I REALLY need help with this one!

[MinyMegs]

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I have narrowed my decision to two schools:

Iowa (DRA scholarship) and UConn (Merit scholarship)

These schools have very different programs. I know people in Iowa which is appealing. Overall Uconn is known to get high Board scores and most students get in specialty programs of their choice. Iowa has a great clinical program, and will give me a well rounded education. (I think the stress level of Iowa students is less as well.)

Where would you choose? ( I think this will be a good comparison between the different programs for others who are still trying to decide between schools like Uconn, Harvard, Columbia and UNC, Iowa... etc)

Thank you for your imput!

 

[syn_apse]

UCONN, no doubt. i wouldn't ever want to live in the midwest 😴

 

[Fat_Man]

UCONN, no doubt. i wouldn't ever want to live in the midwest 😴

Where I would actually prefer to live in the midwest. So I would say Iowa, no doubt. Students in Iowa also get into specialty programs of their choice. Both schools are good schools though. You can't go wrong.

 

[howui3]

Where I would actually prefer to live in the midwest. So I would say Iowa, no doubt. Students in Iowa also get into specialty programs of their choice. Both schools are good schools though. You can't go wrong.

This seems easy to me, while Iowa concentrates on clinical exposure (which prepares you well for general dentistry), UCONN prepares you for gettig the good board scores and is geared towards specialization (i'm not saying their clinical training is weak).

Do you want to specialize? OR do you want to practice general dentistry?

Oh, and location of the school is key as wll. DO you like a big cosmopolitan city? or you prefer the midwest?

 

[MinyMegs]

I want to keep my options open. I think I will probably specialize... but I am not sure what in so I am aiming to do the best I can to keep all doors open. I also really like research and might even choose more of an academic field in the future.

As for location, right now I live in Colorado, so I don't think the midwest atmosphere will be as shocking as the east coast. But it might be fun to have a new experience.
Iowa offers lots for research... but would I have time for it at UConn? (with their "extremely demanding program" that everyone emphasized.) I just don't know!

FOR A GOOD LAUGH go into the dental forum, and look for the discussion on how happy dental students are at their schools. A Uconn student had a VERY interesting reply! The joke of the discussion later became "UConn school of dental medicine... well it is better than cancer!" YIKES!!!

 

[adamlc18]

I vote for Iowa between the 2.

 

[supraman]

Nobody can chose where YOU want to go, this question is rediculous, think it over with your close friends and family.

 

[Beestieboy]

Are you serious? Why even reply if you aren't going to be helpful? Megs didn't ask for us to take a vote and then she goes where we decide. She's hoping that someone will say something that will knock the deadlock loose and make the choice easier. I am in the middle of my own tough choice so I can understand wanting the imput of other people. In the end, I and I alone will make my choice, but I want to make sure I've looked at it from all angles.

 

[beredsox2]

This is definitely a tough choice. I myself am from the east coast and go to undergrad in the midwest so I can tell you from experience that Iowa City isn't your typical midwest town. I have friends that go there and have visited them and it is quite a fun college town. On the other hand, being in the middle of Connecticut - you really have nothing around unless you go to nearby Hartford (which I don't recommend), and you are about 2 hours from both Boston and NYC. In terms of the academics, I would give the edge to UCONN - they are one of the most respected programs in the country. Iowa is a great school too, and if you plan on working as a general dentist it won't really matter which of theses 2 you choose. I myself would struggle with deciding between these two.

 

[Mustt Mustt]

IOWA CITY for sure. It is a great town in the midwest. I have been there and my friend goes to Med School there. If I had to choose definitely IOWA becasue it has good football and backetball programs and lots of things to do for a small town like IOWA CITY and some real nice placces for food. IOWA has a good dental program too. If you want to be GP i see no reason to go to UCONN where you have a high diddatic focus. Plus, if you want to practice in midwest IOWA definitely.

 

[MinyMegs]

I really appresicate everyones imput. Where you are deadlocked it helps a ton just to hear what other's think... especially if they don't know you. I was leaning for Iowa but the thing is I know that I will probably specialize because that is more my nature (to become really good in one area opposed to being ok at everything). I love Iowa City, and Boree is right... there is NOTHING in Farmington CT. I think it is just the program that CT offers that is so appealing. I feel like my decision might be made soon... I HOPE!!! Thanks again

 

[HermeytheElf]

There was a thread in the dental forum about how happy people were at their respective schools and several of the UCONN students compared their experience there to prison sex. It follows that if this were my decision to make, I would choose Iowa in a heartbeat. Good luck with your decision.

 

[MinyMegs]

Ha! HA! Thank Hermy... I really need to laugh. I have been struggling with my decision for a while. It is nice to get to laugh about it!!!

 

[MinyMegs]

HA HA! THANKS HERMY... I REALLY NEEDED TO LAUGH! I have been very nervous about picking a school so it is nice to get a laugh out of advice!

 

[scrubber]

Of course i'm a bit biased since i'm at iowa right now....but i love it and wouldn't trade it for any other program! as far as specializing rates go...most of uconn's grads do go on to specialize whereas most of iowa grads go to general practice. but that's not to say that people from iowa don't go on to specialize- i think in the class of '06 about 15-20 or so people are planning on specializing. i want to specialize as well so it makes it kind of nice since there's not as much competition as say a place like uconn (since a lot of my classmates want to just do GP)- it makes for a pretty fun environment since no one's clawing at each other's throats to get the highest grade in the class.

anyways, go to uconn if you want the name, but come to iowa if you want a more enjoyable 4 years! if you want to specialize, either one of the schools will be fine as long as you work hard! why would anyone want to depend on just a name like harvard or uconn to get into specialty school anyways?...you'll learn lots whereever you go as long as you put in the effort and you'll be able to do whatever you want afterwards!

 

[BabberSher]

I'd pick IOWA, they have a really nice campus full of people who are always smiling and happy (like something out of the Stepford Wives or something). [And you get the feeling that everyone there is a democrat or a republican that hates Bush, which is always a good thing]

 

[MinyMegs]

Ha! Ha! you do get the feeling that everyone is a democrat out there!!!
Scrubber... I really appreciate your imput! I have been leaning towards Iowa because I do think I will be more happy at that school. UConns stats are really impressive, and I like the idea of being in med school the first two years... but I think you are right. If I work hard, I will be successful anywhere I go, so it would be best for me to be somewhere I will be happy! This really has been a difficult decision for me though!!!

 

[starbright]

I have narrowed my decision to two schools:

Iowa (DRA scholarship) and UConn (Merit scholarship)

These schools have very different programs. I know people in Iowa which is appealing. Overall Uconn is known to get high Board scores and most students get in specialty programs of their choice. Iowa has a great clinical program, and will give me a well rounded education. (I think the stress level of Iowa students is less as well.)

Where would you choose? ( I think this will be a good comparison between the different programs for others who are still trying to decide between schools like Uconn, Harvard, Columbia and UNC, Iowa... etc)

Thank you for your imput!

hey megs..how much was the iowa scholarship for and how much was the uconn scholarhsip for?? also, what are ur stats if u dont mind..