Loma Linda University Discussion

[ssik]

I am interested in finding out more about Loma Linda University. To those that have interviewed or current students... what are your thoughts and opinions about the school? Pros? Cons?

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[Jake8]

Not supposed to have caffeine

I like what the school stands for but remember that the idea of founding Loma Linda was to promote health care professions within the Seventh Day Adventist community so they will have principles you won't see elsewhere. This explains why they don't look favorably on caffeine or alcohol, and also explains why you go to service every wednesday as a D1. At least this was told to me by an SDA in my masters program.

I chose not to finish my secondary because I wasn't thrilled about its location. I am from the south east and really didn't want to go to California. If the school was located elsewhere I would have kept my application up to date.

 

[that guy]

despite their extremely christian beliefs it was a pretty good school. The area seems pretty safe and is "clean". it is a quiet little town right outside of san bernadino. The school had the most patients ive ever seen- the waiting area was packed. The professors were extremely kind and the preclinic was pretty cool but a little crowded.

unless you like salads, the food was bad. i ate some artificial meat dish and i was dying on the flight back home.

id consider the school if it wasnt so expensive (and if i were accepted)

 

[needa20]

2 years ago LLU was the first class in like 10 years to have a 100% part 1 board passing rate on first try. Thats a pretty big accomplishment. My bro-in-law is a D4, and said that they have only had about 3 out of about 95 classmates leave the program since the first year-i dont know about other schools, but I find that pretty impressive.

I interviewed there and really liked it. they dont sell caffine on campus, but you can get it anywhere else. about half of the students i saw walking around had a Starbucks in their hand--no big deal. Also, I found that most students did not eat on campus, there are a bunch of trypes of restraunts close, which of course serve meat.

There are plenty of students and faculty that are not Seventh-Day Adventist, so dont think that its all SDA's. There clinc was huge and very busy. I know some schools have trouble getting enough patients, but this is not the case at LLU. Also, LLU is very clinically oriented, so students come out very competent, not sure that all schools require as much clinic work as LLU.

i am not from Cali, so I really dont care what part of Cali its in. but while i was there, i enjoyed the area.

I also agree with their mission. Def check and make sure you agree with their mission because that is one of their primary focuses.

I hope this helps, LLU is one of my top choices.

Good luck and God bless

forgot to mention, Tuition at LLU does not seem to be much more than other private schools or even out of state public schools...

 

[SnohSeason]

its a beautiful campus - it was so peaceful when i was walking around. I interviewed with dr. villanueva and she mentioned that they sort of live in a bubble there. Riverside/San Bernadino isn't too great but you'll be spending most of your time at LLU so it really doesn't matter. I heard that they were one of the top clinical schools several years ago but i'm not sure if that's true anymore (although i'm sure they're still really high up clincally). I saw a ton of patients waiting to be treated in the lounge. and i think the statistic for SDA vs. other religions was like 75% SDA and 25% other.

 

[02ratatat12]

When I interviewed, I was actually impressed that they did not codemn me because I wasn't SDA or religious. They really didnt seem to care too much about religion, which was nice.

And yes the clinic is state-of-the-art and bustling with patients. They have a great clinic, but the academic side is lacking compared to other schools. My interviewer even said that they don't score as high on the boards (part I) because they focus so heavily on clinic.

But who would want to go to a school where they force you to attend service? We're here to become competent dentists, which has little to do with religion or faith.

Too the person who said they didn't want to live in california...california is great. We have good looking people, lots a sex and the OC.

But Loma Linda (the city) is a dump along with the surrounding area. There's nothing to do there, but it is only and hour from LA.

 

[needa20]

When I interviewed, I was actually impressed that they did not codemn me because I wasn't SDA or religious. They really didnt seem to care too much about religion, which was nice.

And yes the clinic is state-of-the-art and bustling with patients. They have a great clinic, but the academic side is lacking compared to other schools. My interviewer even said that they don't score as high on the boards (part I) because they focus so heavily on clinic.

But who would want to go to a school where they force you to attend service? We're here to become competent dentists, which has little to do with religion or faith.

Too the person who said they didn't want to live in california...california is great. We have good looking people, lots a sex and the OC.

But Loma Linda (the city) is a dump along with the surrounding area. There's nothing to do there, but it is only and hour from LA.

as i said above, 2 years ago they had a 100% pass rate on part 1 boards. first classs from any school to do that in a LONG time....so board passing rate seems pretty good.

so what, they require you as a D1 to go to a 1 hr worship service. is that really that bad? if you apply to LLU, you know you are replying to a religous school, so there are a few stipulations that come along with it...

 

[NAVY DDS 2010]

despite their extremely christian beliefs ...

Let's see, LLU is a private, religious school set up based on the religious principles of the church which is based on the Bible. I wonder why it is an extremely religious school?

unless you like salads, the food was bad. i ate some artificial meat dish and i was dying on the flight back home.

first of all, you are making generalizations about food you ate once. I can guarantee you there are plenty of artificial meat dishes you would never know the difference about if you weren't told they were artificial. If this dish you ate came from the school, you can pretty much assume it was catered. How many times have you gone to any school or meeting that was catered and had bad food? I know most people have had real meat dishes catered that tasted aweful too and didn't settle with them.

id consider the school if it wasnt so expensive (and if i were accepted)

There are quite a few other schools more expensive than Loma Linda.

They really didnt seem to care too much about religion, which was nice.

But who would want to go to a school where they force you to attend service? We're here to become competent dentists, which has little to do with religion or faith.

First of all, you contradict yourself ratatat. How can a school not care about religion and then force you to attend religious services????

Next, remember, this is a private, religious school funded not by state dollars, but from the Seventh Day Adventist church. Here are Loma Linda's core values, motto, etc.

In the eyes of Christians (to include SDAs) who live their lives to serve their Lord and Savior, these principles are directly related to dentistry. You can agree with them or not. That is your right, but you don't have the right to attend the school or do as you please at the school if they say otherwise. If they make it a requirement to have certain courses which may be religious, then you either attend and accept that there are individuals with beliefs other than your or don't attend the school if you got a slot. Because it is a private, religious school, they can add whatever courses they want as long as it follows the criteria set forth by the ADA to be an accredited dental school. The following information tells you why religion is a part of the dental education in their eyes.

Motto, vision, mission, and core values


Motto:

"Service is our Calling"


Vision:

LLUSD is a preeminent health-care organization seeking to represent God in all we do. We are enthusiastically committed to excellent, innovative, comprehensive education of students and whole person care of our patients. Our students, staff and faculty are empowered through an enabling environment that honors the dignity, diversity, and worth of everyone. Our graduates are exemplary professionals and progressive clinicians of integrity.
Our Lord's example inspires us to enrich our local and global communities through service. This is our calling.


Mission:

LLUSD seeks to further the healing and teaching ministry of Jesus Christ wherein:
-Students learn to provide high quality oral health care, based on sound biologic principles.
-Patients receive competent care, which is preventive in purpose and comprehensive in scope, provided with compassion and respect.
-Faculty, students and staff value the patient relationship, respect diversity and share responsibility by working together toward academic, professional, spiritual and personal growth.
-Scholarly activity and research provide a foundation for evidence-based learning and enhance whole person care.
-The workplace environment attracts and retains a superior and diverse faculty and staff who motivate, educate and serve.
-Our communities--local, global and professional--benefit from our service, stewardship, and commitment to lifelong learning.


Core Values:

Belief in God
Respect for the Individual
Principled Spirituality
Student Focused
Empathetic Care
Commitment to Service
Pursuit of Truth
Progressive Excellence
Analytic Thinking
Effective Communication


This why they mix religion into their education

 

[LLUProf]

ssik, there have been several comments and thoughtful replies to your query, I'll attempt to give you a slightly different perspective without making this post too long. I graduated from LLU in the mid eighties and was in private practice for 23 yrs before retiring and returning to the university to teach. I also grew up in Loma Linda and am Seventh-Day Adventist.
The university definitely has a religious atmosphere, as it should, as that is the reason the school was created. This has no interference on the education that you receive, it just occurs in a christian environment. Nobody tries to convert you to be an Adventist, there is lots of respect for other points of view. Conversely you are expected to respect the universities views while you are at the university.
As far as the food goes, I grew up experiencing both diets (vegetarian and non-vegetarian). I found that there were foods from each of them that I liked and foods from each that I didn't like. I never looked at the vegetarian diet as a substitute for meat it was just a different way of eating. There are a multitude of eating options available within 10 minutes(or less) of the campus
As far as the area is concerned, unless you live in Bel Air or San Marino, it is far from a dump and actually a very nice small city. I guess it depends on what you like to do, I find plenty of things, I enjoy cycling, riding the Sunset Dr. loop in Redlands. In the winter snow skiing at Big Bear in the mountains is 45 minutes away. Summer brings water skiing trips to the Colorado River ( 3 hrs away- Lakes Havasu, Mead and Mohave) I guess it's what you make of it.
I hope this post wasn't too long winded, feel free to pm me anytime and I'll do my best to answer your questions about LLU.

 

[Simiam]

I really liked LLU and I thought the area was great. Out of all the Dental schools I applied to LLU and ASDOH were the only schools I interviewed at that seemed like they were in nice areas, so I really don't understand the comment that it is in the dump. Especially if you compare it to the area around USC!

Like ^ he said, you have to realize that the school is funded partly by the donations of it's church members. I think they are completely justified in having you attend services for the fist year. You are attending their program and it makes sense that they at least want you to understand their beliefs. It helps to dispel any "rumors" you may hear about them, and allows you to know what they truely believe in. I am Mormon, so I know the consequences of the ignorance of others when it comes to my beliefs. Everyone knows it is a religious school, so if you aren't interested in it, don't apply.

As far as the clinics and facilities were concerned I thought they were excellent. From first appearences their clinic was filled with patients which is always a good thing. In fact, the only thing that I was uneasy with was I was flying out for a 1 hour interview as opposed to a full day thing. However, after my interview I had a strong desire to go there because they were really interested in getting to know me as a person as opposed to just "grilling" me with vague, unimportant questions like so many other programs did.

 

[monkeymorris]

I really appreciate your input here. I applied to Loma Linda School of dentistry this year after a great deal of introspection concerning what I was looking for in a dental school. I have come to realize that during the next 4 years of my life, it is not only important for me to be trained to be a dentist, but I also feel that it is imporant to cultivate the other parts of me that are required to fulfill my potential as a human being. (Yes, I was a philosophy major in undergrad). When I made the decision to apply to dental school, it was because I had found something that I could do that could change the lives of others for the better, and I wanted to do more. Success in life is so much more than academic or professional success - there is more to me than my job and my status. I want to leave this world a better place than it was when I came into it. Yes, this all sounds very touchy-feely, but it is the reason LLU is my #1 choice of dental schools. I know that I will not only be a great dentist when I graduate, but I will also be a better person. I interviewed at LLU last week and was greeted with such warmth and kindness that I knew it was where I was meant to be. I am not SDA, but I am on board with their values and their healthy living style. Can anyone really see anything wrong with taking better care of the body we were given? There are so many secualr dental schools out there, I don't understand how people can be upset by the requirements at LLU. I recently interviewed at LLU and really felt like they wanted to know me as a person, not just as a bunch of numbers on my DAT. It was the first time in this whole application process that I felt that someone was genuinely interested in my aspirations, goals, and values. My interviewer was actually interested in "me". As aspiring health care professionals, I think we can all learn something from this approach. If we can learn to treat patients with the same sincere good-will that is a part of LLU's motto, then we will have received the best education. I pray that I will be accepted to an institution that has the highest of standards for its students.

 

[greenturtle]

I'm really interested in applying to Loma Linda's dental school because I fell in love with the campus and the people. It's such a welcoming campus, and professors actually care about you. However, the only stipulation is I'm not a very religious person, so how will I get a rec letter from a religious figure? Is this one of the crucial criteria? Is it enough to show that I am a genuine person with good virtues and values?

 

[Near]

I'm really interested in applying to Loma Linda's dental school because I fell in love with the campus and the people. It's such a welcoming campus, and professors actually care about you. However, the only stipulation is I'm not a very religious person, so how will I get a rec letter from a religious figure? Is this one of the crucial criteria? Is it enough to show that I am a genuine person with good virtues and values?

Religion and spirituality is a big component of that school, so it might not be a great idea to apply there just because of the campus and professors.

That being said, I don't think it's enough to show that you have good virtues and values; the majority of pre-dents are nice people anyway, regardless of their religion or in some cases lack of it.

 

[DrDientes]

Hey MonkeyMorris, can you tell me about your experience at LLU now that you are well in to your first year? Loma Linda is one of my top choice schools even though I am catholic. Thanks