Howard vs Meharry- Is one better than the other?

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DST08

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Long story short, Meharry was always my first choice. My application was complete in August, and took the DAT in Sept. I had an interview with Howard in Oct. and was accepted in Dec. I sent my deposit which was 800. NOW...all this time later Meharry offers me an interview. I've kind of gotten myself set on Howard and considering not even going to the Meharry interview. Looking for opinions on Howard vs. Meharry.
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Well, I can't give you opinions on the schools since I know nothing about either of them, but I would say just go to the interview. This way you will not regret it in the future. After the interview, you may even find out you like Meharry more anyway.
Also, what's the worst that can happen... you get accepted to Howard and you lose out on $800 if you choose Howard.
 
I too have interviews upcomming at both schools, Meharry is my top choice due to the fact that I graduated from Morehouse, and most Morehouse dentists I know graduated from Meharry. I know of only one Howard dentists. If I feel more comfortable at Howard rather than Meharry, I would choose Howard. I don't think you have anything to loose by visiting Meharry.
 
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I would definately go to the interview just to see what the shcool is like. Like yuppers said, since its your #1 choice it might be worth it to lose the 800$.

Also what were your grades like if you dont mind me asking.
 
People keep talking about one school being better than the other. In the end, I personally think dental school is what you make of it.

That being said, I would go to the interview because the only thing you have to lose is money. And with the cost of dental school, 800 or a plane ticket/hotel to Meharry is a drop in the bucket.

You should go to the school you think you'll be happier at because you're more likely come out a better dentist.
 
I don't mind. My gpa was a 3.41. Science 3.1 or 3.2. I know everybody says this but it's not an accurate reflection of my capabilities. Had a lot going on sophomore year...
 
Thanks for the responses. I would like to add that I spent 6 weeks in a Meharry summer program so I pretty much know how I feel about the place and it has been considered in my decision. I really did like it but I was really turned off by their business ethic. Also I'm from the SUPER country lol and this would the ONLY time that I would consider living in a major city. Kinda looking forward to that experience. And Howard is...well HOWARD. It's just so deep-rooted in african american history and culture so Howard was always special to me even before I ever thought I would go there.
 
I know an OB-GYN from Meharry that have had great experiences. He told me they have excellent student support and humble staff.
 
This is a great thread and it helps since I will be applying to both schools in June. DST08, what didn't you like about Meharry's business ethic?
 
They are both the top schools in the nation, so I would not be picky if you got into both.
 
DentalTrain said:
They are both the top schools in the nation, so I would not be picky if you got into both.
Click to expand...

Just curious to know where this information came from? i recently graduated from Howard and let me tell you -- it is not a top school by any means. Low budget, mediocre equipment, lazy faculty, understaffed, you name it. I can't even begin to start talking about the kind of crap this school will put you through without dedicating 100 pages to it. The dean has zero accountability on any department here, the one who is supposed to be your #1 advocate is really his own advocate -- he only does things that fills his pocket book. You won't see him at school but he'll be in meetings or pictures (just elected ADEA president??? Are you kidding!!! He can't even run his own school!) to pretend like everything is going well. He's a sham. He is on the board for dental school accreditation which is the ONLY reason why HUCD passed. He pockets one of the highest deans salaries in the nations yet our bathrooms don't have toilet paper. No Integrity or rubber base at the window. Staff is underpaid and bitter. No one wants to help you unless you have a pair of tits on you,which thankfully, I do. :laugh: I promise you will get NO help passing your clinical boards here (isn't that how schools are ranked?). I heard this years fail rate for NERB was over 50%! To top it off, only 3 of us graduated ON TIME! A few of my classmates are STILL THERE fullfilling requirements (in which there is no help to do so). I keep in touch with a few students there and they say it is getting a little better but I can't believe that.

I can say that yes, I am happy to graduate and be a dentist and Howard gave that to me. Do you get a good education there? Yes but you do it on your own. Will you be competent? Depends on how much skin you had to show to get by. Will I ever look back at Howard? NO. Will I ever GIVE back to Howard? Unfortunately, NO. This is the kind of sentiment they breed in students at HUCD. They need to replace 90% of the faculty there, especially the deans. Just my .02!
 
HUCDHater said:
Just curious to know where this information came from? i recently graduated from Howard and let me tell you -- it is not a top school by any means. Low budget, mediocre equipment, lazy faculty, understaffed, you name it. I can't even begin to start talking about the kind of crap this school will put you through without dedicating 100 pages to it. The dean has zero accountability on any department here, the one who is supposed to be your #1 advocate is really his own advocate -- he only does things that fills his pocket book. You won't see him at school but he'll be in meetings or pictures (just elected ADEA president??? Are you kidding!!! He can't even run his own school!) to pretend like everything is going well. He's a sham. He is on the board for dental school accreditation which is the ONLY reason why HUCD passed. He pockets one of the highest deans salaries in the nations yet our bathrooms don't have toilet paper. No Integrity or rubber base at the window. Staff is underpaid and bitter. No one wants to help you unless you have a pair of tits on you,which thankfully, I do. :laugh: I promise you will get NO help passing your clinical boards here (isn't that how schools are ranked?). I heard this years fail rate for NERB was over 50%! To top it off, only 3 of us graduated ON TIME! A few of my classmates are STILL THERE fullfilling requirements (in which there is no help to do so). I keep in touch with a few students there and they say it is getting a little better but I can't believe that.

I can say that yes, I am happy to graduate and be a dentist and Howard gave that to me. Do you get a good education there? Yes but you do it on your own. Will you be competent? Depends on how much skin you had to show to get by. Will I ever look back at Howard? NO. Will I ever GIVE back to Howard? Unfortunately, NO. This is the kind of sentiment they breed in students at HUCD. They need to replace 90% of the faculty there, especially the deans. Just my .02!
Click to expand...

THIS!!!


the only way i'd go to HU is if it were free and anywhere else it costs....

and even then i'd hesitate...
 
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HUCDHater said:
Just curious to know where this information came from? i recently graduated from Howard and let me tell you -- it is not a top school by any means. Low budget, mediocre equipment, lazy faculty, understaffed, you name it. I can't even begin to start talking about the kind of crap this school will put you through without dedicating 100 pages to it. The dean has zero accountability on any department here, the one who is supposed to be your #1 advocate is really his own advocate -- he only does things that fills his pocket book. You won't see him at school but he'll be in meetings or pictures (just elected ADEA president??? Are you kidding!!! He can't even run his own school!) to pretend like everything is going well. He's a sham. He is on the board for dental school accreditation which is the ONLY reason why HUCD passed. He pockets one of the highest deans salaries in the nations yet our bathrooms don't have toilet paper. No Integrity or rubber base at the window. Staff is underpaid and bitter. No one wants to help you unless you have a pair of tits on you,which thankfully, I do. :laugh: I promise you will get NO help passing your clinical boards here (isn't that how schools are ranked?). I heard this years fail rate for NERB was over 50%! To top it off, only 3 of us graduated ON TIME! A few of my classmates are STILL THERE fullfilling requirements (in which there is no help to do so). I keep in touch with a few students there and they say it is getting a little better but I can't believe that.

I can say that yes, I am happy to graduate and be a dentist and Howard gave that to me. Do you get a good education there? Yes but you do it on your own. Will you be competent? Depends on how much skin you had to show to get by. Will I ever look back at Howard? NO. Will I ever GIVE back to Howard? Unfortunately, NO. This is the kind of sentiment they breed in students at HUCD. They need to replace 90% of the faculty there, especially the deans. Just my .02!
Click to expand...

Mannnnnnnnnnnnn...............

That's pretty deep, I already took them off the radar though, this is actually not my first time hearing from an HU ALUM from the dental school talking about how bad it is. I have heard this same thing from some of the medical and law school alum that have come back to Georgia to practice as well, I hope its not that bad but looks like the only HBCU im applying for is Meharry!
 
Howard DAT avg: 17

Meharry DAT avg: 16

Both schools should be renamed as:

School of Dentistry for the Feeble Minded

Hint: they are underrepresented for a reason.......
 
Efil4zaggin said:
Howard DAT avg: 17

Meharry DAT avg: 16

Both schools should be renamed as:

School of Dentistry for the Feeble Minded

Hint: they are underrepresented for a reason.......
Click to expand...

wow... 👎
 
Efil4zaggin said:
Howard DAT avg: 17

Meharry DAT avg: 16

Both schools should be renamed as:

School of Dentistry for the Feeble Minded

Hint: they are underrepresented for a reason.......
Click to expand...

23m7tjd.jpg
 
Laugh/make fun of them all u want...Doesn't matter in the end.....Their dental students will STILL pass the boatds, STILL graduate, STILL specialize, & STILL become competent dentists making over $100k a year.
 
The issue is not DAT scores since they don't determine success in dental school or the national boards; just ask all those students nationwide having difficulty passing part II.

However, with HUCD the issue is graduating on time, which very few students do; largely because of the lack of chair time for students who have to share chairs at an alarming rate. This sort of inefficiency causes students to have to literally scramble around trying to find time to bring in "recruited" patients and meet clinical requirements for graduation.

I am not sure how the situation is at Meharry, but I don't see how it could be much worse in regards to finishing on time. NOT finishing on time: causes students to lose residency spots which generally start the summer of senior year.

With all this info in hand, your decision process should be a more informative one. Best of luck to you and strive to achieve your goal no matter what.
 
Efil4zaggin said:
Howard DAT avg: 17

Meharry DAT avg: 16

Both schools should be renamed as:

School of Dentistry for the Feeble Minded

Hint: they are underrepresented for a reason.......
Click to expand...

Monster kill 😱
 
I actually have faith that Howard is not as bad as everyone makes it out to be.
 
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Any bum can get into either...they're a joke, plain and simple. Sorry to be rude, but my ten year old sister can get better DAT scores than the people who go there.
 
gorrillaunit18 said:
Any bum can get into either...they're a joke, plain and simple. Sorry to be rude, but my ten year old sister can get better DAT scores than the people who go there.
Click to expand...

sad but true....have you taken the DAT yet?
 
gorrillaunit18 said:
Any bum can get into either...they're a joke, plain and simple. Sorry to be rude, but my ten year old sister can get better DAT scores than the people who go there.
Click to expand...

come on guys. be respectful to those going there. And your ten year old sister cant even do well on ACT, *****. Yes, the school has lower stardard but they graduate good dentists, isnt that all that matters? You dont see them going around bragging or anything, so give them a break. If you're not going there, then let it be.
 
izzymask08 said:
come on guys. be respectful to those going there. And your ten year old sister cant even do well on ACT, *****. Yes, the school has lower stardard but they graduate good dentists, isnt that all that matters? You dont see them going around bragging or anything, so give them a break. If you're not going there, then let it be.
Click to expand...

I agree but I can understand where gorrilla is coming from.

We're all going to be dentists when we get out of dental school and we work hard to get there. It's a bit irritating to see people get in and achieve the same thing's as us without the same amount work, just because they have a different skin color (like Dr. King said "...judged by the content of character not the color of skin"). Letting in lower caliber students undermines the sacrifice that most other people have to make to get into dental school.

But i agree....complaining won't get us anywhere. 😀
 
476515678234896 said:
I agree but I can understand where gorrilla is coming from.

We're all going to be dentists when we get out of dental school and we work hard to get there. It's a bit irritating to see people get in and achieve the same thing's as us without the same amount work, just because they have a different skin color (like Dr. King said "...judged by the content of character not the color of skin"). Letting in lower caliber students undermines the sacrifice that most other people have to make to get into dental school.

But i agree....complaining won't get us anywhere. 😀
Click to expand...

You have an interesting perspective considering that 50% of the Dental students at HU don't have skin color.
 
The word of the day is "humble"

Definition
Marked by meekness or modesty in behavior, attitude, or spirit; not arrogant or prideful

Attitude trumps aptitude, academically and professionally
 
I think many of you have forgotten the point of Howard and Meharry dental schools. Not very long ago (within 50 years), even the smartest black people were not admitted into the majority white schools. Separate but equal was the so called standard in America. Howard and Meharry were basically the only alternatives for black people....So there were very intelligent people of color attending these school...Moreso now, with the promotion of diversity and minority recruitment (just about every dental school has this) we are having dental classes with what, 2-3 black people, 1 native american, and 2 hispanics out of a class of maybe 100. Some classes at some schools have ZERO black people in the class...Come on people!! If black people are 12% of the populatin and only 2-3% of a dental students are black, there is indeed a problem. And I say 2-3% including Howard and Meharry that are majority black. For Howard and Meharry's arguement, the underrepresented minorities who score higher on DAT than the national average of 17, are getting accepted into those majority white schools. Then of course, the historically black schools nowadays are in many cases getting the "leftovers"...Don't get me wrong. There are some people who go to these schools purely on legacy. Their parents, their parents' parents, and so on went there...And why wouldn't they? So do not down these schools! They were created for a reason...We need minority dentists in this country to serve their communities...and if they don't have DAT averages high enough to get into majority white schools, so what!!! If we didn't have these schools, who would serve the disadvantaged, minority, or low income? Most of us do not want to take on those jobs. We want the big bucks with private practice, right?
 
If it makes you feel any better, I'm a Canadian applicant with a 3.8CGPA and 3.94SGPA and will be at Howard this August. I've received offers at other schools in the US but will not be going because I can't afford the tuition at any other school. My point is Howard does admit qualified applicants among other students with lower stats who certainly should be respected. I'm not too concerned with a school's reputation but if any one could shed some light on what I'm in for at Howard for the next 4 years I'd appreciate it.
 
Certainly post #11 is biased. You will learn what you need to learn at Howard as with Meharry or Harvard or UPenn. You just have to chose based on your preference and ability to thrive at that institution. I think D.C. is cool, high cost of living, but its cool. Its up to you, and no one knows what they will experience when they get there.
 
Is one better than the other....?

doubt it!!
 
Interesting enough, the op question is merely subjective; which is, is one better than the other? Only the questioner can answer that. My thoughts doesn't matter.
 
I hope you went to Meharry.

To clarify I actually dont know how Meharry is. Howard is quite difficult (for various reasons) so I would imagine that Meharry has to be better.

That being said every school has its struggles. Choose based upon what you think you can handle. I think a combination of post #11 and my post below are a fairly accurate view of what you will have to deal with at Howard.
 
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Efil4zaggin said:
Howard DAT avg: 17

Meharry DAT avg: 16

Both schools should be renamed as:

School of Dentistry for the Feeble Minded

Hint: they are underrepresented for a reason.......
Click to expand...

Ouch.
 
HM2DDS said:
Laugh/make fun of them all u want...Doesn't matter in the end.....Their dental students will STILL pass the boatds, STILL graduate, STILL specialize, & STILL become competent dentists making over $100k a year.
Click to expand...
this is why life is not fair for every one.
 
I would say go to the Meharry interview. I actually have a pleasant experience at Meharry. The staff and students seemed friendly and outgoing. Even the people I interview with were very cool.
 
There is nothing wrong with the quality of education you receive at Howard. You learn everything you need to know, you will pass all your boards, you will be competent. Seriously you will.

The thing is you will have to do everything the hard way. Schedule your own patients, do your own lab work, no assistants, staff and professors showing up late or not at all, old equipment, the list goes on.... You will also be dealing with some of the most difficult people you have ever dealt with in your life that refuse to do their job right because they are under paid.

Some would argue that going through the type of stress that Howard puts you through makes you better prepared to deal with situations that arise in the real world. I think that argument has some merit. By the time you graduate here you would have dealt with just about every difficult situation you could possibly think of from financial problems, equipment malfunctioning, to patients with a wide array of systemic diseases. You learn how to improvise and still get the job done.

However there are several things that take place here that are just unacceptable and that have to be improved immediately. I say all this to say all of the problems that Howard has stem from the school being poor. It is simply not enough money to make everything run as smooth as it does in other schools. This sometimes translates to delayed graduation for some of us.

Also to the comment that all students that come here are getting an easier route to becoming a dentist that is foolishness. Howard is the HARDEST dental school in the nation I guarantee that. Didactically and clinically. We even have more clinic requirements than a lot of schools. A DAT score and an undergrad GPA entering dental school says nothing about how you will do IN dental school or as a dentist. There are several students here that have out performed and will out perform the majority of you on the boards and as dentists. There are also several of us that got into other schools and chose to go to Howard.
 
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Andre3k said:
There is nothing wrong with the quality of education you receive at Howard. You learn everything you need to know, you will pass all your boards, you will be competent. Seriously you will.

The thing is you will have to do everything the hard way. Schedule your own patients, do your own lab work, no assistants, staff and professors showing up late or not at all, old equipment, the list goes on.... You will also be dealing with some of the most difficult people you have ever dealt with in your life that refuse to do their job right because they are under paid.

Some would argue that going through the type of stress that Howard puts you through makes you better prepared to deal with situations that arise in the real world. I think that that argument has some merit. By the time you graduate here you would have dealt with just about every difficult situation you could possibly think of from financial problems, equipment malfunctioning, to patients with a wide array of systemic diseases. You learn how to improvise and still get the job done.

However there are several things that take place here that are just unacceptable and that have to be improved immediately. I say all this to say all of the problems that Howard has stem from the school being poor. It is simply not enough money to make everything run as smooth as it does in other schools. This sometimes translates to delayed graduation for some of us.

Also to the comment that all students that come here are getting an easier route to becoming a dentist that is foolishness. Howard is the HARDEST dental school in the nation I guaranteed that. Didactically and clinically. We even have more clinic requirements than a lot of schools. A DAT score and an undergrad GPA entering dental school says nothing about how you will do IN dental school or as a dentist. There are several students here that have out performed and will out perform the majority of you on the boards and as dentists. There are also several of us that got into other schools and chose to go to Howard.
Click to expand...

:laugh:Is this a joke?

I assure you that there are many other schools significantly harder than Howard. The DAT is actually designed to measure general academic ability, comprehension of scientific information, and perceptual ability. You simply say it's not an indicator because you couldn't do as well, so you ended up at the school with the easiest admission standards in the county.

If you feel it's that hard, it's probably because most of you going to Howard and Meharry had such low gpa and DAT scores and you're not prepared. If anything, I'd guess it's significantly easier than other schools, which still probably seems like hell for people with 2.6 GPAs and 14 DAT scores, or even for people with the average Howard/Meharry scores of a 3.0 gpa and 17s and 16s, that have no business getting into dental school.
 
Andre3k said:
There is nothing wrong with the quality of education you receive at Howard. You learn everything you need to know, you will pass all your boards, you will be competent. Seriously you will.

The thing is you will have to do everything the hard way. Schedule your own patients, do your own lab work, no assistants, staff and professors showing up late or not at all, old equipment, the list goes on.... You will also be dealing with some of the most difficult people you have ever dealt with in your life that refuse to do their job right because they are under paid.

Some would argue that going through the type of stress that Howard puts you through makes you better prepared to deal with situations that arise in the real world. I think that that argument has some merit. By the time you graduate here you would have dealt with just about every difficult situation you could possibly think of from financial problems, equipment malfunctioning, to patients with a wide array of systemic diseases. You learn how to improvise and still get the job done.

However there are several things that take place here that are just unacceptable and that have to be improved immediately. I say all this to say all of the problems that Howard has stem from the school being poor. It is simply not enough money to make everything run as smooth as it does in other schools. This sometimes translates to delayed graduation for some of us.

Also to the comment that all students that come here are getting an easier route to becoming a dentist that is foolishness. Howard is the HARDEST dental school in the nation I guaranteed that. Didactically and clinically. We even have more clinic requirements than a lot of schools. A DAT score and an undergrad GPA entering dental school says nothing about how you will do IN dental school or as a dentist. There are several students here that have out performed and will out perform the majority of you on the boards and as dentists. There are also several of us that got into other schools and chose to go to Howard.
Click to expand...

I agree with most things you say about Howard. However, why do applicants with bad stats even get a chance, especially DAT scores of 16 and 17? Because they are URM? You know that 16 or 17 on DAT is so below average right? This might sound harsh, but it's just not fair lol. Don't get me wrong, I am a minority as well.
 
Kentuckylover said:
I agree with most things you say about Howard. However, why do applicants with bad stats even get a chance, especially DAT scores of 16 and 17? Because they are URM? You know that 16 or 17 on DAT is so below average right? This might sound harsh, but it's just not fair lol. Don't get me wrong, I am a minority as well.
Click to expand...

I'm not really sure being asian makes you a minority in academics and the dental school process these days. You're often the majority in many circumstances now.

I agree with the rest of what kentuckylover said.
 
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Kentuckylover said:
I agree with most things you say about Howard. However, why do applicants with bad stats even get a chance, especially DAT scores of 16 and 17? Because they are URM? You know that 16 or 17 on DAT is so below average right? This might sound harsh, but it's just not fair lol. Don't get me wrong, I am a minority as well.
Click to expand...

This generally has to do with the fact that blacks are under represented in health care. When certain protected minority groups are under represented, it makes people blush.

When asians or whites are under represented it's simply because they aren't good enough; end of story.

When blacks are under represented, america needs to wake up, and community leaders need to get together to address the problem. Depending on the severity, a protest may need to be organized by Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson.

It sucks but that's the world we live in.
 
mike ashley said:
This generally has to do with the fact that blacks are under represented in health care. When certain protected minority groups are under represented, it makes people blush.

When asians or whites are under represented it's simply because they aren't good enough; end of story.

When blacks are under represented, america needs to wake up, and community leaders need to get together to address the problem. Depending on the severity, a protest may need to be organized by Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson.

It sucks but that's the world we live in.
Click to expand...
You dont think i dont realize what world we live in? Go back and check what I highlighted. Then read my reply again.
 
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