Is it easier to specialize if you go to a school with lower incoming class stats?

[Toofh]

Based on the information I saw in this forum, you have to be on top of your class in order to have the chance to specialize. Inferring from that statement, wouldn't it be easier to specialize if I go to a school with lower incoming class stats than schools like Columbia and Harvard.

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[Weakfart]

I mean, you'd have to get in those schools first...

 

[Toofh]

I mean, you'd have to get in those schools first...

I am just curious about this idea

 

[Ultrafear]

No

 

[teethlover93]

Schools like Columbia and Harvard have more students who specialize than schools with lesser stats.
Columbia/Harvard/Penn have been saying that since the boards have gone pass/fail and many schools are now pass/fail, the reputation of the school you go to has a lot more say.

 

[shyfox9p]

Schools like Columbia and Harvard have more students who specialize than schools with lesser stats.
Columbia/Harvard/Penn have been saying that since the boards have gone pass/fail and many schools are now pass/fail, the reputation of the school you go to has a lot more say.

Dental schools are hard to rank though... I think how you do on your boards has a bigger impact than your school.

 

[ModifiedBass]

*Disclaimer: I am just posting these stats to show an example of student plans after attending Penn (in my case and where these stats come from) and I'd imagine the other Ivy schools. There's no way I'd be able to attend this school without the financial aid of the HPSP, and would have gladly gone to my state school if I did not have it. This is not an argument to go to an Ivy or to not attend a state school.*

2013 grads plans after graduation: 46 specializing (10 OMFS, 12 ortho, 7 pedo, 4 endo, 4 OS internship, 2 perio, 1 perio-pros, 3 pros, 3 military specialty), 36 GPR/AEGD, 52 private practice. Numbers were very similar for 2009-2012 grads as well.

I'm not sure of the numbers for state schools, but I'd imagine Ivies have a higher percentage that specialize (or those that want to specialize going into dschool in the first place). The name, as of now, I would assume plays a part in these results. But, as many others have stated in numerous threads, you can specialize from any school you go to, it just may be easier to depending on the school.

 

[teethlover93]

Dental schools are hard to rank though... I think how you do on your boards has a bigger impact than your school.

Boards are pass/fail. For OMFS, you have to take another exam and they're using that as a baseline. But for the majority of specialties, you can't rank students based on board scores.

 

[shyfox9p]

Boards are pass/fail. For OMFS, you have to take another exam and they're using that as a baseline. But for the majority of specialties, you can't rank students based on board scores.

I know the boards are pass or fail, but they don't have your exam on file to give it a grade?

 

[teethlover93]

No, not to my knowledge.

I know the boards are pass or fail, but they don't have your exam on file to give it a grade?