CURRENT UOP DENTAL STUDENTS

[Dr.dentist.dds]

Want to apply to UOP. I am from Kansas, do they care if I am OOS??

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[drhhdds]

If you want to specialize. I would recommend going somewhere else. It’s possible at UOP but it would be much easier at any other school. I wanted to specialize too and now I regret coming here even though I’m still in the top third of my class.

 

[drhhdds]

Everyone I talk to agrees saying that UOP is great cause it’s only 3 years. But the curriculum is suuuuper tough. They make it wayyy harder than it needs to be, I would go somewhere else just to ensure that I would specialize.

 

[Dr.dentist.dds]

Everyone I talk to agrees saying that UOP is great cause it’s only 3 years. But the curriculum is suuuuper tough. They make it wayyy harder than it needs to be, I would go somewhere else just to ensure that I would specialize.

Thank you for your response! Can I PM you?

 

[drhhdds]

Thank you for your response! Can I PM you?

Go for it.

 

[TanMan]

Everyone I talk to agrees saying that UOP is great cause it’s only 3 years. But the curriculum is suuuuper tough. They make it wayyy harder than it needs to be, I would go somewhere else just to ensure that I would specialize.

Do you still have to wake up at 8am for mandatory classes everyday?

 

[drhhdds]

Do you still have to wake up at 8am for mandatory classes everyday?

Every class is mandatory, unless it is pre-recorded. Then you can watch it whenever you want. Covid has really messed things up, the schedule changes from week to week. Sometime we have class starting at 8am and we don’t end till 5 pm. Most of the time I would say that classes start at 9. But then some days we don’t have classes and we get 4 hours to practice in the sim lab. We might get those 4 hours in the morning from 8-12. Or we might get it from 1-5. So it’s hard to answer that question with every thing shifting. I will also say that most days we have class at 9am but we will have a test that is online that starts at 8am. So again, it changes all the time.

 

[TanMan]

Every class is mandatory, unless it is pre-recorded. Then you can watch it whenever you want. Covid has really messed things up, the schedule changes from week to week. Sometime we have class starting at 8am and we don’t end till 5 pm. Most of the time I would say that classes start at 9. But then some days we don’t have classes and we get 4 hours to practice in the sim lab. We might get those 4 hours in the morning from 8-12. Or we might get it from 1-5. So it’s hard to answer that question with every thing shifting. I will also say that most days we have class at 9am but we will have a test that is online that starts at 8am. So again, it changes all the time.

Ah, that's interesting to know. I remember that was a dealkiller for me back then. Out of curiousity, when you say mandatory, is it mandatory with or without consequences if you don't attend?

 

[drhhdds]

Ah, that's interesting to know. I remember that was a dealkiller for me back then. Out of curiousity, when you say mandatory, is it mandatory with or without consequences if you don't attend?

It depends on the class and whether or not there is a test the same day. Sometimes they don’t really care and don’t take role but on others, they do. Some people come on the zoom call and just leave the room while in the call so I guess you could do that. But some professors will randomly call out students to have them answer questions to see if they are paying attention. But there are 146 students in the class so chances are that you won’t get chosen. But they do take role some times and give out credit for participation.

 

[carpe_diem]

If you want to specialize. I would recommend going somewhere else. It’s possible at UOP but it would be much easier at any other school. I wanted to specialize too and now I regret coming here even though I’m still in the top third of my class.

When you said you’re in the top third of your class (which is amazing, congratulations!), is that an accumulation of both didactic and preclinical courses? Or does UOP do a separate ranking system for preclinical vs didactic?

 

[drhhdds]

When you said you’re in the top third of your class (which is amazing, congratulations!), is that an accumulation of both didactic and preclinical courses? Or does UOP do a separate ranking system for preclinical vs didactic?

Thats a good question, to my knowledge, i think they combine your gpa from didactic and sim lab courses together to give you and overall ranking. I believe thats how they do it at other schools as well but I'm not too sure.

 

[drhhdds]

how hard is it to maintain top 10% class rank as I know most UOP students want to do general

It's still tough. With being an accelerated program, you are pushed to learn a ton of material quickly with not much time to do it. And even with students just wanting to do general dentistry, students are still working hard. The class average for every test is extremely high.
It's possible to specialize here but its wayyy easier at a 4 year program.

People do say that lots of students want to do general dentistry at UOP, but there are also quite a few that want to specialize. I would say that at least 1/3 of the students (maybe more) want to pursue some sort of specialty. so thats still around 50 people completing for the top 10%. It is possible, but I think if you for sure want to specialize, i would go to a 4 year school just to be on an easier/more secure path.

 

[uopdentalstudent]

In the name

3rd year here and and I have to say that UOP being "the only 3-year accelerated" program out there makes everything extremely fast-paced. They pile didactics, sim lab, and clinic work the first two years, making it very hard to maintain class rank and/or social life. You will have to prepare to take 5-10 finals within three days during finals week. You will also graduate with around $500k in loans, which is a lot once you start realizing that you want to take out loans for a private practice, house etc. also. A lot of people experience burn-out and settle for doing general dentistry. Hard to specialize here.

Some tips are to really stay on top of clinic work. Be nice with the faculty and prepare for your procedures and you will excel greatly in clinic. Realize that in the end how on top of clinic you are is a great determinant for success in the real world. It's also true that UOP is held in high regard in terms of clinical skills. People know how gifted UOP students are in terms of dental work. This is because grading is very nitpicky and being 0.5mm off can result in automatic failure. No regrades or retakes. We learn to be perfectionists here. However, our preps and restorations are beautiful compared to other schools. Just giving facts straight for anyone interested in hearing about the program from someone who's been through it all. In the end, just remember that if you do come here, you have a guaranteed job in a successful and highly rewarding occupation. Dentistry is amazing and life-changing for you and your patients. Wishing all the best of luck with dental school applications!

 

[Rambunctious]

In the name

3rd year here and and I have to say that UOP being "the only 3-year accelerated" program out there makes everything extremely fast-paced. They pile didactics, sim lab, and clinic work the first two years, making it very hard to maintain class rank and/or social life. You will have to prepare to take 5-10 finals within three days during finals week. You will also graduate with around $500k in loans, which is a lot once you start realizing that you want to take out loans for a private practice, house etc. also. A lot of people experience burn-out and settle for doing general dentistry. Hard to specialize here.

Some tips are to really stay on top of clinic work. Be nice with the faculty and prepare for your procedures and you will excel greatly in clinic. Realize that in the end how on top of clinic you are is a great determinant for success in the real world. It's also true that UOP is held in high regard in terms of clinical skills. People know how gifted UOP students are in terms of dental work. This is because grading is very nitpicky and being 0.5mm off can result in automatic failure. No regrades or retakes. We learn to be perfectionists here. However, our preps and restorations are beautiful compared to other schools. Just giving facts straight for anyone interested in hearing about the program from someone who's been through it all. In the end, just remember that if you do come here, you have a guaranteed job in a successful and highly rewarding occupation. Dentistry is amazing and life-changing for you and your patients. Wishing all the best of luck with dental school applications!

you summed up UOP experience pretty well. All of my classmates that wanted to specialize did get into it eventually. The ones that did not right off the bat did a GPR or worked GP few years and got in.

 

[futuredentalstudent2024]

What’s the curriculum like? Like what classes and how many credits do you take each semester?

 

[OncePreDent]

In the name

3rd year here and and I have to say that UOP being "the only 3-year accelerated" program out there makes everything extremely fast-paced. They pile didactics, sim lab, and clinic work the first two years, making it very hard to maintain class rank and/or social life. You will have to prepare to take 5-10 finals within three days during finals week. You will also graduate with around $500k in loans, which is a lot once you start realizing that you want to take out loans for a private practice, house etc. also. A lot of people experience burn-out and settle for doing general dentistry. Hard to specialize here.

Some tips are to really stay on top of clinic work. Be nice with the faculty and prepare for your procedures and you will excel greatly in clinic. Realize that in the end how on top of clinic you are is a great determinant for success in the real world. It's also true that UOP is held in high regard in terms of clinical skills. People know how gifted UOP students are in terms of dental work. This is because grading is very nitpicky and being 0.5mm off can result in automatic failure. No regrades or retakes. We learn to be perfectionists here. However, our preps and restorations are beautiful compared to other schools. Just giving facts straight for anyone interested in hearing about the program from someone who's been through it all. In the end, just remember that if you do come here, you have a guaranteed job in a successful and highly rewarding occupation. Dentistry is amazing and life-changing for you and your patients. Wishing all the best of luck with dental school applications!

Coming from Roseman (new 3-year program):

Your guy's experience sounds significantly different than ours. We have a block curriculum (taking 1 class at a time) & Pass/Fail as well. Additionally, reassessments or retakes are very common at Roseman because you need a 90% to pass. I'm surprised you aren't allowed retakes at UoP. As far as loans go tuition, fees, and everything cost $330k for the 3-years, and living costs around $20k per year (total $60k + $330k = $390k + interest). Because it is block schedule, it is extremely easy to succeed/stay organized.

A bigger negative to Roseman is the difficulty of specializing if you come here. Typically, 0% of people get into OS & Endo directly from Roseman. This year we have 1 person from Endo which is great (the first time in 4 years I believe). A few get into ortho. Peds has the highest success rate. If you want to be a general dentist, Roseman is an amazing place because you will get a ton of experience in the clinic with phenomenal faculty advisors. D1s started doing resto's (Class I, III, IV, V) in the clinic last month, and once we are D3s, we will be seeing around 4 patients a day (currently see 2 patients).

When do/did you guys start doing restorations in the clinic at UoP?