Destination Dental School!!!

[troutspotter]

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I have been thinking about this for a long time and havent been able to really come up with a satisfactory answer. Im sure many of you may be in the same situation. Is is really worth paying so much freakin money to an expensive dental school?? I mean dental schools are accredited for a reason right... what truly makes a 200k plus school superior to an in state dental school (~50k in my case). Personally I would love to graduate dental school with little to no debt and start making some serious income but am I sacrificing something for it?? For me I am struggling to decide between the Medical College of Georgia which is a respectable dental school with an extensive SE contact network and other much more expensive private schools (ie, Pacific, Harvard etc). My DAT scores, gpa, and extra curriculars should give me a good chance of getting in the privates but maybe I should stick with the instate MCG deal. what do you guys think? any and all opinions are welcome... Thanks guys!!!

 

[Lemming]

I'm bored, so I'll give a nice general metaphoric opinionated answer. Private schools love you more. Private schools don't get money from the state, they get money from you (and other sources) and continue to ask you for money for the rest of your life. Therefore, private schools try harder to make your experience a happy and fulfilling experience, so that you will be a happy and fulfilled alumni that is proud of their school and wants to give money back to them. State schools are there to teach, because that's what the state gives them money to do, or they get money for lots of reserch. They have less long term need for you as a practicing dentist. Although there are extremes on both sides, and some state schools have lots of frills and some private schools are less frilly, this in my opinion is the general trend. It is like taking the bus, or paying for a limo...both get you there. Do you want to take the bus, or ride in a limo? Are you happy on the bus? Are you more happy in the limo? Either way, you need to pick the best bus or limo, and decide how much change you want left in your pocket at the end of the night🙂 Ok, I've digressed enough, i'm going back to work.

 

[MCGHopeful]

Unfortunately, MCG will hound you for giving money as well. In fact, there are quite a few MCG students past/present/future who have been admitted based on the fact their parents have given tons of money to the school. Just a fact of life. All school public/private want some cash.

And keep in mind, MCG is in the process of trying to secure 80 million bucks from the state to build their new dental facilities. Additionally, MCG dental wants to pursue additional research opps. So, what money doesnt come from the state will have to come from somewhere.

Also, it will cost MUCH more than 50k to get through 4 years at MCG in Augusta. From what I understand from friends there, none are getting out of there owing less than 100k....living expenses, incidentals, etc.

In the end, MCG is a great deal though and from your posted credentials, pack your bags for Augusta next fall. Best of luck!

 

[syn_apse]

Private schools love you more.

it's so cute when predents pretend to know what they are talking about

 

[CSI Dentist]

I liked Lemmings answer....

But hey, there is a reason that dental schools are not ranked. How many of us is actually going to specialize? Not many. So going to a name school will be helpful only when u want to brag where u went to school, for the whole title purpose. I was told to go wherever I want to practice. And yes, I will choose any school that takes me at this point, I just want to be DDS, no matter what school gives me that degree.

 

[Lemming]

it's so cute when predents pretend to know what they are talking about

No it is not cute. It is amusing, please get it straight next time.🙄

 

[syn_apse]

haha, ok fair enough. well, my point is that you shouldn't judge a school based on private vs public status. some of the best schools in the country are state schools (SUNY Buffalo, South Carolina, North Carolina, UConn, Maryland.. just to name a few!)

keep an open mind when interviewing and do your homework! and all things being equal, go to your state school and put that extra $100,000+ towards your practice, your family and your future 👍

 

[troutspotter]

Thank you all for your input and opinions. I do not think that extra personal attention is actually worth the enormous amount of money private schools charge. I truly think that this is a pretty important issue that often does not get discussed. Thanks guys again!

 

[syn_apse]

Trouty, I attend one of the state schools I mentioned above. I chose it because it has a great faculty that truly cares about the students. And with only 55 classmates, believe me, there is plenty of personal attention. Maybe too much

It is also nice to go to dental school 5 mins from the beach and know I'm saving between $100,000 and 150,000 compared to the other schools that accepted me 😎

 

[cryptozoologist]

The 'most mature and most intelligent' students in my opinion go to best state school they can get into (where over time they can earn in-state residency). Obviously there are private school exceptions like harvard and UOP, etc. Why? because most of the smartest people see that debt minimization is a BIG deal. In contrast, those that go into dental school AIMING from day 1 to specialize are willing to guarantee their placement chances by paying more to goto penn, harvard, etc.

Does that mean they will be better dentists? No. They will have higher probability to specialize because of how their first two years are setup (gradeless and rankless) and how their y3 and y4s are setup (focused on boardII test prep vs general dentistry.) People don't goto harvard to be GPs.

Some say: I want to graduate a year early via UOP...180k+ in debt...but can work a year earlier bringing in 70-100...so overall my 4 years (3y at UOP + 1 year working) costs me about the same as state school...but those UOP dudes have to be test-taking machines to just get by...first boards in 14 months! thus why their average DAT is so high...they have to be!

All dental schools graduate almost all of their students so there is obvious value in going to the cheapest possible school you get into. All students in dental school are smart. What separates you from the rest IN dental school is if you're willing to work harder than your peers. This happens at all schools, not just the privates, not just the publics. Those that want to be in the "thin air" level of their class will earn it by working hard.

Let's face it...learning pharmacology and biochemistry from a teacher at Penn vs a teacher at UNC or Georgia doesn't differ THAT much, it can't because of the goal of preparing you for the same board test...what differs is how many hours you hit the books after lecture.

In the end, going to a place like columbia, marquette, tufts, penn or harvard...you'll basically have TWICE as much debt as a public institution. However you pay it off, it will be twice as big as going to a public school with intstate tuition advantage. Don't think of the money as "will this school take care of me TWICE as nicely as my public school?" think of it as..."how much more pleasure would half this money be for my family in 10-20 years?" That's an easy question to answer and the reason why in-state schools are most peoples priority...

 

[dddsmack]

Amen. Do you want to pay off your loans in 30 years or 10-15?
(Case actually sets you up on a 30 yr plan!!!!)
The best advice I ever got was choose the cheapest school. 🙂

 

[Lemming]

Amen. Do you want to pay off your loans in 30 years or 10-15?
(Case actually sets you up on a 30 yr plan!!!!)
The best advice I ever got was choose the cheapest school. 🙂

That's why I say to OHSU...Please give me some loooovveee!🙂

 

[1992Corolla]

CHEAPEST SCHOOL BY FAR! They all turn you into the same thing!