How much does my school matter?

[flossiraptor863]

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I'm currently interviewing at dental schools, and I'm trying to assess what the most important things are that I should be looking for. I was hoping to get input from current students/recent grads.

Normally, I would agree that the cheapest school is the best choice in the long-run. However, I'm interested in joining the Army upon graduation and if I receive the HPSP scholarship, cost won't be a factor.

When I get out of school, I'm interested in pursuing general dentistry. However, I don't want to be limited to simple procedures. The reason I want to do general dentistry is due to the diversity in work they encounter between basic procedures, restorative work, implants, dabbling in endo and Invisalign, etc.

I also understand that I can learn a lot of these more complex procedures in an AEGD or GPR. Many schools advertise that I can get additional training in certain specialties while I'm in school to get more exposure to them. If I wind up pursuing a 1 or 2 year general practice residency, will the additional training in school make a difference? If a school offers additional implant training, should I give that factor significant consideration, or should I be more concerned with where I'd like to potentially live one day/how I like their student body/etc?

Thank you in advance for your responses!

 

[cacazor]

hpsp. implant. invisalign. oh my! look all these keywords. please dont be honest in your interviews

The little things do not matter at all. Example, how proficient do you think you will get at doing implants when you're barely competent enough to treat a patient as a dental student? Not to mention the divided attention you will be getting. Next time the admission director tells you that your school has X or Y, ask your tour guide if the students ever use them. One thing they love telling students is the cool cerec machines they have...that no one ever uses.

 

[Pro-Dentite19]

Only the Ivy Leagues would make any difference whatsoever in the minds of your future patients. Other then that since money is no object go to the school with the best faculty and hottest girls.

Edit: And I should probably refine my comment to say only Harvard would make an impact on all of your patients, I recently saw a survey on TV that asked the average person to name the ivy league schools, and Harvard was the only one that everyone knew....some knew that Yale was an ivy league, but nobody they interviewed knew that Penn, Columbia, or Cornell were Ivy League schools haha!

 

[diasIItema]

Go where you would be happiest living for four years. I did interview at a residency in CA and the director said he does not consider students from PASS/FAIL schools, but I assume that is a rare occurrence. Every dental school is unique and each has pros/cons. The individual student can achieve any level of success from any dental school. All you need is that DMD/DDS in the end.

 

[CleverThought]

I say the cheapest is the most important.

But *if* cost is not a factor, I would say to go to a clinically based school. Go somewhere that you get into clinic early and get I rotate through as many specialties as possible.

 

[flossiraptor863]

hpsp. implant. invisalign. oh my! look all these keywords. please dont be honest in your interviews

The little things do not matter at all. Example, how proficient do you think you will get at doing implants when you're barely competent enough to treat a patient as a dental student? Not to mention the divided attention you will be getting. Next time the admission director tells you that your school has X or Y, ask your tour guide if the students ever use them. One thing they love telling students is the cool cerec machines they have...that no one ever uses.

I didn't mean to offend by asking, or to give off the wrong impression. I want to get the most out of school and it's a big decision. One school mentioned that they trained students in Invisalign, so I wanted to know if that carries any weight. If I were in it for the money, there are a number of other careers that would be safer bets. I apologize for coming off that way.

I think diversity in a practice makes the career more exciting. But from what I understand from the comments, is I'm biting off more than I can chew for what I think I'll be learning by the end of school. Thank you all for helping me come to understand that.

 

[cacazor]

I didn't mean to offend by asking, or to give off the wrong impression. I want to get the most out of school and it's a big decision. One school mentioned that they trained students in Invisalign, so I wanted to know if that carries any weight. If I were in it for the money, there are a number of other careers that would be safer bets. I apologize for coming off that way.

I think diversity in a practice makes the career more exciting. But from what I understand from the comments, is I'm biting off more than I can chew for what I think I'll be learning by the end of school. Thank you all for helping me come to understand that.

Np. I am just some dude on the internet. No need to justify your reasons to me. What do you think is a safer bet than dentistry ?

Iirc, some schools in fact certify their students in invisalign. But I can't comment on if that certification is meaningful

 

[Mackchops]

+1 for cheapest school

 

[newdoc1987]

Also consider the cost of where the school is, I went to an inexpensive school in a very expensive city and now I'm paying for it (literally). As for job prospects, the doc I'm associating with just interviewed an associate for his other office and he absolutely loved him, I asked him where the guy went to school and he couldn't tell me so...

 

[sockerbayb]

Find the best clinical program you can. If you're doing HPSP then cost does not matter but your clinical experience will. After the military you can put on your resume procedures you are certified in and proficient in. If you don't get enough experience because your school has a weak clinical program but is cheap then you will have to take your own money and time after you graduate to go to CE courses. If you go to a strong clinical program you also may not need to do a GPR/AEGD. I have professors that use to be the head of AEGD/GPR programs at other schools and when I asked them if I should apply they informed me that the dentistry we (at my school) are completing during our 4th year is the equivalent of an AEGD/GPR. Just for reference: I am a 4th year on HPSP, have placed and restored implants, done CADCAM on a regular basis, am laser certified, about to begin Invisalign certification soon, in addition to the basics of dentistry. I don't come on here often so if you have questions PM me.

 

[bjpenn]

school doesn't matter. i've worked with people from different dental schools and have seen a range of skills.

 

[Cold Front]

For me, school mattered 20%, city and people of where you go to school 80%.

That may seem weird to many, but I had 2 roommates while I was in school; a Canadian who was "2nd spot" to the valedictorian of my graduating class (who also happened to be the most frugal and thought provoking type of guy you would ever meet), and a Taiwanese version of Anthony Bourdain roommate - who would sleep through class by day and Yelp by night about Boston restaurant scene. I was roommates with these guys for the entire 4 years of dental school, and I have really enjoyed (and hated at the same time) the experiences of being a student in an expensive, cold and fun city with them. Of course there were other people from my class that were interesting too.... But I don't regret the impact those people and the city had on me over those 4 years.

Yes, go to cheap school. But I would also pay little more to go to big city school and have better social experience than a small and perhaps a quiet town program. Because you walk away with more than just a diploma, for me it was a transformational experience - for lack of better words.

 

[Lock_Jaw]

I'm currently interviewing at dental schools, and I'm trying to assess what the most important things are that I should be looking for. I was hoping to get input from current students/recent grads.

Normally, I would agree that the cheapest school is the best choice in the long-run. However, I'm interested in joining the Army upon graduation and if I receive the HPSP scholarship, cost won't be a factor.

When I get out of school, I'm interested in pursuing general dentistry. However, I don't want to be limited to simple procedures. The reason I want to do general dentistry is due to the diversity in work they encounter between basic procedures, restorative work, implants, dabbling in endo and Invisalign, etc.

I also understand that I can learn a lot of these more complex procedures in an AEGD or GPR. Many schools advertise that I can get additional training in certain specialties while I'm in school to get more exposure to them. If I wind up pursuing a 1 or 2 year general practice residency, will the additional training in school make a difference? If a school offers additional implant training, should I give that factor significant consideration, or should I be more concerned with where I'd like to potentially live one day/how I like their student body/etc?

Thank you in advance for your responses!

If your goal is hpsp I would plan on doing their aegd program as its one of the best. That and as far as what school I don't think it matters at that point. Choose your favorite if you have hpsp whether based on location weather or school upkeep up to you.

 

[longhornpride]

cheapest

 

[Pedodel]

Where you go to school means almost nothing. It is ALL about what you do after school.

In dental school,( no matter where you go ) you do sooooo little clinical dentistry. Doing a good GPR after dental school will give you 5 times as much clinical experience as all of your dental school experience.

Doing a good clinical GPR will also put you in an excellent position if thinking about applying to specialty programs.

I have been in practice now for 12 years ( as a pediatric specialist) and can tell you that I have never been asked by a patient (parent) where I went to dental school. All that matters in private practice is how comfortable you make your patients and that you are confident, yet comforting , and that your patients trust you ( mostly with your persona ).
Where I went to school I think , meant almost nothing ( I went to Maryland by the way,,,,, a highly regarded school).

I'd recommend to all aspiring dental school applicants,,, go to school where you want to be for 4 years,,,and where it is least expensive. This is not Law school where it really does matter where you go to school.

In dentistry , Ivy League or highly rated schools mean very little in patient perspective or on you resume ( no one will care ,,,, seriously).
Once you get out of school you real education begins. Best to you.

 

[terpdaderp]

Where you go to school means almost nothing. It is ALL about what you do after school.

In dental school,( no matter where you go ) you do sooooo little clinical dentistry. Doing a good GPR after dental school will give you 5 times as much clinical experience as all of your dental school experience.

Doing a good clinical GPR will also put you in an excellent position if thinking about applying to specialty programs.

I have been in practice now for 12 years ( as a pediatric specialist) and can tell you that I have never been asked by a patient (parent) where I went to dental school. All that matters in private practice is how comfortable you make your patients and that you are confident, yet comforting , and that your patients trust you ( mostly with your persona ).
Where I went to school I think , meant almost nothing ( I went to Maryland by the way,,,,, a highly regarded school).

I'd recommend to all aspiring dental school applicants,,, go to school where you want to be for 4 years,,,and where it is least expensive. This is not Law school where it really does matter where you go to school.

In dentistry , Ivy League or highly rated schools mean very little in patient perspective or on you resume ( no one will care ,,,, seriously).
Once you get out of school you real education begins. Best to you.

Go maryland! Quick question for you, I'm currently deciding between harvard and umd for dental school. do you think i should turn down harvard for maryland simply because of cost? I am from maryland, but I don't find any reason not to go to harvard other than the money (more expensive). you have any advice for me as I decide where to go? I have till Jan 7th haha 😀

 

[NMC2010]

If price isn't an issue, pick somewhere that has a strong clinical program and that's in a location you'll enjoy. Develop your hand skills so you'll be better prepared once you graduate. The fine details in dental school won't matter much because you'll learn everything you need in the military AEGD. Get a good foundation.

 

[Pedodel]

Go maryland! Quick question for you, I'm currently deciding between harvard and umd for dental school. do you think i should turn down harvard for maryland simply because of cost? I am from maryland, but I don't find any reason not to go to harvard other than the money (more expensive). you have any advice for me as I decide where to go? I have till Jan 7th haha 😀

If Maryland is less expensive,,,,go there. It is at the moment probably the one the best , and, most high tech schools in the country .
Harvard,,,, is a big name, but no one cares really. ( not in dentistry any way )It is more about a user friendly experience with solid clinical experience ( as Maryland has ). Every school has downfalls (instructors can be miserable to deal with in every school).
Saving 50 to 100k can be huge though. Go where it is less expensive for sure!

 

[beannaithe]

One school mentioned that they trained students in Invisalign, so I wanted to know if that carries any weight.t.

Not really. Invisalign certification is a 4 hour class that can be taken multiple times a year in private practice, so don't let this sway your decision. It sounds awesome, but it really doesn't matter too much since you can get certified in private practice easily. Go with the cheapest, most clinically based school.

None of my patients really cares where I went to dental school. It comes up maybe once or twice a month. Patients are usually more interested that my residency was local and that I live locally.

 

[xkc9126x]

Not really. Invisalign certification is a 4 hour class that can be taken multiple times a year in private practice, so don't let this sway your decision. It sounds awesome, but it really doesn't matter too much since you can get certified in private practice easily. Go with the cheapest, most clinically based school.

None of my patients really cares where I went to dental school. It comes up maybe once or twice a month. Patients are usually more interested that my residency was local and that I live locally.

How do you know if a school is more clinically based than the other? Where can one find this information?

 

[beannaithe]

How do you know if a school is more clinically based than the other? Where can one find this information?

When I applied it, I used word of mouth from local docs for the schools that were closer to me and contacted a few dentists that attended schools I was interested in. For those further away, I spent a lot of time on SDN going through threads of places that I wanted to apply. A lot of people will be open about how well their schools prepared them and you will have an opportunity to ask a lot of questions during your interviews. Asking about the requirements and how well the 4th years (the students directly, not the admins) felt about going into private practice directly can be very telling.

 

[The Anhedonia]

after having paid for columbia dental and harvard medical, i agree with the above posters: go with the cheapest school 🤢

 

[bigstix808]

since cost is not a factor for you (or wont be) I would go where I would have the most fun! dschool sucks. so whatever you can do outside of school to make life more enjoyable is a plus.

to find out what school is more clinic heavy, spend some time on here or dentaltown.com. you're gonna find out real quick how good your hands are when you get to school.

does your school name matter?? no. it doesn't. I have pt's all the time where I went to school at ... I tell them, and that's that. I've only had one pt just up and get out of the chair ... all bc I was not a UGA fan. true story.

the military GPR program is awesome from what ive heard. you'll get out of school what you put into it. you can graduate with only your minimal requirements, but you'll suck when you graduate. or you can bust your ass and do as much as you can before you graduate and be a rockstar from the beginning. you're not going to be doing full mouth cases right away anyway, so best to get real good at the general stuff (fillings, extractions, etc).

good luck!

 

[UW2019]

You will get a lot of respect if you graduate from a school that has a lot of local respect. For example: I want to end up practicing in Washington state (my home state). UW is very well respected around here so it was the ideal choice for me. If you have a school like that in your area or the area you want to work in, that would be something to consider. Other than that, I agree that cost is probably the biggest factor.

 

[jokersmiles]

There are many dentists that come from other countries that do well in the US.
So the school you go to does not matter at all.