Howard University

[EMV]

Just accepted to Howard University. Hoping to hear from some present Howard D1 and D2 students regarding the school. Was also accepted to NYU but am swaying towards Howard. Any feedback regarding the school and safe places to live would be greatly appreciated.

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[CMistry]

I heard recently from a few Howard students that their clinical years are extremely frustrating, since students are responsible for finding their own patients. They mentioned that it has caused numerous problems with graduating on-time.

 

[vietdoc77]

Go with the brand name, my friend!

 

[EMV]

Is the brand name school worth $200.000 more? That is my concern. I too heard the same info regarding students not graduating on time. I was hoping to hear from some dental students that are presently attending Howard to know if that is really true.

 

[Ferneezy]

i have also heard the same things. last year i had the opportunity to meet a number of howard students, including a few upperclassmen. while on an elevator out of earshot of the touring group, two of them quite bluntly told me if i had the choice of going anywhere else...i should. but they never gave details, even when lightly pressed and using my overwhelming charisma.

the thing is, you'll be hard pressed to find any student that will talk down about their school after they graduate, much less while they're still enrolled. my mentor graduated howard a quarter of a century ago and the worst he will say about it is "they made it real hard, but i got through" dovetailed by "you should give a hard look to maryland". so you need to weigh a number of subjective and objective factors together when choosing where to go. you should also consider the fact that nearly 100% of the time, any particular dental student will only have experience at their school. they could be having issues that you never would in an identical curriculum.

take the topic of current discussion: if my only options were hu and nyu, and the primary point of contention between the two is that you will need to fill your own chairs but at a $200k discount...you can bet i will hustle my ass off to learn dentistry in dc. there's no way i can overlook the financial chasm between the two.

however, if it came down to hu and some other school that is slightly more expensive but gifted their students a patient population...i might go with the latter...depending.

good luck.

 

[dds14]

Hi I'm a current D1 and I just completed my first semester. So far the program has been very challenging but I managed to make it through. Is there anything you want to know specifically? Check out apartments in Hyattsville, Takoma and Silver Spring, MD. Southern Management corp. is a good company because they give you apartments that give discounts to Howard students. Also, some people live on campus so that could be an option as well.

 

[Luonghd]

What is your living expense budget?

 

[yangwang]

Just a word of advice, stay away from Howard if you can, a friend of mine goes there, is a D3, told me the faculties are horrible, they are out to get the students, they don't just NOT care, they HATE the students, nothing gets done, you will constantly run out of alginate/stone, the building is leaky. And yeah, she told me it's absolutely miserable, go anywhere else but there. My friend is pretty strong willed, been out in the job market before dental school, very type A personality and definitely not one to admit defeat, so for her to tell me all this, i am definitely a believer that Howard dschool is just terrible.

In addition to the dental school, my cousin is a physiotherapist who graduted from Howard, she also told me that the facilities are absolutely the worst, she said she'd rather be left out to die instead of entering howard. Again, she's also very resilient, graduated #1 in her class. Again she also had a lot of negative comments to make about howard, in fact everytime she brings it up, it's all negative. The only positive thing she said was she made it...

So! if you have a choice! go elsewhere! if you don't, then reapply and get into somewhere else.

 

[Lethstang]

in my very humble opinion, no school for dentistry is worth 200k more. I would go to howard over harvard over a 200k difference any day of the week.

 

[cookiemonster44]

I often read on sdn "choose the cheaper school" and I think this is the smartest decision, but isn't always the wisest. What I am trying to say is that this is your CAREER- your livelihood. You better attend the school that will make you the best dentist you can be. If a school has internal structural problems, it will be very difficult for you to come out on top academically and clinically. There is no redo for dental school no dental school postbacc, so when you graduate "it is what it is". Happiness is one thing, but reputation is a whole another story. In my opinion reputation trumps cost any-day-of-the-week. People who say they would choose Howard over Harvard are giving you false advice. Don't mean to be rude, but that previous comment was insane. People flock to Harvard because of its name. The Harvard name carries weight and it worth more than 200K! I can assure you of that. A name gets you to your door and your clinical skills get you through it. It's a different ball game today then it was even 10-15 years ago. Patients have so many choices in dental providers and if you can't compete clinically you cannot play the game. Patients are checking your biosketch and linked in account before they sit in your chair and are coming armed with questions that you better hope you can answer if you want them to come back! Therefore, it is so important to be a good clinician and have the academic backing.

Also, with the crumbling job market people are relying on dental school alumni connections more than ever. You think everyone comes out of dental school with a job? To me, it makes more sense to go to a school where your network is broad and your opportunities for advancement in the career of dentistry is plentiful (i.e., dual degree programs). Maybe for ten years you will be really hussalin', but trust me after that you will be happy you have the skill set to succeed and be proud of the school that helped you get there.

 

[Sanducan]

OP, go the the cheapest school possible. Please don't listen to what some of these folks tell you on here about Howard not being up to par. I asked the same question to all the dentists that I have shadowed and they all told me the same thing, GO TO THE CHEAPEST SCHOOL! However, if you are dead set on specializing and don't think you will be in the top 10-15%, then by all means go to an Ivy, otherwise it doesn't matter. Personally, I would go to Howard. You know why? This is why:

http://www.ismile.com/ (millionaire many many many times over)
http://smiledesignmanhattan.com/ (Getting there)

Just strive to be one of the best in your field, that's all that matters. Peace.

 

[Dignity1]

Just accepted to Howard University. Hoping to hear from some present Howard D1 and D2 students regarding the school. Was also accepted to NYU but am swaying towards Howard. Any feedback regarding the school and safe places to live would be greatly appreciated.

Check out UTC (University Town Center). These are apts that house Univ of MD and HU students. Its in Hyattsville, MD and on the Green line of the Metro (the subway system in DC). Also check out Apts in Silver Spring. They tend to be more resonable and it's a pretty safe area.

 

[Andre3k]

So here are the facts. Im in my last semester here and I have experienced all of Howard's issues and I know the source of every problem at this school. I have even made serious efforts to solve several of them, unsuccessfully. The school just needs more funding and resources to run efficiently.
Bottom line: The system is unorganized and you WILL have trouble graduating on time. Most students will take the 4 years plus the summer after graduation to finish their requirements. Some take the following fall as well. It all boils down to getting the patients you need to fill your requirements in a timely manner and most of the factors that contribute to you getting that done are beyond your control. If a lot of things go your way (ie you can get patients that have what you need assigned to you, all your patients can pay their bills, you dont get canceled on repeatedly, you can fit them around a ridiculous amount of scheduling conflicts) you will finish on time. That happens for about 20% of us. And you may think that you will be one of those 20% just because you work hard but let me tell you it is mostly luck. I will probably finish on time and I will be the first to tell you I have been lucky. All of us are working hard.

All that being said. Your choice is a no brainer. You SHOULD come to Howard. Hands down. Saving that amount of money is worth another semester after the normal graduation time. 200K is almost double that with interest. Thats nothing to play with. Go with the cheapest option. Especially if you want to specialize. 4 years or 4.5 years the end result is you get a DDS and you will be competent enough to practice dentistry.

Lastly, it sounds like im bad mouthing/discrediting my own dental school. And I probably am. However, we live in the real world and you need a real answer. I feel like I would be doing an enormous disservice to anyone reading this thread if I sat here and said that Howard is without flaws. We dont have the best equipment or facilities and the system is inefficient but you will find that knowing how to do a lot with a little will make doing procedure with the fancy equipment you have when you start private practice ridiculously easy.

 

[Firm]

Doesn't NYU fail a bunch (~25%) of their first year class?

 

[Luonghd]

So here are the facts. Im in my last semester here and I have experienced all of Howard's issues and I know the source of every problem at this school. I have even made serious efforts to solve several of them, unsuccessfully. The school just needs more funding and resources to run efficiently.
Bottom line: The system is unorganized and you WILL have trouble graduating on time. Most students will take the 4 years plus the summer after graduation to finish their requirements. Some take the following fall as well. It all boils down to getting the patients you need to fill your requirements in a timely manner and most of the factors that contribute to you getting that done are beyond your control. If a lot of things go your way (ie you can get patients that have what you need assigned to you, all your patients can pay their bills, you dont get canceled on repeatedly, you can fit them around a ridiculous amount of scheduling conflicts) you will finish on time. That happens for about 20% of us. And you may think that you will be one of those 20% just because you work hard but let me tell you it is mostly luck. I will probably finish on time and I will be the first to tell you I have been lucky. All of us are working hard.

All that being said. Your choice is a no brainer. You SHOULD come to Howard. Hands down. Saving that amount of money is worth another semester after the normal graduation time. 200K is almost double that with interest. Thats nothing to play with. Go with the cheapest option. Especially if you want to specialize. 4 years or 4.5 years the end result is you get a DDS and you will be competent enough to practice dentistry.

Lastly, it sounds like im bad mouthing/discrediting my own dental school. And I probably am. However, we live in the real world and you need a real answer. I feel like I would be doing an enormous disservice to anyone reading this thread if I sat here and said that Howard is without flaws. We dont have the best equipment or facilities and the system is inefficient but you will find that knowing how to do a lot with a little will make doing procedure with the fancy equipment you have when you start private practice ridiculously easy.

Thank you for your candid response to this thread. Beyond scheduling conflicts and getting clinical requirements in on time, and equipments, are there any validity in rumors regarding classes(for the first two years) being harder than normal due to professors that lack interest in teaching and or grading fairly?

 

[Andre3k]

Thank you for your candid response to this thread. Beyond scheduling conflicts and getting clinical requirements in on time, and equipments, are there any validity in rumors regarding classes(for the first two years) being harder than normal due to professors that lack interest in teaching and or grading fairly?

No the classes are just hard because the subjects are hard. All the professors grade fairly in my opinion. Most of the time when there is a legitimate problem with a question or exam the teacher will fix it eventually. As with any school, you will always have people complaining when they dont get the grades they want.

It may not seem like it during your D1 or D2 year but looking back on it the professors in the first two years were the most interested and fair in teaching the subjects in my opinion. We have teachers from the med school for the major science classes (Histo, Anatomy, Pharm, Biochem, Physio etc) which make up the bulk of those 2 years and in my opinion they were pretty fair and organized in their lectures. You will find that most of the dental professors that teach the dental courses are much harder on you.

I feel like the didactics here prepared me pretty well for the boards. Part I and II.

 

[Andre3k]

What is your living expense budget?

Living is very expensive. Your best bet would be to look on craigslist and find a house for rent in the city. Find a way to get in contact with some of your incoming classmates and go in on the house together and split the rent. Thats what I did and I have been the same house 10 min away from the school for 4 years. The cheapest room at my house rents for $550 and the most expensive room (my room, a basement apartment) rents for $850. Its a nice renovated house.

Here is a message I sent to someone else that may be helpful to those interested:

As far as apartments go. I know people that live in these apartment complexes below. These places have deals sometimes but they are still pretty expensive. They are very close to the metro. There is a metro stop within 2-3 blocks of most places in DC with the exception of Georgetown, so from these apartments you can usually get just about anywhere in 30 min or less.

You are going to be looking at at least $1000 a month per person not including utilities for a 2 bedroom apartment. And $1300+ for a one bedroom or studio. Thats anywhere within driving distance in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. You will not save any money by getting out of the city.

Apartments in Hyattsville MD
Mosiac - http://www.equityapartments.com/mar...s/hyattsville/mosaic-at-metro-apartments.aspx
Post Park - http://www.postproperties.com/mycommunity.aspx?community=214400
UTC Towers - http://thetowersatutc.com/
...there are a few other places in this area. Look them up.

Apartments in DC
Aventine Fort Totten - http://www.aventineforttotten.com/
... there are several other apartments in DC. Look those up too.


Virginia is too far for me personally and the traffic is bad getting into the city in the morning. The apartments are no cheaper.

 

[Andre3k]

Just a word of advice, stay away from Howard if you can, a friend of mine goes there, is a D3, told me the faculties are horrible, they are out to get the students, they don't just NOT care, they HATE the students, nothing gets done, you will constantly run out of alginate/stone, the building is leaky. And yeah, she told me it's absolutely miserable, go anywhere else but there. My friend is pretty strong willed, been out in the job market before dental school, very type A personality and definitely not one to admit defeat, so for her to tell me all this, i am definitely a believer that Howard dschool is just terrible.

In addition to the dental school, my cousin is a physiotherapist who graduted from Howard, she also told me that the facilities are absolutely the worst, she said she'd rather be left out to die instead of entering howard. Again, she's also very resilient, graduated #1 in her class. Again she also had a lot of negative comments to make about howard, in fact everytime she brings it up, it's all negative. The only positive thing she said was she made it...

So! if you have a choice! go elsewhere! if you don't, then reapply and get into somewhere else.

And at the end of the day that is the only important thing. You will make it out with the education you want to have.

 

[askadds]

Just accepted to Howard University. Hoping to hear from some present Howard D1 and D2 students regarding the school. Was also accepted to NYU but am swaying towards Howard. Any feedback regarding the school and safe places to live would be greatly appreciated.

Howard is what you make of it..they wont chase you down for missing class etc. you will be responsible for your education!

first 2 years were what i had expected, lots of studying. its not the schools faults, dentistry is hard and you gotta know your stuff to be good at it. they def prepare you for NBDE 1 and 2.

I'll say it again, howard is what you make of it. the advantage of howard is that it forces you to grow up and be an adult.

 

[gryffindor]

We dont have the best equipment or facilities and the system is inefficient but you will find that knowing how to do a lot with a little will make doing procedure with the fancy equipment you have when you start private practice ridiculously easy.

I'm curious about this "not fancy equipment" - are you still hand dipping films? Hand mixing amalgam? Foot driven drills?

 

[charlestweed]

I'm curious about this "not fancy equipment" - are you still hand dipping films? Hand mixing amalgam? Foot driven drills?

At my former satellite office, we used dip tank to develop our periapical, pan and ceph films. I actually like the dip tank a lot because I can view the "wet" x ray film in 1-2 minutes. It usually takes 5-7 minutes for x ray film to come out of the roller type automatic film processor. I wish I can have this hand dip system at our new location.

 

[askadds]

I'm curious about this "not fancy equipment" - are you still hand dipping films? Hand mixing amalgam? Foot driven drills?

equipment is as fancy as you need it to be except we have no digital x-rays. the chairs in the main clinics are actually pretty good (adec).

 

[gryffindor]

At my former satellite office, we used dip tank to develop our periapical, pan and ceph films. I actually like the dip tank a lot because I can view the "wet" x ray film in 1-2 minutes. It usually takes 5-7 minutes for x ray film to come out of the roller type automatic film processor. I wish I can have this hand dip system at our new location.

It doesn't seem too hard to install a dip tank. You would need to have the square footage to dedicate to a dark room however.

So they have amalgam triturators, automatic processors for film, and air driven turbines for the handpieces (since you said Adec chairs) at Howard. It's not as 1946 as some of the posters on here are trying to make it seem.

If you have to look for your own patients, that sucks. But it has got to cost less than $200k to hustle and find patients who fit your requirements and pay for their treatment. Hustling is absolutely a necessary skill out in the real world.

 

[DDS4Less]

I am a recent Howard grad and let me say in all honesty that although Howard has NUMEROUS flaws, I came away with an AMAZING education, and now that I am on the other side as a resident I have found the value in a lot of these flaws.

#1 - Finding your own patients. I have always found it HILARIOUS that this practice gets such negative attention in these forums, but what I have come to realize is that most dental students EXPECT to be spoon fed. Well here is a shocker for you: IF YOU PLAN TO OPEN YOUR OWN PRACTICE ONE DAY GUESS WHAT YOUR ARE GOING TO HAVE TO DO???? YEP...SELL YOURSELF AND RECRUIT PATIENTS. I have yet to meet a private practitioner who opened his/her doors, played around on Facebook all day, and watched as their waiting room magically filled with patients. Although this may be an inconvenience at the school level it is an investment in yourself. You learn how to market yourself vs. other dentist, you establish confidence in your abilities, and you learn how to deal with patients and their schedules when it does NOT affect your livelihood.

#2 - Finances. Anyone who can say that $200K is "nothing" because it is student loan debt clearly is not very financially savvy. This education is for you to get on the path to a great personal, professional, and financial life. Although student loans may be regarded as "good debt" it is debt nonetheless, and if you can find a way to minimize the amount of money that you owe to someone, you are doing yourself a favor. Then again, if you would rather pay tuition to have patients lined up for you then hey...

#3 - Facilities/Faculty. Not the best. Period. Yes our radiographs were/are still film. Yes you are still expected to complete most steps in regards to fabricating removable prosthesis. Yes we are short on clinical faculty. However, I can tell you that being able to ACCURATELY take film rads on an uncooperative child who can not tolerate a digital sensor is an invaluable tool that I have at my disposal. Furthermore, there are those faculty members who will go over and beyond to help you when they see that you are fully invested in yourself and your patients.

#4 - Graduating on time is difficult. EXTREMELY difficult. The allotted clinic time does not seem to align with the requirements for graduating, but this is where being ambitious (and lucky as Andre3k stated) comes into play. Point blank it CAN be done.

All in all Howard U does have some areas where it is lacking, but what school doesn't? I can say that I left Howard as nationally competitive student when it came to specializing. At Howard you have the opportunity to develop yourself as a clinician. If you are a lazy or unmotivated person then YES, you probably will not graduate on time because the environment does not babysit the student. However, if you are an ambition individual who is willing to find the right patients, align yourself with the right faculty members, and do a little more than what is expected of the everyday dental student, you may just wake up as a resident/clinician one day and realize that the sacrifices were well worth it...especially when standing next to a NYU grad whose owes about 100K more than you in loans.

In all seriousness make the choice that is best for you. If you believe that NYU will better cater to you as an individual and make you the best possible clinician then that is your school. If you feel those things about Howard then that is your school. Look at tuition, teaching styles, facilities, cost of living, and what you intend to do following graduation and make your choice with ZERO regrets.

 

[Andre3k]

equipment is as fancy as you need it to be except we have no digital x-rays. the chairs in the main clinics are actually pretty good (adec).

Actually pretty good? Lol you must be sniffing too much monomer bro. The Perio/Endo chairs are decent at best when all the components work. And the compressor is working. But they get the job done that's something positive about them.

 

[Andre3k]

Well stated dds4less.

In conclusion...
Just go to the cheapest school you can get into you. The extra hassle that you will avoid by staying away from Howard is not worth adding ANY amount of unnecessary debt. And some even view the struggle we go through here as a positive thing in the long run. Since you are developing skills you wouldn't acquire at other schools that actually come in handy in the real world.

Bottom line Howard is not the easiest route from point A to point B but it creates competent dentists. And that's all that matters at the end of the day.

 

[Ferneezy]

for any and all hucd students posting in this thread (especially upperclassmen and grads), would you share the techniques you used to recruit the patient base for your requirements?

 

[Andre3k]

No. You just have to come here and see.

 

[Andre3k]

for any and all hucd students posting in this thread (especially upperclassmen and grads), would you share the techniques you used to recruit the patient base for your requirements?

Joking. Do the same things you would do to sell anything. Advertise where the type of people you need usually are. Depends on the type of patient.

In general:
- Hand out flyers on campus and in the city surrounding the school. Or go to dentists offices in the area and give them a stack of flyers and tell them to send any patient that can't afford private practice to you.
- Go on campus and talk to undergrad students.

Pedo:
- Volunteer at community service events geared towards children. Like those vans that pull up and do sealants/prophys at elementary schools. Give them your contact info

Removable:
- Speak to the people that run nursing homes or assisted living facilities. Place flyers/cards there.

For advanced strategies in recruiting patients in Endo, Perio, Restorative and Ortho, become a student at Howard University College of Dentistry.

 

[Luonghd]

Joking. Do the same things you would do to sell anything. Advertise where the type of people you need usually are. Depends on the type of patient.

In general:
- Hand out flyers on campus and in the city surrounding the school. Or go to dentists offices in the area and give them a stack of flyers and tell them to send any patient that can't afford private practice to you.
- Go on campus and talk to undergrad students.

Pedo:
- Volunteer at community service events geared towards children. Like those vans that pull up and do sealants/prophys at elementary schools. Give them your contact info

Removable:
- Speak to the people that run nursing homes or assisted living facilities. Place flyers/cards there.

For advanced strategies in recruiting patients in Endo, Perio, Restorative and Ortho, become a student at Howard University College of Dentistry.

Thank you both for your first hand insights.

 

[Luonghd]

Is the 20k loan for living expenses for the first year taxed?

 

[Ferneezy]

No. You just have to come here and see.

Haha I read this and immediately had half a mind to march up Georgia Ave and have some words with you.

Solid follow up though.

 

[Andre3k]

Is the 20k loan for living expenses for the first year taxed?

No and its actually a little more than 20k.

 

[Luonghd]

How much more?

 

[askadds]

Actually pretty good? Lol you must be sniffing too much monomer bro. The Perio/Endo chairs are decent at best when all the components work. And the compressor is working. But they get the job done that's something positive about them.

lol...

 

[gummydear]

lol...

i was so excited when i got interview call from HU...but now after reading all these posts got me thinking - do i really want to go to HU??
Can anyone please tell me how long are we talking about when you say you won't be able to graduate on time??

 

[Andre3k]

How much more?

You will get about 25k a year for living if you max out your loans.

 

[Andre3k]

i was so excited when i got interview call from HU...but now after reading all these posts got me thinking - do i really want to go to HU??
Can anyone please tell me how long are we talking about when you say you won't be able to graduate on time??

Most like you will be finishing requirements for part of the summer or the entire summer semester. A few will remain for the fall.

 

[Sephisabin]

I'm in a residency program that has 5 residents each from Howard and NYU. That 200K difference is sizable and not to be taken lightly, but there are 2 observations that my coresidents and I have made:
1) Of the 5 Howard students, 2 had to delay their residency start date because they did not graduate on time. None of the NYU students had to delay their start.
2) The NYU students are head and shoulders above the Howard students in terms of clinical proficiency and guidance needed during procedures. In fairness, this could just be a matter of which students from each program are in the residency, but I have no doubt in my mind which school puts its students in a better position to learn and, accordingly, turns out better clinicians.

 

[Andre3k]

I'm in a residency program that has 5 residents each from Howard and NYU. That 200K difference is sizable and not to be taken lightly, but there are 2 observations that my coresidents and I have made:
1) Of the 5 Howard students, 2 had to delay their residency start date because they did not graduate on time. None of the NYU students had to delay their start.
2) The NYU students are head and shoulders above the Howard students in terms of clinical proficiency and guidance needed during procedures. In fairness, this could just be a matter of which students from each program are in the residency, but I have no doubt in my mind which school puts its students in a better position to learn and, accordingly, turns out better clinicians.

#1 is very possible. I would have to disagree with your 2nd statement. I would not make such a blanket statement about an entire school based upon 5 people. I would hate to hear your opinion on other things if you could base a negative opinion about an entire group of people based upon 5 bad apples. Maybe that's true for the few students you have seen but we are not behind in terms of clinical proficiency as a whole. I'm definitely not. That aspect is up to you. If you want to be proficient you make the most out of the program and you will be. Again the difference is it takes longer here. You may be able to do 100 Class IIs in 2 years at NYU. At Howard it would take most of us 2.5 to do that many. We both did 100 Class IIs though. I may actually end up more proficient because I did those restorations under conditions that are less than ideal (ie no assistant, variable lighting, complicated patient, time constraints)

Bottomline it is not a proven fact nor there is there any statistic saying students that graduate from Howard are unsuccessful as dentists. All of us will be successful I guarantee you that.

 

[Andre3k]

To the OP and anyone that may be reading this thread I want to state that never have I spoken negatively about the quality of education you will receive at Howard. My sole purpose for posting here is to address any speculation that you may have heard about graduating on time and the process we go through a this school. To a student looking to attend Howard wondering if on time graduation is a real issue I'm telling you that yes it is. It is important for you to know that and factor that into your decision.

I would have to adamantly disagree with any statements saying the dentists the school produces are lacking any necessary skills to succeed. If anything we do more things than other schools (ie Endo using hand files only and with rotary, all the steps in a fabricating a denture, PFM coping and die trimming)

If the 2-3 months after the normal graduation time is worth $200,000 to you then you should go to NYU. To me it is certainly not worth that much money.

 

[damn rubber dam]

hopefully you haven't chosen yet cause I can give you a perspective of N YU

I also had a choice of Howard and NY U,...

I'm coming to the end of my D2 year soon so I have some perspective on the joint.

here are some random thoughts about my time here so far.

[edit: god damn, I look at this now and I wrote you a F@#$kin novel. hope you like reading]

Be good at succeeding in a large class:

There are a **** load of people here. I mean a ton of people. forgetting pts for a moment, you will definitely have to learn to grow up here because there is not much hand holding going on. Many of the teachers are extremely knowledgeable in their fields, and if you want to get a wide range of perspectives on the profession, NY attracts people from all over the globe (across all the specialties too). HOWEVER, you have to work for it a little bit. If you are the type that's embarrassed to ask a question in a big class, or will stop paying attention because you want to fit in with your friends, or are scared to email a teacher, it will likely be hard to get to the top of the class. they will now have 300+ in their D1 class next year (they take 100 foreign students that want to get accredited in the US and you will take all your classes with them) and I think it's very easy for a good student to sink to the middle if you are not pro-active about your learning. no matter what they told you on your interview, you are just an ID number to 99% of the faculty. an ID number they want to one day graduate, but an ID number none the less.

I also think there is a culture of complaining in the NYC area (read between the lines) which can get a bit annoying. maybe it's dental school, maybe it's NYC, maybe it's the east coast culture (i'm from the west coast). people sure do get a kick about complaining about s*** though

That said, you need to be comfortable stepping outside your own culture. there are many types of people here from all over. everyone pretty much finds a clique. Many people only want to be around their own kind though and as a result are often annoyed by others. on the plus side though, if you like meeting new people, like I said before you got lots to choose from. Stony Brook has a class of like 40 to put it in perspective.

you need to be comfortable in a big city and not get distracted. the city really never sleeps, and you can get derailed really quickly if you don't stay focused. that said I think there were 6 people out of 240 that didn't make it to the second year in my class. not 25%. maybe they used to do that a long time ago or something, but now a days they only drop a handful of students from each class. several of them I know were failing almost all of their courses and never went to class. others had huge personal issues come up during finals week, etc... but you have to pretty much completely give up on school for them to kick you out.

obviously money is a huge issue. I got a scholarship to go here which made it a little more reasonable, but it's still very very expensive. tuition and daily living. I almost lol'd when the poster above said "expensive was 1300 for a studio". studios in manhattan runs 2K. our rent is ~3700 a month between the 3 of us, but we live in a 2->3 bdrm.

people often try to live in the outer bouroughs or NJ to save money, (my buddies got a place in Astoria Queens for 600, I had another friend payin 500 for a roach infested basement shack in harleem) - however A LOT of them end up paying more and moving closer (including mr. Harleem) because they just spend their lives traveling to/from school and you can't really study effectively in subways. Some, particularly those that are well established in the area seem to be managing commutes fine though.

As 1 D3 told me when I was here for my interview: "it's kind of a work hard play hard student culture". There's a lot to do in NY. A lot. if you ever get a day off (which is pretty hard to find) there's a million bars/clubs to choose from, and everything is here, open 24/7, except maybe nature (well if central park counts). I do feel a little out of place here, as I think I often worry about money more than a lot of students. everybody i know complains about the tuition, but I get the feeling many don't end up spending like a poor grad student. perhaps a bit of mid-town manhattan-ness just subconsciously rubs off on all of us.

kids do study very hard here, as I'm sure they do everywhere. The school does do a lot of work to prepare you for the boards. apparently this school used to be awful in the 90's and only recently got it's act together when we got a new dean. the past few years they had virtually 100% passing the boards (like 1 person in the class failed). they brag that they have a higher passing rate than the national average.

the thing they really brag about here is clinical experience. we started working with a drill very early (~2months in), and we have already started clinic rotations a year and a half in, (which I can't say for sure, but I don't think many offer this).
the counter argument to that is I think that some of the pre-clinical courses are poorly taught simply because there are way too many people (which often leads to disorganization) and the courses particularly the pre-clinical ones can be rushed in my opinion. and again, if you don't ask for help, you often will not receive help.
I don't have numbers but we probably have one of the largest pt pools in the country. in response to the above posts- yes you need to learn how to promote yourself sure, but I also don't think many people graduate dental school and then immediately go into business all by themselves. the vast majority I think work under an established dentist for sometime, and absorb a lot of contacts that way.
If you have this idea that HU is going to teach you the vital skills of selling (amateur) dentistry door to door... whether it's true or not, I don't think it will matter as much in the real world. I think worrying about providing the best dental care possible is enough to handle in itself. don't get it twisted- I used to be a salesmen, I know that "selling your value" is always important to some degree. trust me though, there are plenty of other social/psych skills to master in the dental world as well to.

you don't necessarily have to go to class. NY's podcast system isn't the greatest (temple's seemed awesome), but a lot of people end up watching lectures online. one of my classmates said that it was a big reason why they ended up choosing this school over others. plenty of other schools have it, don't get me wrong, but I would check and make sure Howard had it as it makes life (esp if you get sick), much easier.
Dental school will be way more work then anything you are used to, and from what I'm hearing, many schools (including for sure NYU) really haven't given students a realistic workload to manage. everyone EVERYONE - even the 4.0 Oral surgeon kids - end up skipping class to study / handle personal life on a regular basis.

about me and HU: I had an awful interview experience at HU, which left a really bad taste in my mouth. the tour guide was 20 mins late, the facilities seemed poor (not ancient, but out of the six dental schools I've toured, it was probably tied for last). even the tour guide admitted it wasn't the greatest. my interviewer was pretty rude to me too. I'm pretty confident that isn't the standard experience, but for me that day, that's what I got. Just to be clear I did get accepted, so I'm not bitter or anything...

I almost forgot to mention this, because it's not really an issue, but I haven't heard of anyone not being able to graduate on time. In my clinic at least, students often help one another out to get the requirements done. While it's still extremely stressful - pts cancel on you and it's your grade that's on the line - doesn't sound as stressful as it could be.

at the end of the day, don't make your decision solely on anecdotes from this site. remember that you're individual needs are different from mine. Try to find numbers and real news/reports on the schools however you can. SDN has extremely biased opinions that are often exaggerated. I kinda like where I'm at, but I know many people that chose this as their last option or constantly say they hate it here.

 

[adriandds]

Just accepted to Howard University. Hoping to hear from some present Howard D1 and D2 students regarding the school. Was also accepted to NYU but am swaying towards Howard. Any feedback regarding the school and safe places to live would be greatly appreciated.

Hi,

I'm a proud rising HUCD D2 student. Fist of all, shame on those who put HUCD down!!! Howard is a culturally rich school that will train you to be a world class dentist. If you decide to come here, you better prepare to face the journey of your life. I recognize that the school has its weaknesses but no one school is perfect. Like my dentist (who went to U penn) used to say, "dental school is what you get out of it." If you don't study and learn what you're taught, you will struggle over the following years because the material obviously builds on year to year. Howard will rock your world and not everybody likes that. In fact, some people that come here are used to getting things handed on a silver platter, which is the opposite of HUCD. Here you not only have to earn your scrubs but you have to earn your spot in the school. Once you get out of HUCD, you will be a more well rounded dentist that any other graduate from another school because here you will do it all.

 

[UltraTooth]

My sage advice is this:
Pursue a military scholarship. This will allow you to select the best school and not the cheapest.
If you have to pay the tuition yourself, then choose a lower-priced school. If you save a substantial amount of money and you have to recruit your own patient pool, you can use some of your savings to advertise via the Internet, local publications, retirement communities, and so on. Dental School debt will haunt you for years and can postpone your private practice dreams for a long time.

 

[Newgoalsdentdoc]

Ok, quick summary. I am a graduate of HUCD. I had good days and bad days. There are days that I went home crying, cried in the bathroom at school, cried with other classmates, felt like quitting, didn't graduate on time, did a residency and now that I'm out and practicing for over 15 years, I feel like there's nothing I can't do. I use wisdom in never doing anything above me as a dental provider, but I do have to say, I'm good, lol, because I went to Howard U and went through dental boot camp. That place molded me and made me the dentist I am today. I've practicied in various places over the years and knocked the socks off of folks who've seen me "roll" in the clinic with removing wisdom teeth, countless good quality dentures and every phase of dentistry that has been a blessing to so many I have served in the community. At this time, I practice in NY and teach dental residents. Not bragging, but dental school is all in what you make it. Yes, there were days of frustrations, days of feeling disrespected by faculty, cut throat classmates who were an ordeal to contend with, but I made it and I'm so glad I went through it. And just to let you in on a secret, I just completed an interview at NYU to teach there and was chosen out of a group of 30 applicants for that interview, and they didn't interview all 30. So, there you have it. There's no such thing as a perfect dental school, nor is our world perfect. Life is what you make it. We always say if life deals you lemons make lemonade, so it goes with dental school, just keep adding sugar until you get the right taste (smile). Howard U is a good dental school and I could connect you with a lot of dentists who graduated with me, before me and after me who would say the same thing.

 

[doc toothache]

#1 - Finding your own patients. I have always found it HILARIOUS that this practice gets such negative attention in these forums, but what I have come to realize is that most dental students EXPECT to be spoon fed. Well here is a shocker for you: IF YOU PLAN TO OPEN YOUR OWN PRACTICE ONE DAY GUESS WHAT YOUR ARE GOING TO HAVE TO DO???? YEP...SELL YOURSELF AND RECRUIT PATIENTS. I have yet to meet a private practitioner who opened his/her doors, played around on Facebook all day, and watched as their waiting room magically filled with patients.

Next thing you know, students will be expected to provide their own faculty. Incidentally, in your residency, do you have to go out and hustle patients?

 

[canine crusader]

So here are the facts. Im in my last semester here and I have experienced all of Howard's issues and I know the source of every problem at this school. I have even made serious efforts to solve several of them, unsuccessfully. The school just needs more funding and resources to run efficiently.
Bottom line: The system is unorganized and you WILL have trouble graduating on time. Most students will take the 4 years plus the summer after graduation to finish their requirements. Some take the following fall as well. It all boils down to getting the patients you need to fill your requirements in a timely manner and most of the factors that contribute to you getting that done are beyond your control. If a lot of things go your way (ie you can get patients that have what you need assigned to you, all your patients can pay their bills, you dont get canceled on repeatedly, you can fit them around a ridiculous amount of scheduling conflicts) you will finish on time. That happens for about 20% of us. And you may think that you will be one of those 20% just because you work hard but let me tell you it is mostly luck. I will probably finish on time and I will be the first to tell you I have been lucky. All of us are working hard.

All that being said. Your choice is a no brainer. You SHOULD come to Howard. Hands down. Saving that amount of money is worth another semester after the normal graduation time. 200K is almost double that with interest. Thats nothing to play with. Go with the cheapest option. Especially if you want to specialize. 4 years or 4.5 years the end result is you get a DDS and you will be competent enough to practice dentistry.

Lastly, it sounds like im bad mouthing/discrediting my own dental school. And I probably am. However, we live in the real world and you need a real answer. I feel like I would be doing an enormous disservice to anyone reading this thread if I sat here and said that Howard is without flaws. We dont have the best equipment or facilities and the system is inefficient but you will find that knowing how to do a lot with a little will make doing procedure with the fancy equipment you have when you start private practice ridiculously easy.

I am a Howard Grad, finished the Sept after my graduation date, but could have gotten out on time if I had hustled just a little more. I will say that many of my classmates that did residencies with students from "Ivy League" schools, did much better in their programs and are just as successful today! I agree with this post because it was hard, it was a struggle, the patients can be crazy, BUT.......... you learn how to do DENTISTRY using little resources and when I attended, out dated equipment. This makes it much EASIER on you in the real world because if you can get through Howard with lots of HIV patients, drug addicts, patients with lots of edentulous spaces, you will breeze through the general public when you practice! I will be honest, it's what you make it. You will spend the rest of your life paying a higher tuition and will have to work even harder to get the life you want with that amount of debt. Howard hands down!!! If you are focused and work hard, you will do just fine!!!!!

 

[ScienceBrah]

So my GPA is a 3.38. Not stellar but doable. I'm currently serving overseas in the peace corps. Does howard show any love for RPCVs? I still have one pre-req to do when I get back and I'll have to take the MCAT.
I also went to undergraduate in an underserved area...does that count?