Does it make a difference where you go to dental school??

[Purple Monkey]

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I was wondering if it makes a difference where you go to dental school just talking about U.S. dental schools. Some people say they are some schools more prestigious than others. Or if a school just opened they are considered 'not as good' as a more established school.

 

[ICUrunning]

I'd be more worried about the pricetag difference than anything else.

 

[BYU4you]

To the contrary of what people on here say I think yes. To an extent.

Certainly price and location should be taken into consideration and that makes a difference.

But about actual school, well it depends. I am not going into wether school choice matters for specialization because quite frankly I have no clue. And no one on here really understands either.

As far as becoming a general dentist goes, you will get a degree wherever you go and no patient cares where you went to school. In that sense it doesn't matter. And most people on here will say that.

On the other hand, it is a fact that some schools focus more on clinical things and others more on didactic things. If you really want to hone in on your clinical skills and don't care about research, Harvard may not be the best. If you like public health and working with undeserved people, ASDOH may be better than Midwestern.

If none of that matters and you don't really care then I guess it comes down to price.

So to an extent it matters, but as far as new vs old, both have the credentials.

 

[Tikidude19]

Imagine going through a stack of resumes. Two individuals are exactly the same in terms of extracurriculars, references, interview skills, etc. One student went to Harvard, the other to meharry (don't mean to offend anyone, these are just random schools with very different gpa/dat requirements). Who do you choose?

People say it doesn't matter, but honestly to a certain extent it does.

 

[ajj70]

Imagine going through a stack of resumes. Two individuals are exactly the same in terms of extracurriculars, references, interview skills, etc. One student went to Harvard, the other to meharry (don't mean to offend anyone, these are just random schools with very different gpa/dat requirements). Who do you choose?

People say it doesn't matter, but honestly to a certain extent it does.

It matters to those that think it matters. I know in our area, someone coming in with a Harvard degree would probably be looked down upon.....small, rural area, and they would be viewed as being pretentious and probably that they charge too much---reality or not, it's just the culture here. Probably the same thing in rural TN would view a Maharry grad as better than Harvard.

Now, if you live in Boston, the opposite might be true or if you want to work in dental research and not be a GP somewhere, Harvard would be a better choice. For most students, however, it does not, nor will it matter in the long run. It will come down to what you do with your time in dental school and your first few years out of dental school as you hone your skills. Honestly, I had no idea where my dentist went to dental school until I started really getting ready for the application process. All I know is he is a great dentist and I really, really like everything about his practice. I have since learned that he sits on the admissions committee for our in-state school 😀 😀 D...and he has offered me a LOR already 😀 : D😀 .

 

[I want to go to there]

I was wondering if it makes a difference where you go to dental school just talking about U.S. dental schools. Some people say they are some schools more prestigious than others. Or if a school just opened they are considered 'not as good' as a more established school.

It can make a huge difference. Some schools are much more clinically strong than others(patient pool size, instructors, etc.), so the average graduate students are much more fast and skilled than those from weak clinical schools. Some graduates are so comfortable with their skills that they open their own practice and be successful right after graduation. Others only need few months to reach a good speed whereas graduates from other schools need couple years.

Board is easy, so didactic doesn't matter much.

 

[ajj70]

It can make a huge difference. Some schools are much more clinically strong than others(patient pool size, instructors, etc.), so the average graduate students are much more fast and skilled than those from weak clinical schools. Some graduates are so comfortable with their skills that they open their own practice and be successful right after graduation. Others only need few months to reach a good speed whereas graduates from other schools need couple years.

Yes and no. A lot of your skill comes down to how talented you are, schooling or not. It's also what you put into it. If you need 2 years post-graduation to hone your skills, I'd say that is a personal issue vs a school issue. Yes, some schools are easier than others to get patients, but even those schools aren't graduating entire classes of dentists will poor skills.

 

[I want to go to there]

Yes and no. A lot of your skill comes down to how talented you are, schooling or not. It's also what you put into it. If you need 2 years post-graduation to hone your skills, I'd say that is a personal issue vs a school issue. Yes, some schools are easier than others to get patients, but even those schools aren't graduating entire classes of dentists will poor skills.

Some of those schools in the suburbs, especially new ones, got really small patient pool while still having large class size as ones with larger patient pool. Graduates from those weak clinical school get the fraction of experience the graduates from clinically strong schools get, not to mention no experience in some procedures like root canal, wisdom teeth extractions, etc.

Talent and effort matter a lot when you attend a clinically strong school with no shortage of patients. You can only do so much at schools that don't get enough patients for all the students. Unfortunately, some of those schools actually do graduate entire classes of dentists with poor skills.

 

[ajj70]

Some of those schools in the suburbs, especially new ones, got really small patient pool while still having large class size as ones with larger patient pool. Graduates from those weak clinical school get the fraction of experience the graduates from clinically strong schools get, not to mention no experience in some procedures like root canal, wisdom teeth extractions, etc.

Talent and effort matter a lot when you attend a clinically strong school with no shortage of patients. You can only do so much at schools that don't get enough patients for all the students. Unfortunately, some of those schools actually do graduate entire classes of dentists with poor skills.

Which school would those be?

 

[Realitydentalstudent]

It can make a huge difference. Some schools are much more clinically strong than others(patient pool size, instructors, etc.), so the average graduate students are much more fast and skilled than those from weak clinical schools. Some graduates are so comfortable with their skills that they open their own practice and be successful right after graduation. Others only need few months to reach a good speed whereas graduates from other schools need couple years.

Board is easy, so didactic doesn't matter much.

What are you talking about? It takes much more than a few months to get your speed up. And how fast you get your speed up will be more determined by the associateship position you get upon graduation than the school that you attended. If you are 5 days a week at a busy cooperate office, I assure you you will get more experience in your first few months there than your entire dental school. They say over 90% of dentistry is learned after dental school, so if you want to pay 150k extra to reduce that to 89.9% then that's your call.

 

[I want to go to there]

Which school would those be?

Schools like Midwestern - IL and Lecom. Roseman would as well, but they haven't even graduated anyone yet.

 

[I want to go to there]

What are you talking about? It takes much more than a few months to get your speed up. And how fast you get your speed up will be more determined by the associateship position you get upon graduation than the school that you attended. If you are 5 days a week at a busy cooperate office, I assure you you will get more experience in your first few months there than your entire dental school. They say over 90% of dentistry is learned after dental school, so if you want to pay 150k extra to reduce that to 89.9% then that's your call.

Depends on how good you are when you graduate. You think everyone needs couple years? I've personally met people who told me their speed dramatically improved after they graduated and only took them few months to get to a good speed. Also, if there's that much tuition difference in your choice for clinically strong school and state school, you obviously choose the state school.

My tip on choosing school is if you have a choice of schools with similar costs, choose one that's clinically stronger.

 

[Realitydentalstudent]

Depends on how good you are when you graduate. You think everyone needs couple years? I've personally met people who told me their speed dramatically improved after they graduated and only took them few months to get to a good speed. Also, if there's that much tuition difference in your choice for clinically strong school and state school, you obviously choose the state school.

My tip on choosing school is if you have a choice of schools with similar costs, choose one that's clinically stronger.

Yes if schools are the same costs obviously choose the stronger clinical one. Your post however suggests the difference in clinical education between some US schools is so great that it will determine how successful you are in the first few years. So graduates of Lecom will be less clinically competent in their first few years out than UDM graduates? In the end it doesn't matter where you go to school unless your school has a major problem such as not enough patients to complete requirements so you have to pay for your patients or have to repeat 4th year.

 

[I want to go to there]

Yes if schools are the same costs obviously choose the stronger clinical one. Your post however suggests the difference in clinical education between some US schools is so great that it will determine how successful you are in the first few years. So graduates of Lecom will be less clinically competent in their first few years out than UDM graduates? In the end it doesn't matter where you go to school unless your school has a major problem such as not enough patients to complete requirements so you have to pay for your patients or have to repeat 4th year.

Why would it not matter how competent you are after you graduate? Faster/more skilled you are after you graduate = more money you can make at the start.

 

[I want to go to there]

Double post, the website is being buggy.

 

[DentalDoge]

Yes and no

Yes being that different schools will offer different levels of education. However, pretty much all of them will equip you for a regular dental degree.

No being that most employers won't really care about your school prestige, seems like most specialties wont really care either.

 

[Realitydentalstudent]

Why would it not matter how competent you are after you graduate? Faster/more skilled you are after you graduate = more money you can make at the start.

Ofcouse it matters how competent you are when you graduate, I never said it didn't matter. But The difference in how "competent" graduates are, between different schools will not be so great that some will be able to successfully own a practice immidately and others will not just because of the school they went to as you suggested. Or the difference in how fast you can get your speed up, either months or years, will not be because someone went to UDM while another went to LECOM.

It can make a huge difference. Some schools are much more clinically strong than others(patient pool size, instructors, etc.), so the average graduate students are much more fast and skilled than those from weak clinical schools. Some graduates are so comfortable with their skills that they open their own practice and be successful right after graduation. Others only need few months to reach a good speed whereas graduates from other schools need couple years

Seriously, unless a school has a major problem like I outlined before, we will all take the same standardized board exams and receive that same DMD/DDS. If two schools are the same price obviously and you choose the one with more clinical experience you'll get more bang for your buck but you can only learn so much in dental school seeing 2-3 patients a day (cooperate offices see 20-40 patients a day). In the end, how much money you make will not be determined by where you graduated from but the career path you choose to take after you graduate.

 

[I want to go to there]

Ofcouse it matters how competent you are when you graduate, I never said it didn't matter. But The difference in how "competent" graduates are, between different schools will not be so great that some will be able to successfully own a practice immidately and others will not just because of the school they went to as you suggested. Or the difference in how fast you can get your speed up, either months or years, will not be because someone went to UDM while another went to LECOM.


Seriously, unless a school has a major problem like I outlined before, we will all take the same standardized board exams and receive that same DMD/DDS. If two schools are the same price obviously and you choose the one with more clinical experience you'll get more bang for your buck but you can only learn so much in dental school seeing 2-3 patients a day (cooperate offices see 20-40 patients a day). In the end, how much money you make will not be determined by where you graduated from but the career path you choose to take after you graduate.

It's gonna make a pretty big difference when one graduate only got to extract like 10 teeth and other 50+. Better the school trains you, less you need to learn after you graduate. Not saying where you go to school is the only thing that would make a successful dentist, but if they fully explore the opportunity available at a clinically stronger school, you are gonna be much faster, skilled, and more comfortable than someone with lesser training at the start.

Board exams don't really measure quality of dentist since it's pass/fail now and the bars are set pretty low.

 

[TracerBullet]

In response to the OP's question, I personally think the dental school you attend has the potential to make a HUGE difference in your future.


In Malcolm Gladwell's book "Outliers," he does a good job showing how environment dictates a lot of future success. Innate ability can only get you so far. After that, it is all about opportunities and capitalizing on those opportunities. Bill Gates HAPPENED to attend a high school that had a computer, Bill Joy happened to attend one of the first universities that didn't program with punch cards, etc. While these examples are of extreme outliers, the principles that Gladwell outlines still apply to us 1 sigma or 2 sigma-ers.


Each dental school ( I assume) will roughly teach you the same material. Dental school accreditation is heavily regulated, so what each dental school teaches is pretty similar across the spectrum. That means you have the potential to learn the same amount at each school. But, each school does not offer you the same opportunities. So, what YOU need to figure out is which school offers you the MOST opportunities, and how much are you willing to PAY for those opportunities.


For example, let's say Dental School A trains you with the new groundbreaking Equipment A, while Dental School B does not (Why not? Can't afford it, does not find it a priority, etc) That difference in opportunity might play a role later on when you're applying to associate positions.


This list can be endless. Does this school teach me to be forward thinking/progressive in my dental approach, or does it teach me to be conservative and stick to what works? Does this school have successful Alumnus that hire from their Alma Mater ? Does this school hold my hand while I'm a student or am I on my own? How does this school prepare me for research? for Business? Etc…


I know dental school is a place where a lot of contacts are made. These contacts can play a role in your future. A fellow peer may be inheriting a private practice, and invites you to partner up. Another contact may develop a new instrument or research, and asks for you to collaborate. Etc..

I know a few practicing dentists that were invited by their dental school buddies into their successful family practice…


Like what is posted earlier, dental school is just a beginning. I agree with the idea that a lot of what you learn comes from your first years as an associate. But, which dental school will set you up to get the BEST associate position?


These are things you need to figure out for yourself. Figure out what your priorities are in this career (specializing, service, research, business, etc) and find the school that caters to that. And again, sometimes cost takes away opportunities. If I am $500K in debt, I may not be able to take advantage of the opportunities the school offers.


Sadly, dental schools do not do a great job of advertising who they really are. I was fortunate enough to interview at several dental schools, and I can honestly say that NO TWO DENTAL SCHOOLS ARE THE SAME. Each school has a culture, a vibe, a feel that is unique to its own. That culture will carry over with you into your practice. I made a thread a while back that talks about what the "vibe" was at each school I interviewed at. Others posted of their views of schools the visited. Read it, find the ones that peak your interest, and apply to those....


http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/advice-for-new-applicants.1132380/


To sum it up, wherever you attend dental school, the potential to be a great dentist depends on you. But, attending one over another may give you certain advantages that prove to be very beneficial in your career....


Good Luck!

 

[joiedevivre86]

Schools like Midwestern - IL and Lecom. Roseman would as well, but they haven't even graduated anyone yet.

Why do you say that? I thought the clinical experience was the main thing LECOM had going for it - like an equivalent of dental school + a 1 year residency in 4 years. I can't remember how many clinical hours it is but I wrote it down in my interview.

 

[I want to go to there]

Why do you say that? I thought the clinical experience was the main thing LECOM had going for it - like an equivalent of dental school + a 1 year residency in 4 years. I can't remember how many clinical hours it is but I wrote it down in my interview.

Small patient pool, don't believe everything they tell you during interviews.

 

[customx]

Small patient pool, don't believe everything they tell you during interviews.

When I visited the clinic during my tour, I didn't see a single patient. Some of the students that led the tour mentioned that they need to advertise services at the clinic by handing out flyers and business cards. Combine that with the fact you have to move to Defuniak Springs (?), which has a population of 5,000 people, and I didn't foresee myself getting much clinical experience.

 

[I want to go to there]

When I visited the clinic during my tour, I didn't see a single patient. Some of the students that led the tour mentioned that they need to advertise services at the clinic by handing out flyers and business cards. Combine that with the fact you have to move to Defuniak Springs (?), which has a population of 5,000 people, and I didn't foresee myself getting much clinical experience.

Ya, it sucks that some students get suckered in and go there expecting a good clinical education while paying like 400k.

 

[customx]

Ya, it sucks that some students get suckered in and go there expecting a good clinical education while paying like 400k.

The tuition for 4 years is actually around $250k, which is pretty reasonable considering it is a private school. The students there seemed to all like it, but it wasn't a good fit for me.

 

[I want to go to there]

The tuition for 4 years is actually around $250k, which is pretty reasonable considering it is a private school. The students there seemed to all like it, but it wasn't a good fit for me.

I included the estimated living costs, fees, etc. that were listed on their web page. Where did you end up going?

 

[irishmom]

Some of those schools in the suburbs, especially new ones, got really small patient pool while still having large class size as ones with larger patient pool. Graduates from those weak clinical school get the fraction of experience the graduates from clinically strong schools get, not to mention no experience in some procedures like root canal, wisdom teeth extractions, etc.

Talent and effort matter a lot when you attend a clinically strong school with no shortage of patients. You can only do so much at schools that don't get enough patients for all the students. Unfortunately, some of those schools actually do graduate entire classes of dentists with poor skills.

Which school would those be?

This answers your question.

 

[cmroberts]

All I know is that schools do vary in terms of patient pools and procedures you will easily be able to get your hands on, to name a few.

My dentist went to UDM and she had so many different procedures and so many patients, that she felt she was very well prepared, clinically, and had no trouble graduating on time with fulfilling requirements.
Endodontist I worked with last night went to Boston U, said he wouldn't choose there again because many of his classmates had a hard time finding enough patients to meet the requirements before graduation.

In those sense, yes, there is a difference in where you go to dental school. Depends on what you want out of dental school. Research, clinically prepared, didactic prep... etc.

 

[Realitydentalstudent]

It's gonna make a pretty big difference when one graduate only got to extract like 10 teeth and other 50+. Better the school trains you, less you need to learn after you graduate. Not saying where you go to school is the only thing that would make a successful dentist, but if they fully explore the opportunity available at a clinically stronger school, you are gonna be much faster, skilled, and more comfortable than someone with lesser training at the start.

Board exams don't really measure quality of dentist since it's pass/fail now and the bars are set pretty low.

I never said it would'nt make a difference. But it wouldn't make so much of a difference as to:

Some graduates are so comfortable with their skills that they open their own practice and be successful right after graduation. Others only need few months to reach a good speed whereas graduates from other schools need couple years.

This reminds me of a previous post in a previous thread where a student said this about the clinical education superiority of his school:

This is an expensive school, you are correct. However, with the emphasis on clinical procedures, you are able to come out of school performing quadrant dentistry at a level that most people don't achieve until at least five years into practicing. This enables students to start becoming successful right out of school without the need to perform a residency or even an associateship.

 

[I want to go to there]

I never said it would'nt make a difference. But it wouldn't make so much of a difference as to:




This reminds me of a previous post in a previous thread where a student said this about the clinical education superiority of his school:

Perhaps the people I talked to were pretty gifted and put extra effort into the clinical at the clinically strong schools they went to take full advantage of opportunities offered there. It may make a huge difference depending on people. Who knows, at least we both agree cost and strength of clinical should be the priority when choosing schools, not didactic and location.

 

[ajj70]

This answers your question.

No it did not or I would not have asked. Not all the "new" schools are in suburbs and not all have a low patient pool.