How important are alumni networks when choosing schools?

[CtrlAlt]

Hello dentists and new grads,

May I ask for some wisdom regarding how much should we pre-dents factor in a school’s reputation/alumni network when selecting a dental school? I am on the HPSP so cost isn’t an issue and everything has come down to this point.

I am leaning toward Columbia because I feel it's the right fit for me. However, this means I’ll have to give up Penn, which has an incredible alumni network nationally and internationally (plus some Wharton grad might own a group practice somewhere, who knows).

I am really concerned that I’ll be making a big mistake 8 years down the road…thinking, “What if one day the Penn connection lands me a great job (or the only job).” While I do believe having a large network does help, but how much does it matter? Is it worth stressing about when choosing a school? Another way to put this is: Do practice owners discriminate who they hire/refer to based on school? Would you choose someone with more experience or someone from your school (assuming you had a great experience at the institution).

I believe both are great institutions with Penn having a solid history/reputation and Columbia constantly improving its dental program. However, I do want to know if the alumni network is something worth factoring into my decision between these two institutions.

If any dentists or new grads have some input from their experiences, I would really appreciate the advice. Thank you!

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[free99]

Both are good schools, I don’t see the alumni network being a major factor in either case. I’d be basing my decision on location (do you prefer nyc or philly?). Practice owners looking to hire new dentists care about your personality, charisma, maturity, communication, and clinical skill - not where you went to school.

 

[sgv]

If I see someone who recently graduated from Columbia or Penn, right off the bat, I assume they have slow and crappy hand skills. It's only slightly easier to go around and interview for a job at a practice you like during D4 year or right after graduation if you go to a dental school around the area. In your case, it wouldn't matter because you're not necessarily going to be looking for a job right out of DS. You're going to a military base.

The questions an employer is going to want know is how fast is your production (e.g. how fast can you prep a crown, restore a tooth, treatment plan, interact with patients, and most importantly whether or not you'll likely get along with coworkers). Asking where you graduated from doesn't necessarily answer anything useful except that generally people who graduate from Ivy Leagues have poor hand skills.

 

[Combine33]

If I see someone who recently graduated from Columbia or Penn, right off the bat, I assume they have slow and crappy hand skills. It's only slightly easier to go around and interview for a job at a practice you like during D4 year or right after graduation if you go to a dental school around the area. In your case, it wouldn't matter because you're not necessarily going to be looking for a job right out of DS. You're going to a military base.

The questions an employer is going to want know is how fast is your production (e.g. how fast can you prep a crown, restore a tooth, treatment plan, interact with patients, and most importantly whether or not you'll likely get along with coworkers). Asking where you graduated from doesn't necessarily answer anything useful except that generally people who graduate from Ivy Leagues have poor hand skills.

Going off what sgv said, you're going into the military and that will include either a 1 or 2 year AEGD (with board certification if you chose), and that is what will really impress prospective employers. Nobody will care what school you graduated from as long as you graduate.