Deciding Factor for D-School??

[cessna 182]

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How big of a factor in deciding which dental school to goto should learning the old fashioned way from books as opposed to DVD/Laptop/Powerpoints be?

What were your big factors in deciding about which school to goto? How did you choose one school over the next?

 

[pntbutter]

The biggest factors for me was $ and location. i wouldn't sweat teaching methods too much, unless the school has a bad rep for graduating their students.

 

[JMJRDH1]

oops

 

[JMJRDH1]

How big of a factor in deciding which dental school to goto should learning the old fashioned way from books as opposed to DVD/Laptop/Powerpoints be?

What were your big factors in deciding about which school to go to? How did you choose one school over the next?

That is a personal preference. IMO, it would probably be the absolute laast thing on my mind when making the final decision.

The factors that you speak of are only relevant once you have been accepted to multiple schools. Financing, location and clinical experience seem to be the biggest factors. For me, money is the number one factor big time!

 

[Ozzie99]

Financing, location and clinical experience seem to be the biggest factors.

What about if you are dead set on specializing - is it better to go for a d-school that is heavy in the sciences, more so than a school that has the clinical experience?

 

[JMJRDH1]

What about if you are dead set on specializing - is it better to go for a d-school that is heavy in the sciences, more so than a school that has the clinical experience?

In reality, you being "dead set" on specializing sounds nice, but acceptance is based on many factors, and your desire to specialize may not mean that you are actually able to get into the program of your choosing regardless of the school you attend.

A science-heavy school may result in higher board scores for you, and in that case you would be more likely to get your specialty. Ultimately, the few at he top of the class of ANY dental school will likely get in to their desired specialty, so I would shoot for the high Board scores and class ranking regardless.

If you are accepted into those schools known for high specialization rates, you better be on top of your game because the competition for those seats is brutal. Even if you don't get in right away, after a few years of practice, you are in a good position to get a seat in a specialty program.

Good Luck! 👍

 

[in her drawer]

How big of a factor in deciding which dental school to goto should learning the old fashioned way from books as opposed to DVD/Laptop/Powerpoints be?

What were your big factors in deciding about which school to goto? How did you choose one school over the next?

Technology had no effect on my decision. I picked mine based on the curriculum, grading system, and location.

 

[JMJRDH1]

Technology had no effect on my decision. I picked mine based on the curriculum, grading system, and location.

Aside from electives, isn't the curriculum at all schools essentially identical?

 

[Rube]

I would consider two dental schools this way...

1. A big yearly difference in tuition
2. Reputation for graduating good GP clinicians
3. Reputation for acceptance into specialities
4. Gut feel

 

[UCFpremed]

At first, I was basing my opinions on dental schools based on
1. Curriculum
2. Technology
3. Location
4. Autonomy


After actually being in dental school for 3 months I've realized that Location and Curriculum are tied. Technology doesn't really matter just as long as you have clinical exposure and a sim lab. When you're busting your balls in class the last thing you want to do is come home to your ****ty apartment in an area where you're not comfortable.

Being in dental school, I feel like I have autonomy at my school. I feel like if I have any problems I can talk to the deans about anything. I feel like I also have pull at my school. If I was an applicant now I would judge my decision based on:

1. Location
2. Curriculum
3. Autonomy
4. Technology

 

[FlossEnthusiast]

For me it's..

1. Curriculum/Technology/Facilities
2. Location
3. Price (I figure I'm going to graduate with a huge ass debt anyways, might as well go all out, if necessary... not exactly the best train of thought, but it's where I'm at right now)

The list is likely to change, but so far, the school itelf is most important to me - not how how much it costs. I agree with the fact that every school will provide a quality education, but every school certainly has a different emphasis (admit it or not), whether it be clinical education, didactics, etc...

 

[NewMexDent]

What would you say the deciding factors for curriculum are?

 

[shamrock2006]

I wouldnt recommend trying to choose a school basedon curriculums because those change w/ the profession. Clinic requirements change more often than you'd think. Hell, even didactic courses get altered from time to time. So that doesnt really help much. Plus...at every school the curriculums are pretty much identical anyway..esp. your didactic courses. The only difference is a matter of when you take them. Clinic requirements vary from school to school....but in the end, no matter where you go, you'll get exposure to every aspect of dentistry. You pretty much have to. My advice...pick the place where you'd be happiest...whether it be due to cost, location, distance from loved ones, etc.

 

[pine88]

Aside from electives, isn't the curriculum at all schools essentially identical?

Electives? None of that around here. Do other schools have electives? I don't know when you would have time for that.
Curriculums are similar, but it seems there is a lot of variety in the way they are taught

I based my decision on:
1) high board passing rates and good reputation
2)happier students than I saw at any other school

It was a negative for me that the clinic wasn't paperless. But now we will probably be switching by next year, which will probably be chaos for us but good for whoever comes next

 

[armorshell]

Electives? None of that around here. Do other schools have electives? I don't know when you would have time for that.
Curriculums are similar, but it seems there is a lot of variety in the way they are taught

I based my decision on:
1) high board passing rates and good reputation
2)happier students than I saw at any other school

It was a negative for me that the clinic wasn't paperless. But now we will probably be switching by next year, which will probably be chaos for us but good for whoever comes next

Yes schools have electives, and so do we 😛 Some even have mandatory electives (UNLV, ASDOH) which don't really make them very elective at all.

 

[pine88]

Yes schools have electives, and so do we 😛 Some even have mandatory electives (UNLV, ASDOH) which don't really make them very elective at all.

What electives do we have?

 

[armorshell]

What electives do we have?

From the fourth through twelfth quarters, students must enroll in selective instruction each year which serves to extend basic knowledge and skills in a discipline. A listing of selective course offerings is distributed during the winter or spring quarter. Advanced topics and experiences in selected basic, clinical, and behavioral science disciplines are offered (10 to 40 hours per year, 0.1-1.0 units per course).

http://dental.pacific.edu/StudentServices/WinterQuarterSelectives.htm

Those are the offerings. It appears that most of them are just short seminars, not acutal, quarter long classes though.

 

[JMJRDH1]

Electives? Curriculums are similar, but it seems there is a lot of variety in the way they are taught

Certainly there will be differences in the ways things are taught in differeng schools.

I am still wondering what these differences in curricula between schools are?

 

[armorshell]

Certainly there will be differences in the ways things are taught in differeng schools.

I am still wondering what these differences in curricula between schools are?

I can think of one example where I have a direct comparison between UCSF and Pacific, and that's dental anatomy (I did some waxing with a friend from SF).

Here's the breakdown as I understood it:
Pacific - Step by step slideshows for every waxup, use a multi-color coded system to separate anatomical features of the tooth i.e. red wax for triangular ridges, blue for labial contour bars, orange for M/D line angles, green for marginal ridges... We have discrete projects with due dates spread throughout the quarter and the class is partially integrated with fixed prosthodontics. Lots of multi-unit and case-based waxups.

Our first tooth to wax was an ungraded maxillary lateral then a graded maxillary central.

SF - Demonstration of how to wax at the beginning of the quarter with no discrete system of adding wax (one color) taught. Waxups are all assigned at the beginning of the quarter and have to be checked off before the end. First project was a maxillary 1st premolar.

Or were you looking for something less specific?

 

[JMJRDH1]

I can think of one example where I have a direct comparison between UCSF and Pacific, and that's dental anatomy (I did some waxing with a friend from SF).

Here's the breakdown as I understood it:
Pacific - Step by step slideshows for every waxup, use a multi-color coded system to separate anatomical features of the tooth i.e. red wax for green for marginal ridges... We have discrete projects with due dates spread throughout the quarter and the class is partially integrated with fixed prosthodontics. Lots of multi-unit and case-based waxups.

Our first tooth to wax was an ungraded maxillary lateral then a graded triangular ridges, blue for labial contour bars, orange for M/D line angles, maxillary central.

SF - Demonstration of how to wax at the beginning of the quarter with no discrete system of adding wax (one color) taught. Waxups are all assigned at the beginning of the quarter and have to be checked off before the end. First project was a maxillary 1st premolar.

Or were you looking for something less specific?

Thanks for the response, but I think the problem here is the use of the word curriculum incorrectly.

People have stated that they have chosen a particular school based on the curriculum, but I believe that the curriculum is essentially the same at all dental schools. While there may be great differences between the way that courses are taught, there is no difference in the required course of study to become a DMD/DDS (the curriculum).

If I am wrong please correct me!

 

[armorshell]

Thanks for the response, but I think the problem here is the use of the word curriculum incorrectly.

People have stated that they have chosen a particular school based on the curriculum, but I believe that the curriculum is essentially the same at all dental schools. While there may be great differences between the way that courses are taught, there is no difference in the required course of study to become a DMD/DDS (the curriculum).

If I am wrong please correct me!

I agree with you, I was just trying to point it out in a snarky, pointless way by illuminating the difference between two curricula (Which probably manage to achieve the same end).

But then again, some dental school curricula have a lot of ancillary classes built in. I know ASDOH has a public health focus and UNLV has a good deal of "elective" type classes built into the curriculum. Pacific has very few (Like Public health, epidemiology, spanish, hospital dentistry, etc...)

 

[JMJRDH1]

I agree with you, I was just trying to point it out in a snarky, pointless way by illuminating the difference between two curricula (Which probably manage to achieve the same end).

But then again, some dental school curricula have a lot of ancillary classes built in. I know ASDOH has a public health focus and UNLV has a good deal of "elective" type classes built into the curriculum. Pacific has very few (Like Public health, epidemiology, spanish, hospital dentistry, etc...)

This is my point exactly armorshell! You did not point out an actual difference between the two curricula, but a difference between how the two curricula are taught!

Your second sentence explains a true difference between the curricula of two different schools. These differences are very minor IMO when compared to the entire course of study required to become a DDS/DMD.

A couple of different electives that may give any school a particular "focus" different from another is not high on my list of reasons to choose one school over another. This is why I never understood the initial question of choosing schools based on their curricular differences when they are so slight.

 

[jackbauer!]

the bottom line is: you will never know how the dental school is until you actually experience it. i would choose a school based on price, location, and how happy the students seemed when you interviewed (in that order). it's impossible to judge a curriculum based on whether they use an electronic or hard-copy textbook. 90%+ of the material comes directly from powerpoint slides... very rarely will you need a textbook. as a matter of fact, i think the e-textbooks are crap b/c the school makes you purchase it (read: expensive) and you will rarely look at it. other factors, such as facilities, board scores, reputation are all somewhat important but not nearly as the 3 factors i listed above.

jb!🙂

 

[lgwdnbdgr]

We all have different goals in life. The factors that describe my "perfect school" are going to be different than yours. You need to figure out what you want out of dental school (it's NOT as obvious as it sounds -- if all you wanted was a piece of paper that says "Doctor of Dental Surgery" on it, why not go to some diploma mill in a third world country?)

I'll semi agree with JB -- the happiness of the current students should be a very, very high priority. Attitude is contagious and SO important in your success. If you hate your life and your program, you won't learn much, even if the education model is tailor made to suit your personality.

Beyond that, though, the ranking of factors is going to vary from person to person.

 

[djeffreyt]

Technology had no effect on my decision. I picked mine based on the curriculum, grading system, and location.

And somehow you still picked wrong.

 

[armorshell]

And somehow you still picked wrong.

 

[Zygomatic]

Hi all
I wish I was at school and could post my opinion here, But maybe at this point u guys can help me and then hopefully i can post hear in 2 years....

I'm foreign graduated dentist and i'm permanent resident.i was 6 year in dental school back in home and i'm going back to school for 2 years to get my american license.my part I score is 94 and allready i'm working as an oral surgeon assitant in an oral surgery offce in Minnesota...now i got acceptance from UMN ,UCSF,UCLA for 2 years advanced standing program to get my american license,and after these 2 years i'm going to apply for OMFS.

I know you guys who already in dental school or maybe want to apply for post grad programs have many many more information and experience so Could you guys pleas help me to choose my school ? dose it matter which school i am graduated from or not??? i mean is there any preferences to be garduated from any school to get acceptance in OMFS ???? if yes which of these school is better and where i have more chance to get in OMFS...

on the other hand my wife is already in class of 2009 at minnessota dental school and as i know UMN is great school.also it ischeaper than UCSF and UCLA both for tuition and living expenses,but the point is that we are going to end up at Califorina because of our family and i have some friend in UCSF and UCLA ,,but we feel so lonely in MN an if i stay in MN we have to stay here for about 2.5 years......but also my goal is important for me....
i would appreciate if u help me, because it is sooo soo important to me , ,besides i have to make decision in about TWO days and choose my school for these 2 years...i am waiting for your responses...
thanks😳