Dental Schools: Private/Single or Public/Private and part of a University

[esquia]

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What are the main differences, pros, and cons of going to:

1) A private dental school that is ONLY a dental school

or

2) A dental school (not neccesarily public though) that is a college of a university that also has undergrad., med school, etc.

Also, while i'm on the subject - I used to take business curriculum, location, facilities, etc. into consideration over cost, but as paying for dental school becomes more realistic and closer I am thinking hey a DMD is a DMD no matter where I go so I should go where ever is cheapest. Is this wrong?? Suggestions??

 

[OMFSdoc]

What are the main differences, pros, and cons of going to:

1) A private dental school that is ONLY a dental school

or

2) A dental school (not neccesarily public though) that is a college of a university that also has undergrad., med school, etc.

Also, while i'm on the subject - I used to take business curriculum, location, facilities, etc. into consideration over cost, but as paying for dental school becomes more realistic and closer I am thinking hey a DMD is a DMD no matter where I go so I should go where ever is cheapest. Is this wrong?? Suggestions??

If you're not planning on specializing and general dentistry is what you want, go with the cheapest dental school. No sense in paying for a name without reason. They are all ADA accredited dental schools, go to the cheapest one. You will be thankful for the rest of your life.

 

[Demeter]

The main con about private schools is the high ticket price. I think one school on the East coast would have cost me 250,000. Dental schools are not like law schools. If you go the to an IVY school or San Antonio or Mississippi it does not matter.

 

[dentalman]

The price of school really can vary by more than $100,000. Ask yourself the difference between the two schools, and if the benefits of going to the more expensive school are worth $100,000. Gee... when I put the question that way it seems pretty easy, doesn't it? Well, money isn't everything.

 

[OffAngleHatchet]

What are the main differences, pros, and cons of going to:

1) A private dental school that is ONLY a dental school

or

2) A dental school (not neccesarily public though) that is a college of a university that also has undergrad., med school, etc.

For one thing, at some schools, you take anatomy with the med students. Although you go over the same stuff, it's usually done with a medical focus and not a dental focus, so there's lots of things that you get tested on that aren't really relevant (legs, for instance, come to mind).

However, you can't really tell that just by whether the school has a med program too. The 2 colleges (dental and medical) may be pretty autonomous and do their own things.

Research focus may be different, but it depends on the school.

Also, while i'm on the subject - I used to take business curriculum, location, facilities, etc. into consideration over cost, but as paying for dental school becomes more realistic and closer I am thinking hey a DMD is a DMD no matter where I go so I should go where ever is cheapest. Is this wrong?? Suggestions??

I disagree with you... As a dentist, you're going to be able to pay back your loans anyway while making a comfortable living.

The Academy of General Dentistry reports that among startup businesses most likely to succeed, dental practices rank 3rd. Banks love to give dentists loans, so as long as you borrow intelligently and manage your money well, you'll be fine.

Dental school is hard enough already, so figure out where you'll be happiest, and which school fits your goals the best (e.g., specialization or GP, research vs clinical focus). The money will come.

The practice management part isn't necessarily a dealbreaker, but it may be very helpful to you in understanding the business... again, it depends on what each individual school is doing.

 

[Saikyo-Shikai]

I think that the best approach is to balance cautiously between cost/facilities of the school you are planning to attend. I would say ,go for the most economic option, but if you are interested in a particular feature of a school, consider mostly what your specific educational goals are.

 

[esquia]

Alright thank you very much guys - this has been helpful. Yes I do plan on going into general dentistry so I think I will go with the most economic option as long as it doesn't sacrifice facilities, quality of life, etc. too much. Thank again.

 

[Clipse]

If you're not planning on specializing and general dentistry is what you want, go with the cheapest dental school. No sense in paying for a name without reason. They are all ADA accredited dental schools, go to the cheapest one. You will be thankful for the rest of your life.

So are you saying that by attending a cheaper school (state-supported) one is at a disadvantage in obtaining a spot for a competitive speciality? Do you think an additional $100,000 is worth it for a name-brand school if you have aspirations of specializing?

Some on SDN have also pointed out that it may be more difficult to achieve a high class rank at the more pricey name-brand dental schools, as typically a greater percentage of students there have the intent of specializing - thus creating greater competition for a top 10 rank.

I know that we'll all be able to pay off our dental education debt, but $ is $. (Right now, i'd rather go to a cheaper school and use the money I would've spend on my education for living in a better housing, buying a car, taking vacations, etc.)

Thanks for your insight.

Long live SDN!

 

[burton117]

The Academy of General Dentistry reports that among startup businesses most likely to succeed, dental practices rank 3rd. Banks love to give dentists loans, so as long as you borrow intelligently and manage your money well, you'll be fine.

Anybody know what the first two most successful businesses are?? 😕