Do people who graduate from MWU-AZ need to join a residency program? (GP)
Started by Jldentaleve
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You need to spend more time researching your question. It is well known here that MWU-AZ strong points are it's clinical preparedness along with teaching specialized dental tx for the GP. They have no graduate specialty programs ... therefore their students are taught to do everything. Right or wrong. The "super" GP. You will not need an AEGD since you will be adequately prepared clinically at MWU-AZ.
The issue is that MWU-AZ is one of the most expensive DS. That is really what you should be concerned with.
The issue is that MWU-AZ is one of the most expensive DS. That is really what you should be concerned with.
Friends who attended this school said a decent number still did residencies. They also said that procedurally they were pretty good but felt like their treatment planning was lacking. Can’t elaborate on what they meant.
Doing a residency comes down to preference. Some people like the safe environment to continue to practice and work on skills. Others prefer to jump into practice and make money as they go. It’s all preference.
Some residencies are also just like a 5th year of dental school whereas others are much more valuable and give you more autonomy.
Either way, Kids graduate from cheaper dental schools with less clinical experience than MWUAZ, go straight into practice and do fine.
Something else to keep in mind is that there is a big difference between someone who has done something 10 times vs 50 times. But after a few months in practice there isn’t a whole lot of difference between someone who has done something 150 times vs 190 times. There is a big difference between someone with $200k debt and $500k debt though
Doing a residency comes down to preference. Some people like the safe environment to continue to practice and work on skills. Others prefer to jump into practice and make money as they go. It’s all preference.
Some residencies are also just like a 5th year of dental school whereas others are much more valuable and give you more autonomy.
Either way, Kids graduate from cheaper dental schools with less clinical experience than MWUAZ, go straight into practice and do fine.
Something else to keep in mind is that there is a big difference between someone who has done something 10 times vs 50 times. But after a few months in practice there isn’t a whole lot of difference between someone who has done something 150 times vs 190 times. There is a big difference between someone with $200k debt and $500k debt though
The truth behind the saying that MWU-AZ grads don't need a GPR/AEGD is that they can't afford to do a GPR/AEGD. When you owe $600,000 in student loans you can't afford that year of lost income.
Big Hoss
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I grew up in AZ, and know many graduates of MWU-AZ. This is the truth.
Yes some still did AEGD/GPR of course. Some students need one, based on their personal confidence.
As a general rule of thumb, you will be prepared at schools with no residencies like MWU AZ and Creighton.
But the cost will likely make it that it is not worth going to imo.
I didn't know you were from Arizona. Nice.
IMO one of the problems with DS like MWU-AZ is that they don't have graduate specialty programs. The line of when to treat and when to refer to a specialist isn't clear to these graduates. They are mostly taught to treat everything. The question then becomes are MWU-Az grads as competent with specialty tx as a specialist? I think we all know what the answer is.
When I was in private practice .... one of my locations was next to a GP practice who was one of my loyal referral sources. The GP hired a MWU-AZ grad as an associate. I went to lunch with this NEW grad. He was very confident. When I brought up orthodontic treatment .... he started to tell me he could do aligner tx to correct almost every situation. Kids included. I bit my lip and continued to listen. Remember? He just graduated.
I guess these MWU-AZ grads with huge DS debt need to do EVERYTHING in order to pay their ridiculous debt.
I agree with the treatment planning being lacking. While we have a good clinic, our didactics are probably the worst in the country and by some margin. Some examples below:
Most of my friends the first 2 years of schools only studied half a day a week total to do well in classes. And that was on top of not attending lectures.
We had 3 or 4 hours of lecture total in school on RPDs and the same amount for dentures. Also no hands on exercises with them at all.
Unless you're a student who realizes that we didn't learn much and use outside resources, ask tons of questions, have a dentist parent, etc, it's actually scary for me listening to other students talk about dentistry.
You don’t know what you don’t know. But, they’re prolly killing the Instagram game in their Figs scrubs...
Big Hoss
Yep I agree.
When I say prepared, I mean in comparison to other new grads, many who graduate with a handful of crowns, no endo on real people etc.
But you are still a new grad dentist and you need to be humble and open to learning from mentors and CE, otherwise you will get creamed in the real world, whether you went to MWU or any other school.
What do you mean by this? I've seen you write this statement before.
So much of dental school and other professional schools to students is about being SEEN. “Look at ME. I have a white coat. Only 38 more months until I’m a DOCTOR.”
There is a lot more public health at ASDOH, I believe your entire 4th year you are on rotations in FQHC settings, doing more emergency tx etc.
at midwestern, you get more comprehensive experience, can do implants, ortho, and other tx if you are ambitious.
they are both ridiculously expensive, but if I wasn't paying tuition in loans, I'd go to MWU.
Jldentaleve
New Member
I am debating between UCLA and midwestern. My goal is to become a general dentist. If the tuition is not part of the concern, which school would you recommend?
