HELP ME!! USC vs NYU vs TEMPLE

[soyungil]

HELP ME!! USC vs NYU vs TEMPLE. I dont know where to go, I never thought I was going to have this many options..... I am leaning towards USC but I have heard too many terrible things about it on this site. They all have pros and cons and I dont know what to do!!😱😱😱

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[Smills91]

I'd pick NYU between those three. Temple and USC have some major curriculum flaws. Temple puts its students in charge of collections and USC has problem-based learning. NYU while big seems to have a lot to offer in terms of a dental education. NY, Philly and LA are all, IMO, bad places to live so I'd pick the best dental school.

 

[harjay]

one of those people who thought "My #1 choice is any school that accepts me!". SURPRISE! You'd better go with whoever called you first on Friday.

You obviously interviewed at all 3 schools so you should have some idea about each of them. What do you like/dislike about each school? Please list your ideas below. SNDers can expand or add to those.

 

[Cymbidium]

This might help you:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=401980

 

[JMJRDH1]

There are countless people still waiting for their first acceptance and you are up in arms with a choice between three? Oh how quickly things change once we are on the other side!!

 

[soyungil]

Lets see...

NYU: PROs: very nice clinic, access to all the specialties, NYC is really cool,

CONs: very expensive, huge student body, about as far away from home as I can get


USC: PROs: It is in California, close to home for me, nice campus, ok clinic, PBL??, access to all the specialties, california girls

CONs: very expsensive, takes extra time to graduate for some, difficult to get a chair

TEMPLE: PROs: very good reputation as a clinical school, ample patients, not as expensive as NYU or USC

CONs: Philly is ghetto, far from home, old school

 

[SanOnofre2002]

I'd pick Temple since cost of living will be lowest there of the three. I asked some students about the fee collection and while none said they were happy about it, nobody mentioned any serious problems getting their money.

 

[dWiz]

temple if you don't mind living in the ghetto...otherwise nyu

 

[TypoDont]

HELP ME!! USC vs NYU vs TEMPLE. I dont know where to go, I never thought I was going to have this many options..... I am leaning towards USC but I have heard too many terrible things about it on this site. They all have pros and cons and I dont know what to do!!😱😱😱

And the bad thing is that all the terrible things about USC are true; I am a current SC student and I am telling you!! I don't understand how can you lean towards USC given your options. People who usually end up at SC have no other options; don't make the biggest mistake of your life by coming here; sure you'll be far from home but this will only be a 4-year deal. At SC 4 years are tentative; when you say "some" have difficulty graduating on time that means 82% of the student body from the class of 2007 alone. God knows how bad is gonna be for us 2008s.

 

[Columbia07]

Let me add my two cents.

USC's PBL curriculum is great. There is nothing wrong with this type of learning other than the fact that some students would rather sit in a lecture than work in a small group. I think, if you can see yourself in this type of environment, you will be very happy with your choice; however, the nice thing is that USC has integrated some lectures back into its curriculum for courses that are best suited for this such as Gross Anatomy, Local Anesthesia, Amalgam, Composite, etc. Cost is a major factor, and I'm not going to lie to you--it is a lot of money. But, if being close to your family is important to you than it might not be so bad. Also, the clinic will undergo a 4.3 million dollar renovation starting May of 2008 - June of 2009, which will offer all of the latest technology.

One last note, Typodont is not exaggerating about the graduation rates, I think we all know what they are by now; however, I can tell you first hand (trust me, I know what is going on), that the issues the class of 2007 faced and the class of 2008 are facing right now are slowly being resolved. I strongly feel that the class of 2011 & 2012 will be graduating on time and moving on with their lives.

Good luck with your decision.

P.S. I had other schools to choose from as did many of my classmates. My classmates opted for USC over Columbia, MCG, Pitt., Indiana, UoP, ASDoH, San Antonio, etc.

 

[UCSF2012]

How is having a large class size bad? I can see how if you're misanthropic or antisocial. Having friends is a good thing. Is it not? You could always form cliques too.

 

[Smills91]

There are countless people still waiting for their first acceptance and you are up in arms with a choice between three? Oh how quickly things change once we are on the other side!!

Both situations are tough really..i've now been on both sides. If I HAD to choose between two or more schools, it'd be a very difficult time. Not getting accepted the past 3 years is worse though.

 

[letsgfuad]

Let me add my two cents.

USC's PBL curriculum is great. There is nothing wrong with this type of learning other than the fact that some students would rather sit in a lecture than work in a small group. I think, if you can see yourself in this type of environment, you will be very happy with your choice; however, the nice thing is that USC has integrated some lectures back into its curriculum for courses that are best suited for this such as Gross Anatomy, Local Anesthesia, Amalgam, Composite, etc. Cost is a major factor, and I'm not going to lie to you--it is a lot of money. But, if being close to your family is important to you than it might not be so bad. Also, the clinic will undergo a 4.3 million dollar renovation starting May of 2008 - June of 2009, which will offer all of the latest technology.

One last note, Typodont is not exaggerating about the graduation rates, I think we all know what they are by now; however, I can tell you first hand (trust me, I know what is going on), that the issues the class of 2007 faced and the class of 2008 are facing right now are slowly being resolved. I strongly feel that the class of 2011 & 2012 will be graduating on time and moving on with their lives.

Good luck with your decision.

P.S. I had other schools to choose from as did many of my classmates. My classmates opted for USC over Columbia, MCG, Pitt., Indiana, UoP, ASDoH, San Antonio, etc.

So i see your a current freshmen right? Do you regret your choice going to USC? Is it optimistic to think USC will get their act straight? Will this new renovation add any new chairs?

 

[ToothPrepper]

Let me add my two cents.

USC's PBL curriculum is great. There is nothing wrong with this type of learning other than the fact that some students would rather sit in a lecture than work in a small group. I think, if you can see yourself in this type of environment, you will be very happy with your choice; however, the nice thing is that USC has integrated some lectures back into its curriculum for courses that are best suited for this such as Gross Anatomy, Local Anesthesia, Amalgam, Composite, etc. Cost is a major factor, and I'm not going to lie to you--it is a lot of money. But, if being close to your family is important to you than it might not be so bad. Also, the clinic will undergo a 4.3 million dollar renovation starting May of 2008 - June of 2009, which will offer all of the latest technology.

One last note, Typodont is not exaggerating about the graduation rates, I think we all know what they are by now; however, I can tell you first hand (trust me, I know what is going on), that the issues the class of 2007 faced and the class of 2008 are facing right now are slowly being resolved. I strongly feel that the class of 2011 & 2012 will be graduating on time and moving on with their lives.

Good luck with your decision.

P.S. I had other schools to choose from as did many of my classmates. My classmates opted for USC over Columbia, MCG, Pitt., Indiana, UoP, ASDoH, San Antonio, etc.

Let me get into this discussion. I am a class of 2009 at SC and had the same sentiment about USC during my first year...I loved the PBL curriculum and was very intune with the trojan spirit. We also had lectures in amalgam, composite, anatomy etc. I don't know how much Columbia will know about "what's going on" at our school, but myself being actively involved in the clinic have made me realize that the school needs to clean house as far as the administration goes. Implementations for timely graduation have fail miserably since this people don't know how to run a school. Everyday there is an ever increase of fierce competition among all the classes for chairs in the clinic floor. Classmates phantom book like crazy leaving most of us stranded. The real problem with this school resumes to this: Not enough chairs, too many students (about 300 from juniors and seniors) fighting for those chairs and a incompetent administration results in a disaster of a school.

I really appreciate Columbia's positive attitude towards the future; however, I strongly believe that unless they reduce class size, clean house, and have a solid, organized program; USC will remain as the disgrace of the dental education community. Sorry to put it this way Columbia but my experience during this 3 years have made me realize that the love I had for the school slowly fade away as I learned the raw facts about what this school is all about.

If I were to do it all over again, I would definitely choose a program where there was not so much uncertainty over your future....who needs that?? Who to a program that will be more predictable in terms of graduation, and sadly ladies and gentlemen USC is not it, not by a long shot.

 

[DSpagnoli]

If you go to Temple you do not necessarily have to live IN the ghetto....

I have plans to live in a nice area of center city, which is a few blocks away from the ghetto 😀

Seriously though, I enjoyed center city - there is a lot to do, and a lot of young students and professionals our age that are in the area. To me, center city is kickass and seemed pretty nice (especially Rittenhouse square area). But then again, I am coming from Florida and it was an exciting atmosphere for me. The school is located in lower north philly, so it does not look like a resort --- however, you will get one of the best clinical educations in the country.

 

[Columbia07]

One more thing,

Getting rid of most of the administration is not such a far-fetched idea, and it could possibly happen sometime next year (CLEARLY SPECULATION). Decreasing the number of students will probably not happen, but the plan is to make off-site rotations available for competency exams, which would be a huge help to the current situation. Also, I believe (again this is speculation) the plan is to keep the same number of chairs just everything will be up-to-date.

The CURRENT situation at USC is not so great (for some Juniors and practically every Senior). I'm not naive about the situation (on student government) and I don't have blinders on, but it appears that things will be much better in the next two years. The class of 2008 will most likely get the shaft like the class of 2007 did (albeit, probably w/ a better grad. rate around 40-50%, but this will be because of the students -- NOT THE ADMINISTRATION) and the class of 2009, I think, is on the cusp of having a good grad. rate to fairing about the same as the class of 2008.

If you ask Super Seniors, Seniors and Juniors about their experience... they are going to tell you it was/is the worst thing they've ever experienced. Freshman hardly understand what dental school is and Sophmores are just now getting a taste of it.

I don't regret coming to USC because it will definitely offer me a great clinical education (this is hard dispute, so good you don't get out on time 😱) and the didactic part of the education allows me to really learn everything I want. Again, PBL is not source of the problem--it has nothing to do with the clinical situation.

I hope this was a bit more enlightening. Also, I'm not trying to play down the CURRENT situation, because I understand what the Seniors and some Juniors are going through, but hopefully the University (re: Provost) will clean house shortly... 😀

 

[hawaiiguy24]

I would take the advice from TypoDont with a grain of salt... EVERY post of his on this forum is a USC bashing session. Granted, he's a student there and I'm not, but it seems to me that he's bitter about some things and now he's on a vendetta.

FWIW, I liked USC when I interviewed there and every student I talked to (I had in depth discussions with about 10 students) said they loved it there.

 

[UCSF2012]

So to summarize, go to NYU!

 

[jackbauer!]

Let me add my two cents.

USC's PBL curriculum is great. There is nothing wrong with this type of learning other than the fact that some students would rather sit in a lecture than work in a small group. I think, if you can see yourself in this type of environment, you will be very happy with your choice; however, the nice thing is that USC has integrated some lectures back into its curriculum for courses that are best suited for this such as Gross Anatomy, Local Anesthesia, Amalgam, Composite, etc. Cost is a major factor, and I'm not going to lie to you--it is a lot of money. But, if being close to your family is important to you than it might not be so bad. Also, the clinic will undergo a 4.3 million dollar renovation starting May of 2008 - June of 2009, which will offer all of the latest technology.

One last note, Typodont is not exaggerating about the graduation rates, I think we all know what they are by now; however, I can tell you first hand (trust me, I know what is going on), that the issues the class of 2007 faced and the class of 2008 are facing right now are slowly being resolved. I strongly feel that the class of 2011 & 2012 will be graduating on time and moving on with their lives.

Good luck with your decision.

P.S. I had other schools to choose from as did many of my classmates. My classmates opted for USC over Columbia, MCG, Pitt., Indiana, UoP, ASDoH, San Antonio, etc.

😱 🙁 😳 😛 🙄 😡 😕

 

[atlanta478]

Let me add my two cents.

USC's PBL curriculum is great. There is nothing wrong with this type of learning other than the fact that some students would rather sit in a lecture than work in a small group. I think, if you can see yourself in this type of environment, you will be very happy with your choice; however, the nice thing is that USC has integrated some lectures back into its curriculum for courses that are best suited for this such as Gross Anatomy, Local Anesthesia, Amalgam, Composite, etc. Cost is a major factor, and I'm not going to lie to you--it is a lot of money. But, if being close to your family is important to you than it might not be so bad. Also, the clinic will undergo a 4.3 million dollar renovation starting May of 2008 - June of 2009, which will offer all of the latest technology.

One last note, Typodont is not exaggerating about the graduation rates, I think we all know what they are by now; however, I can tell you first hand (trust me, I know what is going on), that the issues the class of 2007 faced and the class of 2008 are facing right now are slowly being resolved. I strongly feel that the class of 2011 & 2012 will be graduating on time and moving on with their lives.

Good luck with your decision.

P.S. I had other schools to choose from as did many of my classmates. My classmates opted for USC over Columbia, MCG, Pitt., Indiana, UoP, ASDoH, San Antonio, etc.

Some one got accepted to UOP class of 2010 and instead went to USC class of 2011/20012??? I would question the logic behind it????

 

[uvaGirL07]

Some one got accepted to UOP class of 2010 and instead went to USC class of 2011/20012??? I would question the logic behind it????

One reason that I can think of for why someone would choose USC over UoP is that you don't have to finish school in three years. To some people, that's not a favorable feature.

 

[armorshell]

One reason that I can think of for why someone would choose USC over UoP is that you don't have to finish school in three years. To some people, that's not a favorable feature.

I agree with this argument. I mean, the kind of person that would choose USC over UoP clearly sees the fact that they'll be doing 5 or 6 years of dental school as an advantage. Think of all the clinical experience those super seniors must be getting!

 

[Columbia07]

I'm not sure why it's hard to believe that someone turned down UoP for USC. In fact, a very good friend of mine turned down in-state tuition at MCG for USC, which provided him with 300K in debt. Another friend (class of 2010) turned down UoP w/ a scholarship ($10,000/year I think) for USC. Not that big of deal.

UoP, while only 3 years in duration, will not give you any other quality that will make you a better dentist in the long run.

 

[PChemGrad]

HELP ME!! USC vs NYU vs TEMPLE. I dont know where to go, I never thought I was going to have this many options..... I am leaning towards USC but I have heard too many terrible things about it on this site. They all have pros and cons and I dont know what to do!!😱😱😱

I had this same decision to make last year (Temple, NYU, USC). I chose Temple, and I am glad I made the choice. I grew up in Cali, yet decided to get out and see a different part of the US. Its an experience. Temple is a great place. Ya the school is in a not so good neighborhood, but no students live around the campus we all live a few miles away and commute in, it really isnt that bad. With the neighborhood the schools in you will always have quality patients.

good luck with your choice.

 

[dentstd]

I'm not sure why it's hard to believe that someone turned down UoP for USC. In fact, a very good friend of mine turned down in-state tuition at MCG for USC, which provided him with 300K in debt. Another friend (class of 2010) turned down UoP w/ a scholarship ($10,000/year I think) for USC.

We belive you. The world's full of idiots.


...or guys who'd pay 40k/yr extra for hot ass.

 

[SHC1984]

I would choose NYU.
Temple is in the ghetto...👎
USC has PBL and people can't graduate on time...👎
NYU is expensive but so are the other two schools...(temple is expensive if you are from OUT of state...)
So pick NYU. 👍

We belive you. The world's full of idiots.


...or guys who'd pay 40k/yr extra for hot ass.

 

[SHC1984]

Let me add my two cents.

USC's PBL curriculum is great. There is nothing wrong with this type of learning other than the fact that some students would rather sit in a lecture than work in a small group. I think, if you can see yourself in this type of environment, you will be very happy with your choice; however, the nice thing is that USC has integrated some lectures back into its curriculum for courses that are best suited for this such as Gross Anatomy, Local Anesthesia, Amalgam, Composite, etc. Cost is a major factor, and I'm not going to lie to you--it is a lot of money. But, if being close to your family is important to you than it might not be so bad. Also, the clinic will undergo a 4.3 million dollar renovation starting May of 2008 - June of 2009, which will offer all of the latest technology.

One last note, Typodont is not exaggerating about the graduation rates, I think we all know what they are by now; however, I can tell you first hand (trust me, I know what is going on), that the issues the class of 2007 faced and the class of 2008 are facing right now are slowly being resolved. I strongly feel that the class of 2011 & 2012 will be graduating on time and moving on with their lives.

Good luck with your decision.

P.S. I had other schools to choose from as did many of my classmates. My classmates opted for USC over Columbia, MCG, Pitt., Indiana, UoP, ASDoH, San Antonio, etc.

Are you sure? 🙄😕😱

 

[Nowhat14]

I'd choose Temple. You can commute from little away be safe. Also, philly is a fun city.

NYU: I know nothing about it.

USC: Trojan spirit. I think PBL can be good if used correctly. Renovation will happen over the summer. But at my interview, I got this D1 dude that constantly asked us at lunch "do you have any question?" When we asked questions, he replied, "I'm only a first year student here, so I don't know about it" Yea, to almost every single question. This dude made me not want to consider SC. He just wanted free lunch I guess.

 

[soyungil]

THANKS FOR YOUR INPUT EVERYBODY!!! I am going to take a couple weeks to sleep on everything and then decide. I will let you all know!!

 

[Ebull]

I'd pick NYU between those three. Temple and USC have some major curriculum flaws. Temple puts its students in charge of collections and USC has problem-based learning. NYU while big seems to have a lot to offer in terms of a dental education. NY, Philly and LA are all, IMO, bad places to live so I'd pick the best dental school.

And who is gonna be responsible for collections once you graduate?.... You guessed it, you are. Its all part of preparing you for the real world which is what Temple is known for. Granted its a drag but it gives you experience dealing with insurances and running a business.

 

[uvaGirL07]

I'm a silly girl who LOVES NYC mainly because of Sex and the City... so I would choose NYU... hands down! hahaha

best TV show ever... then maybe grey's anatomy or desperate housewives. LOL 😍

 

[1992Corolla]

What is up with all the Ghetto talk? Thats exactly what makes the school unique. Like USC isn't in LA? Puh-lease.

I won't tell you where to go, but I will say that I am very happy at Temple, the ghetto adds some flava and provides you with the ultimate graduation factor: patients up the rear.

As far as the collecting $$ thing goes...old excuse, plenty of other schools make you do the same thing. It take like 5 minutes to make sure they have insurance or cash and you're set. Again, common sense.

+1 Temple.

 

[armorshell]

I'm not sure why it's hard to believe that someone turned down UoP for USC. In fact, a very good friend of mine turned down in-state tuition at MCG for USC, which provided him with 300K in debt. Another friend (class of 2010) turned down UoP w/ a scholarship ($10,000/year I think) for USC. Not that big of deal.

UoP, while only 3 years in duration, will not give you any other quality that will make you a better dentist in the long run.

It's not hard to believe, I was just joking. I try to make a point not to trash schools I've never been to, and know nothing about besides random opinions on the internet (Unless it's topical, lighthearted and funny I suppose).

But, if you want to talk some real smack about "not making you a better dentist in the long run", let me know on average how many molar endos/retreats, perio surgeries, complex fixed prosth and OS your students do. You know, the stuff that gets scooped up by all those residency programs you have?

Might just be me, but those seem like the type of things that would make you a better dentist overall. But hey, when it comes to long runs, I'll defer to the man from USC.

 

[Columbia07]

I'm not going to get into a cat fight about which school will allow one to do more procedures because we both know we can never qualify this; however, with the way PBL is set-up I can do OS any day of the week I want (definitely not a problem), and some of our freshman are pulling teeth already. I can be IV sedation certified when I graduate (Malamed), which is something not many dental schools do. Endo/perio, I'm not sure what I can do and not do only because I haven't explored these departments. The school is pretty much set-up to where you can do as much or as little as you want.

Again, Every dental school (including UoP) will provide you with the same tools, no matter where you go. If they didn't, they wouldn't be accredited. End of discussion.

 

[armorshell]

I'm not going to get into a cat fight about which school will allow one to do more procedures because we both know we can never qualify this; however, with the way PBL is set-up I can do OS any day of the week I want (definitely not a problem), and some of our freshman are pulling teeth already.

Qualify how that's possible first quarter without having taken a single pre-clinical class (Or PBL jive session). Seems like it might be hard having never delivered anesthesia, or putting a bur to tooth.

I can be IV sedation certified when I graduate (Malamed), which is something not many dental schools do.

I'll admit that's rad, I heard he only takes a very select few from every year though. But hey, I get a free year to learn IV sed. if I want!

Again, Every dental school (including UoP) will provide you with the same tools, no matter where you go. If they didn't, they wouldn't be accredited. End of discussion.

Sounds like a serious change of tune from "UoP, while only 3 years in duration, will not give you any other quality that will make you a better dentist in the long run."

 

[Columbia07]

Qualify how that's possible first quarter without having taken a single pre-clinical class (Or PBL jive session). Seems like it might be hard having never delivered anesthesia, or putting a bur to tooth.



I'll admit that's rad, I heard he only takes a very select few from every year though. But hey, I get a free year to learn IV sed. if I want!



Sounds like a serious change of tune from "UoP, while only 3 years in duration, will not give you any other quality that will make you a better dentist in the long run."

I'm not sure how to prove it to you w/o giving you the their names and contact information but these people (c/o 2011) have been pulling teeth since the middle of the semester.

We've taken pre-clinical courses (not sure what you mean by this). If it's an easy extraction and you've spent 25 hours/wk in the OS clinic, it's not far-fetched.

Look, I'm not sure if you misinterpreted what I wrote originally about UoP, but it was not meant to say that UoP is any worse than the other 56 d-schools in the U.S. I'm simply making the point that UoP is not doing anything special that other schools are not. Yes, you can play around in the OS clinic all day at UoP and get a better experience than some of your other classmates, but this is not something the school is doing. Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Ebull]

I'm not sure how to prove it to you w/o giving you the their names and contact information but these people (c/o 2011) have been pulling teeth since the middle of the semester.

We've taken pre-clinical courses (not sure what you mean by this). If it's an easy extraction and you've spent 25 hours/wk in the OS clinic, it's not far-fetched.

Look, I'm not sure if you misinterpreted what I wrote originally about UoP, but it was not meant to say that UoP is any worse than the other 56 d-schools in the U.S. I'm simply making the point that UoP is not doing anything special that other schools are not. Yes, you can play around in the OS clinic all day at UoP and get a better experience than some of your other classmates, but this is not something the school is doing. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Don't worry he will!😉

 

[armorshell]

I'm not sure how to prove it to you w/o giving you the their names and contact information but these people (c/o 2011) have been pulling teeth since the middle of the semester.

We've taken pre-clinical courses (not sure what you mean by this). If it's an easy extraction and you've spent 25 hours/wk in the OS clinic, it's not far-fetched.

Well, I'm guessing if that's the case they're assisting an upperclassman or a resident who's taking care of the workup, anesthesia, etc... If you've got students working as upperclassman in the OS clinic that certainly doesn't really have the patients best interest in mind, and might border on malpractice. If they're being babysat by faculty or the like, then it's kind of a "meh" thing IMO.

Look, I'm not sure if you misinterpreted what I wrote originally about UoP, but it was not meant to say that UoP is any worse than the other 56 d-schools in the U.S. I'm simply making the point that UoP is not doing anything special that other schools are not. Yes, you can play around in the OS clinic all day at UoP and get a better experience than some of your other classmates, but this is not something the school is doing. Correct me if I'm wrong.

I didn't misinterpret anything. What I'm trying to explain is that with our comprehensive care based clinical model, and our complete lack of on-site specialties (save ortho), you're assigned a patient and literally treatment plan and take care of everything they need. If the need perio surgery, you do it, if they need complex endo, or a 14 unit bridge, you do it. You get the idea.

This leads to our students getting experience with many complex procedures that would get passed on to specialty programs at other schools. There's a nice example of something Pacific does special.

Not sure how we got stuck on OS, but it will actually be a little harder for me to grind extractions in the OS clinic because of the comprehensive care model. Bad for me (OS gunner), good for the average Pacific student.