LECOM vs. BU

[MAVRK]

School 1: LECOM


Pros:

• COA cheaper by ~25k/year
• FL resident: close to family, friends, and SO (3 hours away)
• New facilities from day 1
• Get to keep more complex clinical cases with lack of specialty clinics on site (only 3rd year)
  

Cons:

• Not sure how I feel about PBL
• Not much to do in Bradenton
• Fourth year is spent in Erie, PA or Defuniak Springs, FL (both small, rural communities)
• Poor communication from admissions office
• Newer school, less established
• Reduced exposure to specialities

School 2: BU

Pros:

• Established program
• Felt welcomed and comfortable during interview day
• I really like the culture of Boston (lots of things to do, chance to live in a big city for a few years)
• Emphasis on digital dentistry
• In-house specialty programs
• School is doing a complete renovation, facilities should be finished by the end of D1
  

Cons:

• Very expensive
• Ongoing construction/will have to use old facilities during remodel
• Would have to do long distance with SO
• Public transportation, most likely wouldn’t get to bring my car to Boston

I’m currently leaning towards BU for the school itself but COA and proximity to my support system are also big factors in my decision. I’d like to hear what you guys have to say and if you have any additional pros/cons about your experience with either school please let me know. Thanks!

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[LecomDental]

Go to BU. I'm a D1 at LECOM and if the admissions office has poor communication with you, imagine what the communication with the faculty is like. LECOM has its pluses, but it also has a lot of downsides; I'm just miffed at how poorly structured and lacking in direction our operative course currently is and I don't know if it'll be fixed by the time you matriculate.

 

[Cthuluhoop]

BU is way too expensive if you are funding your education. It's not worth $550k to become a dentist. That $100k difference is years and years of more loan repayment

 

[ChillCops!]

I voted BU, also a current student so disclaimer.

I think one of the biggest factors (other than cost.. sure, BU is expensive) is the renovations. The first phase was just finished in January and if it's any indication, the completed project is going to be an incredible improvement to the student experience and your education. And because they're doing the construction in phases, you will have access to the new simulation lab starting next year apparently (i.e. less use of old facilities).

Most students also live around campus and can walk to class without having to use public transportation. If you live further out on the undergraduate campus to save some money there's a private BU student shuttle that is reliable for getting you to the med campus. Which, in my opinion, is another perk of BU having all the medical campus buildings and libraries within one block of each other... makes for a nice student environment.

Plus, the city of Boston. Duck boat parades every year. Think about that.

 

[Faefly]

I would have chosen Bu just because I like Boston more than the location of Lecom and plus Boston is not PBL..
Also, the future now is technology and Boston seems to be focused on educating their students this way.

But at the end of the day, which school you liked the most?

Also, can you live away from family or not?

 

[AppalachianDentalBoy]

Boston weather vs florida weather

 

[Trella]

I go to Bu and i lived in Florida my whole life. bu and living here is very expensive so if you plan to move back to Florida it wouldn’t make sense (you won’t make as much starting in FL to pay off the debt you’ll get here) but if you work here a couple years here or agree to work in underserved areas debt is not really problem. so now that that’s out of the way. So now I’ll tell you the pros. bu is established and knows what it takes so students pass boards first time and become good new dentists after graduation.

The construction isn’t as bad as it sounds. And when you see the finished areas you feel a lot of pride for your school. Plus anyone entering now would get to benefit from the new clinic and simclin. Also you get name recognition and vast alumni networking.