Deciding between schools

[super112]

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Hi everyone, I'm currently choosing between two schools (CA) and I wanted to get some input from dental students before making my decision.

Most importantly: What is a factor you wished you considered before choosing a dental school?

Should you really only choose a school based off the cheaper option?

The two schools I'm considering are Loma Linda University and USC. So one obviously has the name and price-tag but I quite often hear that ever since switching to peer-based-learning, USC isn't what it used to be. Loma Linda, however, seems to be preferred as the better school by some dentists I've worked with...but since they got their degree from competing California dental schools, I can't be sure if they have bias against a competing/big-name California school.

USC is in a urban area with plenty to offer whilst LLU is suburban. And for those that are unfamiliar, LLU is a religious school but I read that although they have certain rules (no meat, etc.), those apply only when on campus. For example you can go across the street and buy In-n-out and bring it back to campus, but you won't find a burger place ON campus.

Current plan is to specialize (like everyone else apparently haha) in ortho. Loma Linda has 2.25 year specialty, USC 2.75 years specialty. But Speaking with a dentist, I was informed that not necessarily I would continue with the same school I pick now.

So any thoughts/opinions will be appreciated. Feel free to ramble!

Also if anyone from these schools are willing to answer 10 or so questions about your experience during your school years, please shoot me a PM!

 

[SweetWater54]

Isn't LLU like half the price of USC? I think it would be foolish to pick USC if the price difference is significant. As long as you do well you will be able to specialize no matter what school you go to

 

[derbear]

Cost! Honestly. This is the biggest factor. All dental schools will give you essentially the same education and your ability to specialize depends highly on your connections and your marks. When I was a pre-dent, price was the last thing on my mind as I was more worried about location, repuation etc. (or in your case In-n-Out Burger access). All that really doesn't matter once you are in dental school...you will find this out.

But listen to me when I say COST is by far the most important factor (especially if you are taking out loans). Don't say I didn't warn you!

 

[Daurang]

If LLU is half price of USC, the choice is so easy. Stop making life more complicated than it is.

 

[super112]

Isn't LLU like half the price of USC? I think it would be foolish to pick USC if the price difference is significant. As long as you do well you will be able to specialize no matter what school you go to

More expensive but not to THAT extent haha. My calculations assuming you take out full loans at both schools and accounting for 7% interest accrued during school, it becomes 526k at USC vs. 468k at LLU. So roughly a difference of 60k.

 

[derbear]

More expensive but not to THAT extent haha. My calculations assuming you take out full loans at both schools and accounting for 7% interest accrued during school, it becomes 526k at USC vs. 468k at LLU. So roughly a difference of 60k.

Just 60k. Pretty much pennies.

 

[allantois]

Eh USC is not to be trusted with their annual tuition increases

 

[frozenicecreamDMD]

Cost! Honestly. This is the biggest factor. All dental schools will give you essentially the same education and your ability to specialize depends highly on your connections and your marks. When I was a pre-dent, price was the last thing on my mind as I was more worried about location, repuation etc. (or in your case In-n-Out Burger access). All that really doesn't matter once you are in dental school...you will find this out.

But listen to me when I say COST is by far the most important factor (especially if you are taking out loans). Don't say I didn't warn you!

then explain to me why u decide to go to a foreign dental school that should You decide to practice in the states, the odds is against u?

 

[aspiringdds02]

Pick the cheaper school. Once that 60k gets capitalized a loan balance that huge will quickly turn repayment of that 60 into well over a hundred.

 

[cmcner]

Eh USC is not to be trusted with their annual tuition increases

Like Loma Linda got to $468 without crazy tuition increases annually.

USC allows $27,000 a year in living expenses if you live frugally you could cut out $15,000 a year and they'd be the same price, but that's very frugally

And truthfully you're not going to be able to pay either off. You're going down the road of PAYE, which isn't anything to freak out about but it's reality with those numbers

 

[super112]

Like Loma Linda got to $468 without crazy tuition increases annually.

USC allows $27,000 a year in living expenses if you live frugally you could cut out $15,000 a year and they'd be the same price, but that's very frugally

And truthfully you're not going to be able to pay either off. You're going down the road of PAYE, which isn't anything to freak out about but it's reality with those numbers

Don't forget that price is after accounting for interest during the 4 years. Same for the USC price I listed. FYI for readers

 

[derbear]

then explain to me why u decide to go to a foreign dental school that should You decide to practice in the states, the odds is against u?

I'm Canadian and with the USD/CAD vs AUD/CAD I am paying about 200k USD for tuition in Australia vs 400k USD if I went to a school in the states. Canada and Australia have a reciprocal agreement where I can come back to Canada and practice with no hassle.

 

[allantois]

I'm Canadian and with the USD/CAD vs AUD/CAD I am paying about 200k USD for tuition in Australia vs 400k USD if I went to a school in the states. Canada and Australia have a reciprocal agreement where I can come back to Canada and practice with no hassle.

Good for Canada. I've long been saying that we should outsource dental schools if our own schools can't do it at a reasonable cost. Too bad American students are disincentivized from really looking into the costs of their education with the availability of unlimited government loans. Betting that those loans will ever be forgiven is pure fantasy.

 

[cmcner]

Betting that those loans will ever be forgiven is pure fantasy.

It's also US law that they will. Laws can change, but I'm going to stick with what's on the books because no student loan repayment program has ever been changed without grandfathering in the people currently participating in that program. Repaye was just a reaffirmation of this by the govt this year. 2017 will be the first year of public service loan forgiveness so we will see soon.

I do agree that it is unethical and awful what these schools are charging and they should have more regulation with a threat to lose their not for profit status for charging this much. I personally feel I could run a dental school for almost nothing since most of the faculty are volunteer, the patients pay, and lots of companies would donate their stuff to schools as a form of advertising.

 

[allantois]

It's also US law that they will. Laws can change, but I'm going to stick with what's on the books because no student loan repayment program has ever been changed without grandfathering in the people currently participating in that program. Repaye was just a reaffirmation of this by the govt this year. 2017 will be the first year of public service loan forgiveness so we will see soon.

I do agree that it is unethical and awful what these schools are charging and they should have more regulation with a threat to lose their not for profit status for charging this much. I personally feel I could run a dental school for almost nothing since most of the faculty are volunteer, the patients pay, and lots of companies would donate their stuff to schools as a form of advertising.

You are right about people being grandfathered into this program, but are these income-driven programs all that great for a person with as much debt as dental graduates? The principle alone on a 500k loan (after accumulated over 4 years interest is factored) at 6% is going to be $30k/ year. Not to mention you can't refinance with a private bank, otherwise you won't be able to write the debt off in 20 years! Making 10% payments of discretionary income, as PAYE requires, won't even cover the interest of that loan, and will cause it to ballon to an unbelievable figure. That, of course, wouldn't matter unless the forgiven amount wasn't tax bombed at the end of those 20 years. The best I can come up with in terms of repayment is to at least try and pay the interest off the loan every year, as well as save for the coming tax bomb.