hey Illinois kids!

[ak47]

what are you thoughts on SIU? or even SIU vs. UIC?! (even though i know they are very different but aside from the Alton vs. CHI thing) thanks

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[Doh Boy Fresh]

SIU:
1. dead town
2. you have to switch buildings for classes some times- some thing i'd hate in the winter
3. their library is smaller than my second grade library was = no where real to study
4. their students were really nice
5. they are 100,000$ cheaper than UIC
6. housing is realllly cheap and they have a day to help you find housing
7. siu degreee has the same worth as a uic degree
8. you may develop better social skills going to UIC (going to bars) --> I only say this cuz my interviewer pointed out that I speak reallly realllly fast, and said don't worry, if you go here, that'll slow down
9. i saw very few asians around. - both brown asians and yellow asians.
10. there is a new :new china buffet: in town
11. it's the home of Alton's Gentle Giant - a really tall guy
12. students seemed happy but i only saw two cuz i interviewed over one of their breaks.
13. Friendly staff - i got lost, and lady helped me find the office
14. you get prepped hardcore by the school itself for the NBDEs which is good because you need to pass that to become a dentist
15. They boast 98-100% pass rate for the boards, and were top 5 in the nation for the past 10 years or something like that on NBDEs part 1.
16.




UIC: take my word with a pinch of salt cuz i'm overly bias towards UIC

1. great city
2. 100,000$ more expensive
3. Good bars, and people around to develop normal social skills --> im from suburbia and feel i can handle city living and fit in there --> how about you?
4. every specialty is there, and it's self contained in one building
5. Their NBDE pass rate isn't as good as UIC's... they also randomly tell you that it's bad themselves which makes no sense...as in their results are below the national average.... i forget maybe someone else can clarify this.
6. I get to be close to family, what about you?
7. You get to work closely with a latino/latina population, which i'm really looking forward to - i'm trying to go abroad for a semester to brush up on my spanish speaking skills!!!! YEY!
8. PRofessors are friendly, students were friendly, and seemed to want to help you out
9. School is fairly well maintained, and you'll have the Rush medical library near by if you don't like the UIC library
10. UIC sits in the middle of one of the largest medical districts in the world, so you get exposure to anything and everything you want
11. if you want to practice in chicago later on, you may be in a better position to make contacts, intern, etc...being where you want to establish yourself in the future
12. They prep you less for the NBDEs...but it's fine, everyone passes out eventually


Eventually, the dental school has to fit you just as much as you need to fit the school...if you'll notice some of my comments are person specific, because those are the things that I noted as either pros or cons...

OK, GOOD LUCK!!

 

[Chesnok]

HUGE post Doh Boy Fresh I liked the thing about SIU, that it prepares you to do lab work which is useful (althou you won't do it when you're a dentist) in the sense that you can tell the lab tech what you want him to change using "their" term. One of the student guides told us that sometimes a lab tech can re-send you the same product without any changes pretending he did smth after you told him to make corrections. That's a plus in practicing a lab work IMO.

 

[sks2286]

Go to siue if you want to practice rural dentistry or want to practice in southern or central illinois. Otherwise go to UIC.

 

[RAK1987]

there are more dental schools that just those in illinois... and much better ones, IMO. broaden your options.

 

[sks2286]

SIUE/UIC is the best shot for alot of Illinois residents but i do agree if you have the stats it would be good to see what other schools offer. First time I applied only to UIC/SIUE. This I applied to 17, loved most of the dental schools I interviewed at and I learned alot about other schools by reading SDN.

UIC hasnt even given me an interview this cycle but I think I will always wonder what it would have been like to go to UIC. Im more than estactic about Michigan but I even went to Champaign and have all my friends in Chicago.

 

[RAK1987]

SIUE/UIC is the best shot for alot of Illinois residents but i do agree if you have the stats it would be good to see what other schools offer. First time I applied only to UIC/SIUE. This I applied to 17, loved most of the dental schools I interviewed at and I learned alot about other schools by reading SDN.

UIC hasnt even given me an interview this cycle but I think I will always wonder what it would have been like to go to UIC. Im more than estactic about Michigan but I even went to Champaign and have all my friends in Chicago.

IMO UMIch is hands a fists better than UIC.... you should be stoked!

 

[ak47]

IMO UMIch is hands a fists better than UIC.... you should be stoked!

why is umich better?
i've seen your posts are penn/columbia/uconn........why are you declining UIC? you dont have to answer if its too personal of a question but i'm just wondering

 

[sks2286]

IMO UMIch is hands a fists better than UIC.... you should be stoked!

Michigan was my first acceptance and I was more than stoked! UIC just has Chicago and most of the friends I made in college live in Chicago now.

I did a quick scan of your predents page. We went to the same college, same major/minor, was a chi o...I was a sig ep. We probably have a good amount of common friends.

Congrats on your offers. Def very impressive.

 

[somethinpositiv]

It's not just a $100,000 difference. It's a $170,000 difference.

SIU = $71,000 (Tuition, Fees, & Estimated Living Expenses, Total for 4 yrs)
UIC = $240,000 (Tuition, Fees, & Estimated Living Expenses, Total for 4 yrs)

that said, I would pay the additional $170K to live in Chicago any day.

 

[somethinpositiv]

UIC = more diverse staff/students/patient pool, more fun, more expensive

SIU = better didactic education, higher board scores, higher board pass rate (#4 in the country)

Why? When you compare Chicago and Alton, you can guess which students have nothing else to do but study.

But if you can put up with what one SIU grad said was "being locked in a jail for 4 years", then go to SIU and save $170,000!
but me personally, I'd rather be poor in the city than rich in the country.

 

[somethinpositiv]

SIUE/UIC is the best shot for alot of Illinois residents but i do agree if you have the stats it would be good to see what other schools offer. First time I applied only to UIC/SIUE. This I applied to 17, loved most of the dental schools I interviewed at and I learned alot about other schools by reading SDN.

UIC hasnt even given me an interview this cycle but I think I will always wonder what it would have been like to go to UIC. Im more than estactic about Michigan but I even went to Champaign and have all my friends in Chicago.

Why did you not apply to Michigan the first time around? It is a must-apply for us midwesterners, along with Marquette and possibly Indiana.

 

[somethinpositiv]

why is umich better?
i've seen your posts are penn/columbia/uconn........why are you declining UIC? you dont have to answer if its too personal of a question but i'm just wondering

She's a friend of mine, I'll answer for her. Her priorities lie on the East Coast, thus she's not declining UIC or Michigan for any other reason than location, not because of the quality of those schools.

 

[somethinpositiv]

what are you thoughts on SIU? or even SIU vs. UIC?! (even though i know they are very different but aside from the Alton vs. CHI thing) thanks

Most people I've talked to in Illinois get into either one of the other (or neither), I haven't heard of many that got into both. If that's the case, than the choice is easy..

 

[Chesnok]

SIU is not ~70,000 at all. it's about 140,000 total including living expenses (if you don't live close to SIU). So the difference for a Chicagoan is about 40k provided you live at home in Chicagoland.

 

[cubbiesftw]

SIU is not ~70,000 at all. it's about 140,000 total including living expenses (if you don't live close to SIU). So the difference for a Chicagoan is about 40k provided you live at home in Chicagoland.

This is much more accurate...I don't know where somethinpositive got his info from, but it doesn't seem right at all. SIU is cheaper but not by over a 100,000.

 

[Chesnok]

I received a small flyer with all stats on`an interview day at SIU, let me grab it now ... OK here it is (for 2008-2009 academic year):
1st yr - 35,360
2nd yr - 31,900
3rd yr - 27,300
4th yr - 29,300
Annual living and personal expenses for Alton area - 19,900 (it may vary, right?)

So, in total it's about 200,000 including the above living/personal expenses.

 

[DrDent414]

Is anyone aware when UIC will typically accept more people? I am so optimistic about UIC but haven't heard a word from them yet since my interview on October 14th. What do you think?

UIC is the place to be!!!

 

[Chesnok]

I think it's usually Jan.15 for most schools when accepted students should submit there deposits or withdraw to free some spots.
Good luck.

 

[somethinpositiv]

Sorry if I was inaccurate, I've got $70,000 ingrained in my head for some reason, I must have only added the tuition together or something. My bad! I'm looking at the ADEA book and it adds up to be:

ADEA Estimate: $111,184 (Tuition, Instruments, Books, Fees)
SIU Estimate: $123,860 (Tuition, Instruments, Books, Fees)

Living in Alton shouldn't be more than $750 a month (and that's living in NICE apartment with a roommate and eating out often). $750 * 44 months = $33,000 living expense over 4 years

So Doh Boy was right, it's about $100,000K different, slightly less actually, more like $80K-90K cheaper than UIC.

This is much more accurate...I don't know where somethinpositive got his info from, but it doesn't seem right at all. SIU is cheaper but not by over a 100,000.

I received a small flyer with all stats on`an interview day at SIU, let me grab it now ... OK here it is (for 2008-2009 academic year):
1st yr - 35,360
2nd yr - 31,900
3rd yr - 27,300
4th yr - 29,300
Annual living and personal expenses for Alton area - 19,900 (it may vary, right?)

So, in total it's about 200,000 including the above living/personal expenses.

 

[illiniteeths]

Go to siue if you want to practice rural dentistry or want to practice in southern or central illinois. Otherwise go to UIC.

Why do you have to go to UIC to practice dentistry in an urban area like Chicago or the suburbs?

 

[somethinpositiv]

Why do you have to go to UIC to practice dentistry in an urban area like Chicago or the suburbs?

You obviously can go to any school and practice anywhere and be successful. However, if the choice was there, going to UIC would expose you to the diverse urban population that you would work with later on if you intend to practice in Chicago, and you would have a wider network of contacts within that city to help you get started after you graduate.

 

[somethinpositiv]

Why do you have to go to UIC to practice dentistry in an urban area like Chicago or the suburbs?

eww suburbs. I don't think going to UIC would be more beneficial if you were practicing in the suburbs, I think it would be equally good to go to SIU for that. I don't think that the patient population of either school would reflect the patient pool of a wealthy Chicago suburb.

 

[illiniteeths]

do any dental school's patients resemble the kind of patients of a wealthy Chicago burb?

 

[Lopyswine]

lets be honest here:

the average SIU patient is missing like 60 teeth .

I've heard stories that they make the D3s tap their hands together and knife fight in a circle to decide who will be the LONE SIU student lucky enough to place an implant that year....

seriously though,
Both schools are excellent. You will receive a quality education at both. For me, the main deciders for UIC were the following:

1) group practice clinics. WAY WAY WAY better way to run clinic. Its like a real office.
2) The community rotations during our D4 year. We will forced to do 3, 1 month rotations at outreach clinics throughout Chicago. If you want to, you do 6 months of your D4 year outside of the school. I've been told that if you do the entire 6 months, its almost like you've done a mini AEGD residency.

The other deciding factor is of course the city itself. The surroundings at SIU are a cesspool. At UIC you are in one of the premier cities in the US.



P.S. one positive for SIU is that you'll become great at spotting meth mouth!!

 

[somethinpositiv]

do any dental school's patients resemble the kind of patients of a wealthy Chicago burb?

Rhetorical question, but you're right, probably not. Though I would imagine that UCLA or Michigan or UConn might come a little bit closer than UIC or SIU? Even then, weathy suburban folk would go to a private practice dentist rather than a dental school, right?

 

[Lopyswine]

Rhetorical question, but you're right, probably not. Though I would imagine that UCLA or Michigan or UConn might come a little bit closer than UIC or SIU? Even then, weathy suburban folk would go to a private practice dentist rather than a dental school, right?

believe me, we have to keep the building like a prison here at UIC. EVERYTHING is locked. locked. locked. we have to use our IDs for everything.

The patients start lining up around the building at like 6am. By the time the doors open at 7am there are usually like 300 patients waiting to get treated.

The other day a student left a door open and the patients got into the building a few minutes before all the security arrived and there were multiple thefts.

At UIC you will be serving an extremely diverse population. Its a win-win situation. You'll get great experience and they'll get dental care they never could afford without the school.

 

[dentisttobe42]

who WOULDN'T wanna go to UIC if you're an Illinois resident?? Let alone if you're from Chicago... I'm not from the midwest but I would love to go to dental school in a city like Chicago. Here is the thing, dental school is dental school... everyone is going to come out of it as a competent dentist or else the schools wouldn't be accredited... if you want to specialize, you'll do the work necessary at any school u go to and you'll get it done.. Go to UIC!! you can't beat Chicago!...

 

[sks2286]

How do you guys feel about UIC? The school itself not the location or the tution. What is the faculty like? atmosphere, technology, and clinics?

 

[Chesnok]

Yup, this above q is to all UIC students.
P.S. Sks2296 --> you're a dental student already congrats. I didn't even have time to change my status.

 

[DrDent414]

Hey guys, for those who were accepted on Dec. 1, when is the date you have to have your deposits in by? What other sort of information was given out in your acceptance packets?

 

[somethinpositiv]

Hey guys, for those who were accepted on Dec. 1, when is the date you have to have your deposits in by?

Jan. 15th, same as other schools