Couldn't disagree more. Knowing several people in the program and from what they've told me, you better know what you're getting into. Simply put, UCONN is a more well-rounded school. "Prestige" isn't a reason to attend one dental school over another.
He really didn’t say anything about prestige. Also, idk why you’d think uconn is a more “well-rounded” school. I would argue you will become a more well-rounded dental practitioner coming out of Harvard. Especially if you want to treat medically complex pts and work in an interdisciplinary field (hospitals, missions trips, etc.). Harvard also has strong connections with a surplus of top notch hospitals, will match you into ANY specialty program (with ease), and allow you to be instructed by the best of the best. Also, Boston >>> farmingham.
Meh, you can just say “I went to Harvard” and that person will think you’re a genius. No other dental schools name carries that much weight. But yeah, I wouldn’t go to Harvard for GP to impress your patients. Go to Harvard if you truly believe in their vision and want to specialize.
Not everyone sees the same potential in these schools as we do.
@DMDtoMD gave a few reasons if you scroll up. Like I said, for some people it may not be worth it. For others it is.
Like being a male model? I’m pretty sure that graduating from either will make you a dentist. That’s the goal here, right? Why pay more than you need to? And, that McLaren will give you more “propelling” than you can handle!
There is absolutely no evidence of this. However, in this situation the evidence suggests it would undeniably propel OP into more debt.
need based yes. not only one. Columbia too. all other schools have also merit based.
Yikes
Okay I understand your point and I would also advocate for saving money but there is just noooo way no one at least turns an eye when they hear harvard. Seriously just go around to someone and tell them you’re a harvard dentists. They would automatically treat you differently because they know the prestige and the caliber of people that go there. So saying 100% no one even notices...sorry that’s just not true. The networking at harvard is probably one of the best you can’t deny that.
Even if there were something truly "special" about the three Ivy League dental schools, attending one is indicative of the quality of DENTAL SCHOOL APPLICANT you were, not the quality of DENTIST you become. In all reality, regardless of where you go, you graduate with just enough knowledge/experience to not be dangerous. If graduates of Harvard, Columbia, and UPenn really do have an advantage in residency applications it's because program directors recognize that quality dental school applicants likely go on to become quality dental residents. An individual with a 3.7+ GPA and 24+ DAT score will almost certainly excel in dental school, regardless if they attend Columbia or the University of Florida, and they will likely also excel in training beyond dental school. So, it's not really hard for PD's to control for this school name variable. They just need to request your DAT score and undergrad GPA, and many programs already do. If I were a program director and I had an applicant from the University of Oklahoma with a 3.7+ undergrad GPA and 24+ DAT score, I would recognize this individual very likely turned down some expensive "prestigious" dental schools. In my mind then, academically there is nothing separating them from a Harvard grad. But, that Oklahoma grad might have a bit more common sense, in my opinion.
To my understanding, a significant number of seats in many programs are reserved for graduates from Harvard. So when the Harvard grad and the Oklahoma grad apply to residencies, they are playing different ball games. But yes, I would guess that both will make it into their residencies of choice.
Your understanding would be wrong. Very wrong. I mean seriously think about that absurd comment for a minute. There are what, 35 Harvard students or so? How many hundreds of residency seats are there scattered amongst the various specialties and AEGD/GPRs? You really think all these programs are just sitting around hoping by some chance the Match will bless them with a Harvard grad?
Why not?! What is different about the dentistry taught at Harvard vs. Ohio State or Colorado or UCLA? The answer is nothing. I turned down Columbia, UPenn, UCSF and several other decent programs, and I’ve never had a single regret. In fact, the state school I attended prepared me very well for general dentistry and my upcoming specialty application. Even years after graduating, I still scored in the 99th percentile on the ADAT. Not to mention the service, leadership, and teaching opportunities it afforded me to build my CV. SDNer’s obsession with the Ivy League and OMFS sometimes borders on the ridiculous. 11 out of 10 times the answer is to go to the cheapest dental school you get into. Honestly though, I don’t know why I really even care. They aren’t my student loans to pay back. I’m debt free and loving every minute of it!
Medical curriculum and pass fail Mr. Hoss! If you're arguing general dentistry I'll agree with you. But a person going to an ivy or p/f school has 2 years to grind for that CBSE. State schoolers don't.
I have admitted elsewhere that a med curriculum will help with the CBSE, but I just don’t think that help is worth $200,000+. That’s a friggin’ ton of money! If you’re eying any other specialty, absolutely choose the cheapest school. I know you know that many specialty residencies charge tuition, some as much as $200,000+. There are already plenty of young orthodontists with $700,000 in student loans and I can guarantee you don’t want to be another one.
I’ll let you in on a little secret. Big Hoss failed his first wax up. Failed it hard! The course director pulled me aside, but still within earshot of a bunch of people, and said, “Big Hoss, are you doing all right? I’m worried about you.” My friends gave me crap about that up until our graduation. So...I spent a lot more time working on my hand skills than most and it definitely paid off. Just keep up the grind.
Big Hoss, it's just all the variables combined can help someone rationalize an ivy over a non-ivy. Your view looking back at your school experience may be different from someone who is gung ho about a specialty but is worried they won't have what it takes (whether it's hand skills, work ethic, or intelligence). Some would argue the eternal "what if" if they didn't match and were doing something they would rather not is worth 200k. Who knows. You're different. I'm different. I just speak for those who are still have a big decision to make.
My friend at another school told me his prosthodontics course was made such that failing 1 practical dropped your average 10 points (automatic B or B -> C if you fail two). There were people who had 4.0's, decent hand skills up to that point (passed or aced every practical) and ended up failing 1 practical. They now will no longer be in the top 10 of their class perhaps even top 15. That stress can be unbearable especially when you consider the fact that at an ivy, he could just brush it off, continue studying the CBSE (or research if trying to do orthodontics) and still comfortably slide in to a residency position. Just speaking for people in that position. I'm doing fine at my state school, but I know some people interested in OMFS, got 1 B, and gave up completely. Capable people. Had they gone to a p/f school, their dream would still be alive. Only they know deep inside if it was worth 200k or not.
So it's your opinion?
Aside from the p/f, med curriculum, etc., I think name matters in the case of ivies (particularly Harvard) when applying to residencies. Just because it's unjustified doesn't mean it can't be true. But also, just because it might be true doesn't make Harvard worth it. Going back to the original topic of this thread, it's probably especially hard to justify Harvard over UCONN on the basis of getting into residency.
Especially Hard?!? No offense but that statement is stupid. UConn has great match rates and anyone who would pay 180k extra to go to a school on the basis of its name, and name alone, is stupid. No other way to justify it.
