Current Buffalo students please help!! :) thanks!

[kks337]

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Hi! Please help!!

I got accepted into Buffalo and I just have some questions for Buffalo students out there!
any help would be grealy appreciated!!

1. I understand that there is a new dean and 3rd/4th year students no longer get their own chairs..does this mean that students would fight over chair time and patients?

2. is a car required to go around Buffalo? how's the transit system there?

3. how long are your summer and winter breaks?? do you have time to fly back to your hometown during that time???

4. do you get enough time to study for your boards?

5. are the teachers helpful? and do students get weed off quite easily??
6. how prepared do you feel after you grad to start your own practice?
7. is it hard to specialize afterwards?

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!

 

[Mjl3535]

I was just accepted on the 1st but I have been working at the school for 4 years and also taken many classes with the dental students.

1) There is a new dean and the 3rd/4th years are not guaranteed their own chair any longer because they are accepting international students into 3rd year. I don't know exactly how difficult it is to get a chair, but I haven't heard of any major problems yet.

2) It is not required to have a car in Buffalo; however, it is very beneficial. Public transport is not very good and usually you need to live near it to benefit. If you can afford it, and are comfortable driving or learning to drive in the snow, I would definitely get a car.

3) Summer breaks change every year. They are getting shorter each year because they want the clinic to run year-round. So, I can't say what summer break will be over the next 4 years. Winter break typically lasts from mid December until around Jan 3rd or 4th.

4) Can't say for sure about study time for boards being that I was just accepted but I've heard that they are given adequate time and in general, they perform quite well.

5) Some professors, like any school, are more helpful than others. The faculty has always been good to me.

6) N/A

7) N/A

 

[334278]

First of all, congrats on your acceptance! I'm currently a freshman in the DDS program, so I can't answer all of your questions but I'll try my best to help out as much as I can.

1. I understand that there is a new dean and 3rd/4th year students no longer get their own chairs..does this mean that students would fight over chair time and patients?

From what I've heard, there is never a problem getting a chair. I've heard this situation makes it easier to access the prof you need because they no longer need to go from one end of the clinic to the other to help out a student, since seating is no longer based on last name. Chairs are now distributed so that you're closer to the prof who will be teaching you.

2. is a car required to go around Buffalo? how's the transit system there?

I have a few classmates who do not have a car, but they live extremely close to the school. Everything you need should be within reasonable distance if you live very, very close to the school. The majority of my classmates have cars.

3. how long are your summer and winter breaks?? do you have time to fly back to your hometown during that time???

For this upcoming year, our summer break is about a month/ a month and a half. Our winter break is 2 1/2 weeks (dec 14 to jan 3). You definitely have time to fly back. We had a week off for thanksgiving and people have gone back home once in a while on weekends throughout the semester (including myself).

4. do you get enough time to study for your boards?

Sorry, I can't answer this one. From what I've heard, though, no one ever really has problems with passing the boards.

5. are the teachers helpful? and do students get weed off quite easily??

Of course, some teachers are better than others. However, most of them are very helpful and all are easily accessible. As a class, we help each other out a lot too, so if a prof can't explain it well, your classmate might be able to. From what I've heard, students do not get "weeded" out easily. Last year, everyone passed. Flunking out does not happen very often.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[UBDent19]

Hey Simply Yours!

I didn't know we had a pre-dental student in our class! 😀

To the OP: I second all the answers provided by Simply Yours.

 

[kks337]

Thanks everyone!!! Your feedback is greatly appreciated!!!! 😀
But just another question if you don't mind..

Where do most students live? Housing advice?

 

[UBDent19]

Many students live within walking distance across the street from school. If you live anywhere along the subway line, you can get free subway service which takes you almost right in front of the dental school. There is plenty of affordable housing in good areas near the school if you don't mind driving a few minutes.

You can find dental students who are looking for roommates on the school's orientation forum or on Facebook when your class starts a page of their own.

 

[Regmata]

You need a car to live in Buffalo.

For the most part, the faculty are great and very helpful.

The training you receive is excellent and will prepare you to be a GP quite well.

You can specialize coming out of Buffalo just like any other school. It is up to the student to make themselves a competitive applicant.

 

[UBDent19]

Hey Regmata! How's the residency going?

To the OP: take Regmata's advice, he knows what he's talking about.

 

[ducksfly]

what simply yours wrote + 5) yes we have enough time to study for boards. you can take up to six weeks during the summer between d2 and d3 or go all out and take em in january after having studied over christmas break of d2 (requires special approval).

 

[tooth knockn]

Bump