Is Nova an easy dental school?

[mike3kgt]

Well guys, I happened upon this thread about NSU (I prefer using "NSU" standing for Nova Southeastern University but Nova works too!). To summarize myself, I am a D-2 at NSUCDM and as an officer of the class, I tend to gravitate towards helping resolve conflict .

Guess what... GASP!! IT IS TRUE!!! NSU's Dental school is "easier" than other schools…. but not for the reasons you guys have been fighting about. The reason why we are easier you ask?? One major reason stands to support my claim (oh it's a big reason)... we don't have large populations of neurotic ultra-competitive students enrolled in our classes. How does this matter?? Well, when you compare NSU's dental class to others, you easily can tell the admissions process here WORKS. Our classes have synergy and camaraderie unlike other schools I have seen or heard about from representatives from other programs (not to name any names, but I hear horror stories from quite a few).

What does ultra-competitive mean?? Simply stated, we are not a school of back-stabbers who would not think twice about stooping to a lower level to edge himself or herself over somebody else. In many professional programs, students competing amongst each other set the "difficulty" of programs in the school. A school with many ultra-competitive students may tend to create the illusion of a "difficult school."

But don't get me wrong. I have given over 40+ tours of the school over the course of my D-1 year, so if you interviewed this year at Nova, chances are you may have heard me talk about this. On those tours, I always tell the students that while we are not ultra-competitive as a whole, however, we compete when necessary and are hard working, dedicated students. I also told interested students that NSU, however, is not a school where you are "guaranteed" to get in the top 10% just because we are young and you had such a high GPA in undergrad. If they had that attitude, I asked them to consider other programs where similar attitudes were encouraged if not expected.

I know that our class (now D-2) and the class before us (now D-3) are extremely tight and outspoken to fight for any cause. While I know it's impossible to keep out all of the "ultra-competitives," and we are bound to have a few in each class… the end result is that the admissions process picks the right students so that the person who is #1 in the class doesn't think twice about helping the person who is #100. Ultimately, our course-load not simpler, classes are not cakewalks, and our grades are not inflated. It is simply the structure of NSU's students and administration that facilitates a cooperative learning environment where we are encouraged to rise beyond our expectations to ultimately become proficient practitioners. Not to mention we have a lot of fun along the way

Thanks Andy for your previous words. It is great to see somebody stand up and speak the truth as well as you have.
-Mike

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[gator1210]

I just have to do it ....BUMP!

 

[coral2005]

Why is everyone hating on NSUCDM???

 

[Do You Endo]

every dental school in the world is easy..........if you have my smarts.....

 

[flossin']

I got a really good vibe from the guys that took me on my tour. Everyone really did get along really well. Thats what ultimately sold me on it. mike3kgt is right.

 

[JohnDoeDDS]

guys how is the clinic experience in NOva? Does everyone get a chair?

 

[SuperTrooper]

In my experience, the hardest classes are those taught by researchers (dentists & basic sci) who spend too much time on things that aren't clinically important to young student dentists, and therefore are harder to learn. They like talking about their own stuff, their own interests, which is often irrelevent.

Anyhow, at NOVA, there's hardly any research, so there are fewer researchers to teach this crap (that you still have to learn!!). It's more to the point. This is the one instance in which it's good for a school to have no research. Kudos NOVA on no research!! jk

 

[m-dmd]

Well it is late and I was just searching the web. Wow look at all this funnnnny stuff about Nova. Well, let me say I am a grad of Nova...2004 (and now I am seeing class of 2010...I feel OLD...and I am not even 30).

Anyways, regarding Nova being hard or easy. I guess it is all relative. Lots of us got accepted to other schools, why did we pick Nova...Hello, it is in Ft Lauderdale!!! Beyond that I do have to say that Nova has picked itself up from being on the bottom of the boards list to being among the top, last year Nova had more applicants than any other school, and the year I graduated I hear we passed more on boards than the older UF. So are the classes easy...I don't know, I have never been or attended another dental school. I know I studied my a$$ off. I think only 2 or 3 people didnt pass the FL boards when I graduated...that is GREAT. FL boards are known for how tough they are.

As for having to use the typodont to finish...I finished and I finished on time, with real patients. Some didnt but they were slackers and they had to stay late to finish...i mean they didnt get to end school in may like the rest of us...some stayed through the entire summer, and let me tell you by the end you are on a countdown to get out...so that was punishment enough. There are some great professors there and the learning is what you make of it. You put in a little, you get out a little.

We had to go to class, there were sign in rosters, and roaming eyes to ensure people were not signing others in...did we try it, Heck yes we did, but who wouldnt when given the chance? The patient population was ok, but from what I hear it is 100% better than most schools. There was a 6 month waiting list just to get in as a patient. Endo was a bit hard to come by, but for the most part, everyone finished. For the most part, I never had to worry about not having a chair, and I have heard some big time horor stories about other schools.

I have to say that my endodontic education is AWESOME!!! Dentures is ok and my education in caries, was grim, but I think they have since changed that.

When I was there, I hated it. I loved the people, but because it was such a new school, things were always changing, hopefully that has gotten better. The facilities are awesome (who can beat all brand freakin new equiptment), the teaching is pretty good, with some really great teachers and the info is current, the area is great, weather...AWESOME, and in the end I passed all my boards with flying colors...and I am a dentist.


Life is really what you make of it!!!

 

[mccarth2]

we don't have large populations of neurotic ultra-competitive students enrolled in our classes. How does this matter?? Well, when you compare NSU's dental class to others, you easily can tell the admissions process here WORKS. Our classes have synergy and camaraderie unlike other schools I have seen or heard about from representatives from other programs (not to name any names, but I hear horror stories from quite a few).

What does ultra-competitive mean?? Simply stated, we are not a school of back-stabbers who would not think twice about stooping to a lower level to edge himself or herself over somebody else.

This is just one of the many reasons I chose to go to Nova over other schools despite the higher tuition.

 

[DrReo]

What's the status on the patient population thesedays? Still a constant flow coming in?....

 

[STREETRAT]

An excellent thread! Compliments to everyone who has posted, and not allowed this thread to go into the gutter like so many in ~6 posts.

Those of us in dental school know some things folks outside may not.

--Go ahead and read two textbooks for each class, if you don't memorize the specific and often incorrect lists off ppts you are not going to pass. Having so much time being read lists off of ppt slides, leaves too little time to really learn. Having tried this for a long time, I now have given up and have finally learned why most everyone else just wants to study to fill in the correct bubble on the test, pass, and get out of here.

This is an important lesson.

If you don't like it, do you know what you can do about it? Nothin', get over it.

If you don't think this way now, trust me in that in time you will.

1.) Nearly all schools are super-dumbed down. This consists of:
-Old simplified powerpoints as our 'textbook,' and as is cited in this thread we have all sorts of suggested reading (read: one theoretically could read a given book...) but practically no one reads books.

2.) Does high didactic standards produce good/great dentists? Every dentist or specialist that has spoken to us says, "this is an art, more than a science," which leads me to believe them. Of course some knowledge of pathology, mechanisms of immunology, etc are important for patient safety and to give proper care. However, the bread and butter is drilling, filling, and (for better or worse) billing.

3.) I appreciate the honesty of those saying, if a given school is fact easier then go to that school if that is your thing! Inevitably there are going to be schools that focus on practice or research as their students' foci. Does this country need many General Dentists, YES. What is wrong with a General Dentist Mill? We all know that medical schools all over are known and admit to being Family Medicine Mills. Would I rather go to an 'easy' dental school, yes.

4.) Once one is in 'most' of the dental schools, we all know that it is very dumbed down and that we barely deserve the title of Doctor (in my opinion, don't lose it if you don't share this one opinion). Whether you are ready to vocalize this or not is your deal. Studies show that dental students consider themselves as technicians, as opposed to a doctor. I find nothing wrong with that, in fact it logially follows from the sort of stuff we will be doing. Observe, assess, adjust/replace/treat. If a school has the guts to toss those pretentious courses that effectively accomplish little more than fluffing the underpaid professors tweed jacket, and push students through -- I commend this and see it as one school actually trying to solve the enormous problem of General Dentist shortage.

5.) Now I hope to make it clear that I DO NOT AGREE WITH ANTI-INTELLECTUALISM, but in some places it simply is irrelevant and absurd.

6.) The popular practice of having ages of old tests available to students, and that this is permitted by the dental school shows the real agenda -- that the dental field is compliant with this.

 

[Slacker24]

bump

 

[browncrack]

This thread literally is five years old. It is also as true today as it was then.

 

[teething16]

bump

I am going to interview at Nova in a few weeks, and the criticism it has received on these forums is a little troubling. However, some admissions officers from Nova had visited my graduate school a few months ago, and seemed aware of the negative comments on these forums. They were also quick to dismiss them and say that it was untrue.

If there are anymore dental students or graduates from Nova [preferably D3 and above, considering there is little information I could find about clinic within the last 3 years], it would be greatly appreciated by us predents interviewing and also interested in Nova.