of my other interviews, professors would stop this lecture and let us in asking questions, and students actually come up to me asking if I wanna know anything 😍

seems like we have a winner 😀
however, the area still doesn't seem too appealing to me, I guess I will get used to it later

 

[dyarhea]

i was suprised by the hostility of columbia students during the interview as well
during none of my other interviews, professors would stop this lecture and let us in asking questions, and students actually come up to me asking if I wanna know anything 😍

seems like we have a winner 😀
however, the area still doesn't seem too appealing to me, I guess I will get used to it later

. . .: do you mean hospitality? ya, columbia interview was the most comfortable of all the interviews i had...hopefully, i get the opportunity to go

 

[...]

. . .: do you mean hospitality? ya, columbia interview was the most comfortable of all the interviews i had...hopefully, i get the opportunity to go

now everynoe konw thta I cnanot splel 😀

 

[dyarhea]

now everynoe konw thta I cnanot splel 😀

dats inkorect 🙂

 

[Dr.BadVibes]

i commend badvibes for always sticking up for his school. but dude, you really need to get off your hate and bitterness about columbia (and it seems, penn also). i honestly don't know what you get out of trashing columbia at every turn you get.
from the perspective of someone who will be attending columbia in august, I can say this: sure, it might be more competitive. and yes, not every single student goes on to specialize. and yes, perhaps they don't focus as heavily on the clinical as other schools. But there's one thing you can't deny (and by no means am i trying to boast): Columbia kids are bright. they're smart people. The academic program is intense, but i'm sure ultimately rewarding. badvibes and others will say, who the heck needs academics, you're gonna graduate and clean teeth, why do you care what the pancreas does. Man, come on. First of all, you almost make it seem as it doesn't require brainpower to be a dentist. And second, when did a little more knowledge hurt anyone? Being around bright people will challenge you intellectually, and make you realize your true potential. going to an easier school and beating a bunch of slackers to get to the top spot cannot possibly provide the same satisfaction as, at the very least, keeping up with intelligent, hardworking people at a tougher school.

Sorry dude, but anyone who gets into dental school is bright in my books, not just at Columbia. And just ask any practicing dentist how much they remember about the so called "academics" of dental school. Even the juniors and seniors at my school tell me that after they write the boards, they forget EVERYTHING they learned the first two years, because they are concentrating on clinical.

So Im sure that Columbia's biochemistry professor is a nobel prize winner, but who cares! And plus, why does the prestige of the professors matter?? When your stuck in a big class and considered second class students to the med students, the so called genius prof is gonna give two $hits about you, and Im sure your not gonna care either cause after the boards Part I, you'll remember jack$hit about biochemistry.

Im sure that every dentist will tell you that clinical work is much more important to a dentist who wants to make money and profit compared to academics.

 

[nnjh]

http://dental.columbia.edu/education/post_doc_place.html

Only being first year at columbia, I don't know if these stats are considered

high. I'm guessing it's not too shabby. The number specializing is of course

straight after graduation. I know from talking with the faculty

and recent graduates (correct me if I'm wrong) that about twice that number

specialize after their aegd/gpr.

As for me, I love it here. Great school, bright classmates and no one's bitter

because, unlike some ppl whe troll this forum...we actually got

accepted to our first choice school.

If the URL above doesn't take you there go to the columbia dental main page

-> pre-doctoral admission --> FAQ --> post doctoral placement.

Good luck on your finals and have a great winter break everyone.

 

[nnjh]

Im sure that every dentist will tell you that clinical work is much more important to a dentist who wants to make money and profit compared to academics.

We have a class size of 75. I don't believe that's a large number at all. All

are professors are extremely accessible and are not considered second class

to the meds. We do not take all the classes with the meds. Only the basic

sciences that overlap. Before making all these allegations based on heresay

how about coming to the school yourself and see how it really is? As for the

strong academic curriculum I am all for it. We are consistently in the top 3

of the part I's and I think Its important that we actually know WHY we're

performing these procedures and what kind of complications may arise. If

your third and fourth years forgot everything they learned in biochemistry its

may be because they went to YOUR school. And if you think manual

dexterity is the only criteria for judging good dentistry I suggest you become

a lab technician.

 

[delicious]

This is an interesting thread, let me make two comments:

But there's one thing you can't deny (and by no means am i trying to boast): Columbia kids are bright. they're smart people.

Get your head out of your a$$ you monkey. Do you go to Columbia? If you do, and you're trying to make your school look good: you have failed. Making comments like that makes you look like a jerk. I agree with Dr. BadVibes, anyone who gets into dental school is smart.

CONS FOR UPENN:
-only top ten are ranked; if you aren't in that top ten it can look bad

Holy crap! How messed up is this?!! What is their motive for doing this? In my opinion, this is enough of a reason to not go to UPENN.

 

[marshall]

Holy crap! How messed up is this. In my opinion, this is enough of a reason not to want to go to UPENN.

It isn't necessarily horrible. If you are in that top 10 you will have a ranking which could be good because you are already at the top 10. If you aren't in the top 10 and aren't trying to be, you can still specialize because you aren't being ranked. I agree it should be an all or nothing policy but I don't think it is absolutely awful either.

 

[drat]

This is an interesting thread, let me make a two comments:



Get your head out of your a$$ you monkey. Do you go to Columbia? If you do, and you're trying to make your school look good: you have failed. Making comments like that makes you look like a jerk. I agree with Dr. BadVibes, anyone who gets into dental school is smart.

I disagree that what he said was a jerky thing to say. He didn't say that there are no other bright dental students outside the walls of Columbia. He merely stated that he thinks the students at Columbia are bright. The people I work with at my job are exceptionally bright. Can I be a monkey, too, now?

 

[Dr.BadVibes]

http://dental.columbia.edu/education/post_doc_place.html

Only being first year at columbia, I don't know if these stats are considered

high. I'm guessing it's not too shabby. The number specializing is of course

straight after graduation. I know from talking with the faculty

and recent graduates (correct me if I'm wrong) that about twice that number

specialize after their aegd/gpr.

As for me, I love it here. Great school, bright classmates and no one's bitter

because, unlike some ppl whe troll this forum...we actually got

accepted to our first choice school.

If the URL above doesn't take you there go to the columbia dental main page

-> pre-doctoral admission --> FAQ --> post doctoral placement.

Good luck on your finals and have a great winter break everyone.

ugh...we've been down this road too many times....

why do you Columbia people always link those stats? They are meaningless unless they also tell us how many people applied. Sure, 5 people got into ortho, but if 20 people applied, than those numbers mean dick.

At least UPenn provides this information because they are proud that they actually have DECENT numbers that entail certain bragging rights. Columbia on the other hand has not achieved that status yet, although it doesnt stop them.

Also, looking at those numbers for the thousandth time, why hasnt anyone realized that those numbers are only average and especially for a school that sells itself as a specialization school....

 

[delicious]

He didn't say that there are no other bright dental students outside the walls of Columbia. He merely stated that he thinks the students at Columbia are bright.

Then why did he/she bother mentioning it at all?! I think it's pretty obvious that he/she was trying to imply that columbia students were on average smarter.

Yes, you're a monkey. 👍

 

[Dr.BadVibes]

We have a class size of 75. I don't believe that's a large number at all. All

are professors are extremely accessible and are not considered second class

to the meds. We do not take all the classes with the meds. Only the basic

sciences that overlap. Before making all these allegations based on heresay

how about coming to the school yourself and see how it really is? As for the

strong academic curriculum I am all for it. We are consistently in the top 3

of the part I's and I think Its important that we actually know WHY we're

performing these procedures and what kind of complications may arise. If

your third and fourth years forgot everything they learned in biochemistry its

may be because they went to YOUR school. And if you think manual

dexterity is the only criteria for judging good dentistry I suggest you become

a lab technician.

Actually my dear, I did interview at Columbia last cycle and got accepted. And I knew that only basic sciences were taken with the med students. Didnt you realize that my example of BIOCHEMISTRY is a basic science 😕

And as for the Dental students being considered 2nd class to the med students, that is what I was told by senior students during my interview, and actually senior Columbia students have posted that on these forums if you care to look back for the proof.....However, I didnt see this as a negative to Columbia, cause frankly I dont care what the biochemistry teacher thinks of me...Im just using that material for Part I of the boards....I dont plan on remembering that stuff when Im practicing 😉

Further on that topic, to suggest that people forget about biochem could only come from my school cause its not as academic is absurd. Why dont you Columbia people wake up and just be friggin honest with yourselves....what dentist from any school is gonna remember the Krebs cycle after Part I's are done?? Are you telling me that during your senior years when you have patients to take care of and are constantly learning new things, that you will remember what you learned in biochemistry?? Gimme a fuking break..

 

[delicious]

It isn't necessarily horrible. If you are in that top 10 you will have a ranking which could be good because you are already at the top 10. If you aren't in the top 10 and aren't trying to be, you can still specialize because you aren't being ranked. I agree it should be an all or nothing policy but I don't think it is absolutely awful either.

Yeah, I see what you're saying marshall. Just for me though, there's no way I would be in the top 10. So, in their system the advantage is for those people in the top 10. (but I guess they deserve it, right? 😳 )

This competetive in-class ranking really freaks me out. Honestly, in UPENN vs. columbia it would be a huge factor for me.

 

[drat]

Then why did he/she bother mentioning it at all?! I think it's pretty obvious that he/she was trying to imply that columbia students were on average smarter.

Yes, you're a monkey. 👍

I think you're reading too much into his post.

But our bickering is silly. Let's discuss me being a monkey! 😉

 

[jessUMD]

Yeah, I see what you're saying marshall. Just for me though, there's no way I would be in the top 10. So, in their system the advantage is for those people in the top 10. (but I guess they deserve it, right? 😳 )

This competetive in-class ranking really freaks me out. Honestly, in UPENN vs. columbia it would be a huge factor for me.

I was told that even though some schools don't have class rankings, the office does keep private, internal records of the rank of all students, not just the top 10, for the sole purpose of specializing and scholarships. maybe it's just the top 10 students whose ranks are made public?

 

[...]

calm down people. I am sure everyone here is smart and dedicated to dentistry. every certified dental schools are equally as good, all the graduates are well qulified dentists.

the initial purpose of starting this thread is just to compare the style and environments of the schools, not academics, as I konw they are equally good (and temple is great school 2, as I notice many people from temple posted 😉 )

p.s. as columbia does not post the number of people applied to specility, could just be that they did not do the survey. Upenn's website sure is more informative, but don't degrade one school just coz the website doesn't provide all the information.

 

[rocknightmare]

i think i will stand up for drbadvibes on this.

i have spoken to several oral surgery professors and orthodontics. yes the basic sciences are important, but they are easily forgotten after sometimes and this is okay. because the important part of basic sciences course is to learn the material once by understanding then come test time answer the questions and forget them after you take the boards.

clincal professors know that you will forget your basic sciences, but they look at your grades in those courses to see if you can learn and study hard.

so no matter what school you go to once you start your clinical years you concetrate on clinical aspect of dentistry and forget your genetics and biochemistry except for the main concepts

 

[delicious]

I was told that even though some schools don't have class rankings, the office does keep private, internal records of the rank of all students, not just the top 10, for the sole purpose of specializing and scholarships. maybe it's just the top 10 students whose ranks are made public?

Yeah, of course. All schools rank their students: if not for some devious reason, then just to keep track of people who might need help.

Schools that don't rank: don't make the list public to the class, don't provide that information to other schools when apps go out for specializing.

However, with schools that don't rank - I think the relative academic strength of students comes out in letters of recommendation.

 

[Dr.BadVibes]

I was told that even though some schools don't have class rankings, the office does keep private, internal records of the rank of all students, not just the top 10, for the sole purpose of specializing and scholarships. maybe it's just the top 10 students whose ranks are made public?

A senior from Columbia posted in another thread that at Columbia, when you apply for a specialization and get a LOR, the letter will state that you are graduating with honours, high honours, super high honours, or something like that. SO its not a number ranking per se, but its still definitely a form of ranking meaning that Pass or Fail, your grades are still gonna matter!

 

[delicious]

I think you're reading too much into his post.

But our bickering is silly. Let's discuss me being a monkey! 😉

No. I'm reading too little into his post!!!!!!!! Makes me so angry, those arrogant ivy league columbia students. 😡 😡 😡 Think they're better than everyone else.

 

[Dr.BadVibes]

p.s. as columbia does not post the number of people applied to specility, could just be that they did not do the survey. Upenn's website sure is more informative, but don't degrade one school just coz the website doesn't provide all the information.

All Im saying is that Columbia and its students shouldnt be using these stats from their site to sell their school as a place to specialize, because as you agreed with me, it doesnt show the entire picture. Very misleading in my eyes.

Look at what Yah-E posted in the ortho thread. 7 people from Nova applied from ortho and THEY ALL MATCHED! Wow...do you think that Columbia can match that?? so you must understand that knowing the amount of people applying is an important indicator cause it will give the true story

 

[Dr.BadVibes]

No. I'm reading too little into his post!!!!!!!! Makes me so angry, those arrogant ivy league columbia students. 😡 😡 😡 Think they're better than everyone else.

I dont understand why Columbia dental students are so arrogant...if you look at the ADEA book, you'll see that Columbia's entering stats are not as high as many many other dental schools in the country. Look at some state schools were the average GPA is like 3.8!!! Geez, even I had a crappy GPA and I still got into Columbia.....

 

[marshall]

It is amazing how every single thread like this deteriorates into this garbage. Why don't we get back on track and list factual things about the schools. Penn and Columbia are both guilty of Ivy League pandering and specialty claims, etc SO... those issues are moot here. Bring up differences and strengths between the school and quit the childish comparisons.

 

[...]

It is amazing how every single thread like this deteriorates into this garbage. Why don't we get back on track and list factual things about the schools. Penn and Columbia are both guilty of Ivy League pandering and specialty claims, etc SO... those issues are moot here. Bring up differences and strengths between the school and quit the childish comparisons.

totally agree

as for the entire picture, you may also wanna ask among the people who applied for certain specialty, whaz their rank, gpa, ect.? do school advisor discourage people from applying because they may not have solid stats...etc. countless factors to count

so please just list some facts to help us making decisions, and make this thread clean PLEASE 😍

 

[SillyRabbit]

Dr. Badvibes....used to be Avingupta. if you look at his history, he's been talking nonsense about Columbia for at least a year now on these threads. I've been posting for almost 2 years now. The story is that he's just plain bitter towards Columbia. Sure, he got in...BUT first he was placed on the waiting list which made him upset. Then finally towards the end of the summer, he gets a call that a spot has been opened and he is accepted. Since he had already come to terms with his decision to go to Temple (it's a great school but you know choosing a school does involve some stress) and was already quite bitter towards Columbia (which he should have been over by now...obviously he's not cause he still posts angry things about the school at ANY opportunity he gets), he decides to turn down the Columbia offer and the anger continues. So, I would say keep this person's attitude in mind guys. All of this info is gathered based on Dr. Badvibes' own posts from earlier this year. Instead of posting on how arrogant Columbia students are and how it's not that great...he should be talking about his OWN school. It's amazing that he has no shame to write the posts he does and not care that people know his identity. VP of class.....frat member....MPH advocate...Would you want go to or work with a dentist with this kind of personality? Dr. Badvibes, I'd say you should just take it easy...just be happy that you're going to be a dentist and chill out about columbia. Things happen for a reason anyways. So you going to Temple is probably the best thing for you and the best thing for us.

 

[lbennett]

also any statistic (ie: incoming avg GPA) must be looked at very closely. Just because columbia's is lower than that of a state school means absolutely nothing. Maybe the students coming from state schools have higher gpas and then continue their dental educations there, whereas people coming from highly competitive schools (let's just say columbia, penn, etc.) may continue their educations in ivy league schools. What i'm trying to say is, if you have a 3.0 gpa at one school it can be equal to a 3.8 at another school. i don't mean to sound like a snob, but gpa means less than the DAT in my experience at least.

 

[MrBenny]

wow. how old are you delicious, like 5 years old? I don't believe I've ever had an adult insult me as being a "monkey" while trying to have an intelligent debate. Your complete lack of maturity and class makes this reply a waste of my time.

Just one last note: this was never a debate over which school has the smarter students. This was a debate about how Columbia's program has a different focus as compared to other programs, and how their difference in training is, TO ME, a strength rather than as a weakness.

Delicious, practice a little verbal restraint or grow a bigger vocabulary. You don't know me, so don't insult me.

 

[tommie]

I dont understand why Columbia dental students are so arrogant...if you look at the ADEA book, you'll see that Columbia's entering stats are not as high as many many other dental schools in the country. Look at some state schools were the average GPA is like 3.8!!! Geez, even I had a crappy GPA and I still got into Columbia.....

i dont understand how you got your interview, from what i know, your gpa is only 3.1 and your dat is only 19 something

did you really get the interview?

and when you mention university of toronto next time, please add that you graduate from mississauga campus, (not st. george campus) coz mississauga is such a disgrace to great u of t

 

[Dr.BadVibes]

Dr. Badvibes....used to be Avingupta. if you look at his history, he's been talking nonsense about Columbia for at least a year now on these threads. I've been posting for almost 2 years now. The story is that he's just plain bitter towards Columbia. Sure, he got in...BUT first he was placed on the waiting list which made him upset. Then finally towards the end of the summer, he gets a call that a spot has been opened and he is accepted. Since he had already come to terms with his decision to go to Temple (it's a great school but you know choosing a school does involve some stress) and was already quite bitter towards Columbia (which he should have been over by now...obviously he's not cause he still posts angry things about the school at ANY opportunity he gets), he decides to turn down the Columbia offer and the anger continues. So, I would say keep this person's attitude in mind guys. All of this info is gathered based on Dr. Badvibes' own posts from earlier this year. Instead of posting on how arrogant Columbia students are and how it's not that great...he should be talking about his OWN school. It's amazing that he has no shame to write the posts he does and not care that people know his identity. VP of class.....frat member....MPH advocate...Would you want go to or work with a dentist with this kind of personality? Dr. Badvibes, I'd say you should just take it easy...just be happy that you're going to be a dentist and chill out about columbia. Things happen for a reason anyways. So you going to Temple is probably the best thing for you and the best thing for us.

HAHAH...nice! Actually, if you remember, when I got my Columbia interview I was pretty damn excited and couldnt wait. Then, if you read my posts right after the interview after doing a little research of my own, you will find out that I didnt think the school was that great even before I knew I was waitlisted. And even when they later accepted me (which was weird cause I never sent in that paper saying that I wanted to be on the waitlist), my feelings never changed. So it has nothing to do with being bitter. I got rejected by Arizona, a school which I thought I would have loved to gone to, but I feel no bitterness towards them.

And if you wonder why I keep posting about Columbia, its because the Columbia students on this forum NEVER TELL THE FULL STORY.....

Look at marshalls post about Upenn. It was very informative where he actually gave good pros and cons about his school. Why Cant Columbia students post like that. Perhaps then I wouldnt have to always interject with the "other side of the story".

And about my identity...yup, I have nothing to hide. Is Columbia gonna put a hit on me? Just go on Temple's website and you can see my picture and soon enough a short little bio about me and my classmates...I dont care.

As a matter of fact SillyRabbit, I come to NYC a lot cause I love Broadway shows. In January Im goign to go see Avenue Q and Im dying to see Wicked, but am waiting till its easier to get cheaper tickets. So next time Im in NYC, wanna grab a drink?

 

[Dr.BadVibes]

i dont understand how you got your interview, from what i know, your gpa is only 3.1 and your dat is only 19 something

did you really get the interview?

and when you mention university of toronto next time, please add that you graduate from mississauga campus, (not st. george campus) coz mississauga is such a disgrace to great u of t

HAHHAHa........hmmmm...who could you be to know all this information about me? This must be Xiao...that Chinese guy that bought the DAT book from me last year....how you doing bud! Did you get accepted anywhere?

And about Mississauga, well Im not here to debate Erindale vs. St. George, but although I was officially registered at Erindale cause I wanted to get into Forensic Science in my 1st year and ERindale is the only school in Canada to offer forensic science, 12 of the 20 credits of my honours degree were downtown credits.

 

[SillyRabbit]

HAHAH...nice! Actually, if you remember, when I got my Columbia interview I was pretty damn excited and couldnt wait. Then, if you read my posts right after the interview after doing a little research of my own, you will find out that I didnt think the school was that great even before I knew I was waitlisted. And even when they later accepted me (which was weird cause I never sent in that paper saying that I wanted to be on the waitlist), my feelings never changed. So it has nothing to do with being bitter. I got rejected by Arizona, a school which I thought I would have loved to gone to, but I feel no bitterness towards them.

And if you wonder why I keep posting about Columbia, its because the Columbia students on this forum NEVER TELL THE FULL STORY.....

Look at marshalls post about Upenn. It was very informative where he actually gave good pros and cons about his school. Why Cant Columbia students post like that. Perhaps then I wouldnt have to always interject with the "other side of the story".

And about my identity...yup, I have nothing to hide. Is Columbia gonna put a hit on me? Just go on Temple's website and you can see my picture and soon enough a short little bio about me and my classmates...I dont care.

As a matter of fact SillyRabbit, I come to NYC a lot cause I love Broadway shows. In January Im goign to go see Avenue Q and Im dying to see Wicked, but am waiting till its easier to get cheaper tickets. So next time Im in NYC, wanna grab a drink?

WOW. How come you're being somewhat nice and calm all of a sudden? 😍 And you're asking me out?

Also, the only con of columbia that i see is the ghetto area. But most dental schools are like that soo....

 

[Dr.BadVibes]

WOW. How come you're being somewhat nice and calm all of a sudden? 😍 And you're asking me out?

Also, the only con of columbia that i see is the ghetto area. But most dental schools are like that soo....

Sure no prob...if you like Broadway shows! I saw Rent, Phantom, Lion King in London when I lived in England. IN Janauary for my bday, Im going to go see Avenue Q cause it looks too damn funny, and I cant wait to see Wicked...it just looks so amazing.

I really wanted to see the Marijuanlogues with Tommy Chong, but its only playing for a couple of weeks and I got exams. We could also check out The "Blue Note"....the famous jazz club on 131rd st cause I LOVEE jazz!

 

[HarvardMedRules]

Harvard is the intellectual mecca of the world. Every student at Harvard is a genuis. Any student will kill their fathers and mothers for a taste of Harvard's table scraps. I am a second year at Harvard MEDICAL school. That makes me a genius my default. Dental students are inferior to medical students. Let's make that clear. However, if one attends dental school at Harvard, he or she is my equal. Dr. BadVibes, you are a *****. Delicious, stop masturbating. Mr. Benny, while Columbia is still an inferior school, it is nonetheless an Ivy League school. Hence, you have earned my respect, albeit a small amount.

 

[delicious]

wow. how old are you delicious, like 5 years old? I don't believe I've ever had an adult insult me as being a "monkey" while trying to have an intelligent debate. Your complete lack of maturity and class makes this reply a waste of my time.

Just one last note: this was never a debate over which school has the smarter students. This was a debate about how Columbia's program has a different focus as compared to other programs, and how their difference in training is, TO ME, a strength rather than as a weakness.

Delicious, practice a little verbal restraint or grow a bigger vocabulary. You don't know me, so don't insult me.

Oh, no way man, you can't dig yourself outta this one. I read what you said. If I remember correctly:"Let's face it: columbia students are smart." I wasn't trying to have a debate with you, I was making a statement. OK, you're not a monkey; you just think kids at columbia are smarter, that's all.

 

[delicious]

going to an easier school and beating a bunch of slackers to get to the top spot cannot possibly provide the same satisfaction as, at the very least, keeping up with intelligent, hardworking people at a tougher school.

You also said: "Just one last note: this was never a debate over which school has the smarter students."

True. This wasn't a debate, you had already decided that columbia students were intelligent & hardworking while people at other schools are slackers.

 

[edkNARF]

It is amazing how every single thread like this deteriorates into this garbage. Why don't we get back on track and list factual things about the schools. Penn and Columbia are both guilty of Ivy League pandering and specialty claims, etc SO... those issues are moot here. Bring up differences and strengths between the school and quit the childish comparisons.

PLEASE STOP BICKERING AND DO THE COMPARE THE PROGRAMS OF PENN AND COLUMBIA! 😡

 

[MrBenny]

Look, the weaknesses of the program at Columbia are such:
1) relative lack of clinical focus as compared to other institutions
2) facilities are not as new, buildings are not as new
3) area might not be attractive to some ppl. Whether or not safety is a concern, it wouldn't hurt to always be cautious in that area of town

the strengths:
1) The school philosophy: they view dentistry as a specialty of medicine, and thus they reinforce that idea by providing a sound, broad knowledge basis of the human body and what role the mouth has in relation to that.
2) The training. Yes its grueling. Yes its intense. But you'll come out of it knowing you are well trained and well educated to deliver the highest quality of dental health care to our society, especially in this age when the biomedical sciences are becoming fully integrated as one.
3) I won't deny the name of the school is a strength. Whether or not that matters is a personal preference. I've always tried to look for the best academic opportunities available, and going to a well-respected school has never hurt anyone.

No matter what anyone says, bottom line is this: Find out what kind of person you are first. Then find out what each of the dental schools out there offer. Then look for the best match. Columbia might fit one person, Penn might fit another.

delicious, i have no desire to argue or "bicker" with you. I'll try to be adult about it and hope we can have more meaningful dialogue.

 

[qaztake82]

Harvard is the intellectual mecca of the world. Every student at Harvard is a genuis. Any student will kill their fathers and mothers for a taste of Harvard's table scraps. I am a second year at Harvard MEDICAL school. That makes me a genius my default. Dental students are inferior to medical students. Let's make that clear. However, if one attends dental school at Harvard, he or she is my equal. Dr. BadVibes, you are a *****. Delicious, stop masturbating. Mr. Benny, while Columbia is still an inferior school, it is nonetheless an Ivy League school. Hence, you have earned my respect, albeit a small amount.

did u make this screen name just so u could make this post. haha u must have a lot of time on your hands at harvard.

 

[delicious]

I'll try to be adult about it and hope we can have more meaningful dialogue.

Yeah, I"ll try and act more like an adult. Thanks for bringing this post back together. I just felt that the way you worded your post; people could get the wrong idea. I don't know if you've noticed, but there's a lot of ivy league hate on these forums.

Back to the discussion. Another point that hasn't been raised is that UPenn's class is like 105 while columbia's is 75. I personally feel that the smaller the class the better. I dunno, if I had to decide between the two, I would choose columbia (just my opinion though!!). 🙂

 

[HarvardMedRules]

did u make this screen name just so u could make this post. haha u must have a lot of time on your hands at harvard.

Yes, indeed. Geniuses too need their entertainment. Today was a relatively easy day. My fellow classmates and I are nearing the end of pharmacology and pathology. Moreover, I shadowed a world renowned cardiothoracic surgeon at Mass General. After a PA successfully extracted the saphenous vein, I was allowed to suture small regions of the upper thigh. The PA was $%#king slow. He must have graduated from an inferior school. I could have extracted that vein with my eyes closed.