Might Want to Think Twice About Nova

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I had 14 international students joined us in the beginning of my second year. We started out 99, 8 left the class for various reasons, then we were left with 91 at the end of our first year, then add 14 internationals, we graduated 105 from my class.
 
anonymousnova said:
I just started my second year at Nova. I've quickly come to realize that all the school cares about is the bottom line. The school has greatly increased the number of international students that they accept. My class size just jumped by 28 compared to the 10 that were added to the fourth year’s class. Despite the increase in students there has been no increase in faculty or chairs in the clinic. If you don't arrive early to lecture you are forced to sit on the stairs because of the lack of seats. Most of my classes in the sim-clinic can be described as "teach-your-self-dentistry". In my endo clinic class, me and about 20 fellow classmates crowded around a new forth year dental student and stood on our tip toes as she gave us the fly by night version on how to access the pulp. Every time I start to think of the stress that awaits me when I reach the clinic my third and fourth years I just want to scream! 85 chairs in the clinic, 108 students in my class, plus 28 new international students, times by two (3rd and 4th years) = train wreck! But I bet the accountants for the school are smiling, 28 more students paying tuition, with no more new faculty to teach us = $$$$$. No one cares about the dive in the quality of our education. Don't expect to reciece honest answers when on your interviews. They always have the new first year dental students give the tours because they are still naive to all the problems with this school. A current forth year was allowed to give interview tours and gave the interviewees honest anwsers to their questions. When the administration found out he was placed on probation for telling the interviewees how he really felt. How's that for freedom of speech? Feel free to ask questions and I will tell you what I really think as anonymousnova. Good luck to all in the application process!👍

If your interested in Nova then you have to read this article that was recently published in a local paper. This publication is available in bins at our school but I was told by a fourth year that when the school saw this article that they collected all the papers and threw them in the dumster!

http://www.browardpalmbeach.com/2007-06-14/news/nova-to-workers-drop-dead/
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That's wild I interviewed their and I specificaly remember thinking this is lame, why is D1 showing us the clinic? I even voiced my opinion during my interview and asked them why they had a D1 instead of D3 of D4. They dodged the question and then I didn't get accepted(probably unrelated reason)
 
Yah-E said:
We're talking about the chairs you sit on in the lecture classrooms, not the clinical patient chairs. Lets get on the same topics.
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Actually, get your loupes out for this. You are having a hard time reading the thread here then. if you look at the first post in this thread by Anonymous, he/she specifially talks about the lack of chairs in the CLINIC! Get on the same page here. Yes, it is mentinoed about not having enough seats in the lecture hall, but I think he can suck that up. It hard to do your dental work without enough chairs in the clinic.

Add 3 more cent to the 10 cents ... lets just say I have put in a quarter now so I don't have to keep puttig in money.
 
Yah-E said:
I defend NSU CDM because it gave me a great education. Now I have no doubt that the school has problems, but which school doesn't? The school can't please 100% of their students, if you look at the track records, then you'll see that all of us graduated are doing great. You little new D2s need to learn to do a little less of b1tching and a little more of work.

Students stay behind in the summer to finish graduation requirements can be due to many reasons, some were lazy and passive getting their patients in and some are truly unfortunate to have no quality patients. Whatever the reason(s) are that they stayed behind, they will all eventually finish.

I know all about the previous incidents that occurred at NSUCDM and believe me, they were all mentioned on here SDN many times. Again, stop your girly whinnings and get to work!

If you don't like NSUCDM, then get the **** out. No one will miss you.
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Why are you getting so defensive? I guess nova did not teach you much about being a professional; you’re a dentist, right?

I have stated facts that I believe that the predents should know, ones you're not going to get from naive D1 that give the tours during their interview. I'm sorry that the truth hurts so much....
 
NAVY DDS 2010 said:
I know nothing about Nova and the situation there, but your idea of how to deal with the lack of chair issue is very flawed. First, no matter what you or anyone else might say, a school should have enough operatories for each student so they can all theoretically work in the clinic at the same time, if possible. Next, the class president's job is as you stated to present complaits to the course directors and admiistration, but is the class president going to handle each complaint a student has each time they cannot work because there are no chairs available. No. They would not get their own work done if they were to take each and every complaint to the director each tie it happens. I am sure that the course directors are fully aware of the chair situation by now. Obviously, if the administration is accepting more students than when you were at the school, then they show they aren't too concerned with the issue. I am sure Dean Uchin is fully aware of the issue if the chair problem was an issue when you went through. He obviously has done nothing to improve the situation, only worsen the condition by accepting more students per class.

Here is a major problem with people in our society and you, Tah-E, are included here. Too many people now days don't care. They think like you do and say suck it up when there is an obvious problem. Instead of trying to fix a problem, they say it is not my problem to deal with or I cannot do anything about it and the problem continues. Then down the line when another person complais about the issue, they say suck it up, deal with it, chill out about it, ect. I had to deal with it, so you can too. WHY? If there is a problem, do something about it. Don't defend the problem. You can agree there is problem without publically chastising a person for wanting to inform pre-dents that there is a major problem. You agree there is a problem, so why tell the OP to grow some balls and suck it up or withdraw from the program. The OP wants to be a dentist and is sucking it up, but he has the freedom here to anonymously inform people of the situation at the school without fear of being reprimanded or blacklisted by administration and faculty.

You sir, are a dentist now and know of the situation. Use your status as a dentist, your contacts, and the 'big balls' you claim to have (becuase you sucked it up) to help correct an obvious problem you agree the school has instead of having the cowardly, put on the blinders mentality that it is not your problem to deal with. If you are so proud of Nova as you state, do something to improve the school instead of trying to defend the school by telling people to just deal with the problems.

My 2 cents.
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Couldn't have said it better myself.
 
Yah-E said:
I had 14 international students joined us in the beginning of my second year. We started out 99, 8 left the class for various reasons, then we were left with 91 at the end of our first year, then add 14 internationals, we graduated 105 from my class.
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Thats my point. You had a total of 105, we have a total of 136. You can times that by 2 ( D3 and D4 for the same 85 chairs). So, your class had 210 students for 85 chairs, while 272 for 85 chairs. Thats a 29.5% increase or 3.2 students per chair. I think that your opinion is outdated....
 
Sorrymsjackson said:
Why are you getting so defensive? I guess nova did not teach you much about being a professional; you're a dentist, right?

I have stated facts that I believe that the predents should know, ones you're not going to get from naive D1 that give the tours during their interview. I'm sorry that the truth hurts so much....
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Nova never did teach me how to handle whinners, so if my approach is a bit blunt and harsh, then my bad. I wish you guys the best.
 
I understand everyone's frustration here, but let me bring it to you guys from another perspective. What if you were one of those international students that did get accepted, suddenly your whole life has changed. What if Nova was your only acceptance, the only place that gave you that opportunity to become a dentist? Every school has their flaws, and i'm sure some people appreciate you pointing them out, some people are just praying for an acceptance. The grass is always greener on the other side. Imagine though if you didn't have any of it. It will all be worth it when you have that DMD at the end of your names.
 
NAVY DDS 2010 said:
Add 3 more cent to the 10 cents ... lets just say I have put in a quarter now so I don't have to keep puttig in money.
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Please keep contributing.

I've got a bowl of popcorn on my lap while I read this thread.

Shall I pass the popcorn anyone?
 
You guys do realize that you are arguing with a guy who claims to be a dentist, talks like an angry 14 year old and has an 80s hair band advertisement as his/her avatar...something isn't right here
 
pmantz said:
That's wild I interviewed their and I specificaly remember thinking this is lame, why is D1 showing us the clinic? I even voiced my opinion during my interview and asked them why they had a D1 instead of D3 of D4. They dodged the question and then I didn't get accepted(probably unrelated reason)
Click to expand...
Good point. I remember we had a bunch of D1s lead our tours. Of course they're going to think a school is the s**t in first year (all D1s would think that). I remember the school pretty well. Nothing about the school impressed me at all. From the crappy food, the way they group all the health professions students into one lecture hall, the tiny interview room, the way the clinics are run (if your patient doesn't pay, guess who has to pay?? And its not Nova), how the dental school resembles a high school with lockers everywhere. I especially enjoyed hearing how Nova might put in 35 more chairs... The only thing good about Nova is that the Miami Dolphins practice there and the weather of course.
 
prez_al said:
Good point. I remember we had a bunch of D1s lead our tours. Of course they're going to think a school is the s**t in first year (all D1s would think that). I remember the school pretty well. Nothing about the school impressed me at all. From the crappy food, the way they group all the health professions students into one lecture hall, the tiny interview room, the way the clinics are run (if your patient doesn't pay, guess who has to pay?? And its not Nova), how the dental school resembles a high school with lockers everywhere. I especially enjoyed hearing how Nova might put in 35 more chairs... The only thing good about Nova is that the Miami Dolphins practice there and the weather of course.
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👍

Anyone agree with this?
 
shane. said:
..Shall I pass the popcorn anyone?
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...here.


Why won't she answer if she will include the q's in the meeting with the Dean?

Is she toughing up already and "...roll[ing] with the punches..."
 
collegeboy30000 said:
...here.


Why won't she answer if she will include the q's in the meeting with the Dean?

Is she toughing up already and "...roll[ing] with the punches..."
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I can ask it, doesn't mean he'll answer it though. Plus, don't be sarcastic cause I like the school, I'm sure a good majority of pre-dents on here are still going to apply regardless.
 
xdianaax said:
I can ask it, doesn't mean he'll answer it though. Plus, don't be sarcastic cause I like the school, I'm sure a good majority of pre-dents on here are still going to apply regardless.
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I can ask too, however I am not in the situation you are in[Do you think if you do ask it will jeopardize your chances for admissions?]. I'm sure a good majority of the pre-dents here [and those not here] will want to know how Nova will handle this problem[too many students too little chairs]. Plus, there is nothing sarcastic about what I wrote, regardless.
 
collegeboy30000 said:
I can ask too, however I am not in the situation you are in[Do you think if you do ask it will jeopardize your chances for admissions?]. I'm sure a good majority of the pre-dents here [and those not here] will want to know how Nova will handle this problem[too many students too little chairs]. Plus, there is nothing sarcastic about what I wrote, regardless.
Click to expand...

You're right it is a good question, but he was nice enough to grant the interview, and he's entitled to not answer it. The issue doesn't bother me a whole bunch because to me everything in life is kind of first come first serve, but I can see where it can concern others. I'm more determined on getting my education, I don't expect any part of it to be luxurious, know what I mean?
 
The guy in the back with the red shirt has some devious plans brewing in his head.

That much i'm sure of.

And is the girl in the bottom left sneezing into her arm or making out with it?

I'm going to go with the latter.

👍
 
xdianaax said:
I understand everyone's frustration here, but let me bring it to you guys from another perspective. What if you were one of those international students that did get accepted, suddenly your whole life has changed. What if Nova was your only acceptance, the only place that gave you that opportunity to become a dentist? Every school has their flaws, and i'm sure some people appreciate you pointing them out, some people are just praying for an acceptance. The grass is always greener on the other side. Imagine though if you didn't have any of it. It will all be worth it when you have that DMD at the end of your names.
Click to expand...
Sure, and that's why I said that I don't blame them for taking the spots, I blame Nova for adding more students when there is no room. Trust me, Nova did not add these students out of the goodness of their hearts, it was to increase revenue. At UF the international student program is a 2 year program, at Nova it's 3. Why? More money. If Nova is the only school you get into then you would be complete dumb ass not to take the spot. But if you get more than one acceptance I want you to make an informed decision.👍
 
prez_al said:
I especially enjoyed hearing how Nova might put in 35 more chairs....
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Ya, from what I understand that idea has been shot down. The new idea that I hear being kicked around is that they are going to send us to a North Miami Beach clinic. So maybe we can drive all the way down there, pay for 3 dollar gas, and then if your patient doesn't show up you just wasted half a day. So you'd have class in the morning, drive to Miami to see your patient, then if you have lab work to do you will have to make the trip back to the school.👎 Nova never has a plan, they just make a half assed attempt to respond to the problems they create.
Note to predents: if a school says "we plan to do this" don't believe a word of it. If it ever does happen it will be 10 years after you graduate.
 
Regmata said:
You guys do realize that you are arguing with a guy who claims to be a dentist, talks like an angry 14 year old and has an 80s hair band advertisement as his/her avatar...something isn't right here
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Yah-E is a bit of a Nova legend. He once extracted the wrong tooth on one of his patients. If I ever have a patient that needs the wrong tooth extracted I'll send them his way. :laugh:
 
anonymousnova said:
Yah-E is a bit of a Nova legend. He once extracted the wrong tooth on one of his patients. If I ever have a patient that needs the wrong tooth extracted I'll send them his way. :laugh:
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Are you ****ing serious? Or am I just gullible?
 
Yah-E said:
If you don't like NSUCDM, then get the **** out. No one will miss you.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the great advice. I'll take my 100 thousand dollar debt and hit the road. With advice like that your sub 3.0 undergraduate GPA makes a little more sense.
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=28491
Dental school is not like fast food where if they forget to put ketchup on your burger you can take your business elsewhere. But I can warn predents that there are better places to spend their money.
 
I remember reading something about him extracting the wrong tooth.
 
Here is a thread from last year. The administration tried to implement a seating chart (like you had in kindergarten) but our class signed a petition and stood up to the administration. They backed off of the seating chart. I guess we will see if they try to enforce it again this year. They are adding finger print scanners to our attendance card readers to make sure nobody scans for their friends. How would you like to pay 40K a year and get stuck on the back row for four years, or the front row for that matter! The funny part about this thread is Yah-E's response. Seems to sing a different tune.
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=305976
 
anonymousnova said:
I wish I was kidding, search the old threads it's in there somewhere.
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Here is the posting where Yah-E admits to the extraction. If you go and do a search with these three words - (wrong tooth Yah-E), you'll see 16 threads where he is ripped for this.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=167547&highlight=wrong+tooth+yah-e


In defense of Yah-E, yes I am actually defending him this time, so don't wet your pants in surprise. Extracting the wrong tooth does happen and there is a good chance most dentists will do it once in their life time. As he said, for him, it was good that it happened in d-school. He will probably never do it again. Yes, he definitely shows a lack of intelligence in the way he comes across in his postings, but extracting the wrong tooth can happen to anyone. At least a tooth is easily replaced. It is not too uncommon to hear about surgeons amputating the wrong limb, thus the patient becomes a double amputee. I'd take the wrong tooth extracted any day over that! Mistakes do happen.
 
anonymousnova said:
Here is a thread from last year. The administration tried to implement a seating chart (like you had in kindergarten) but our class signed a petition and stood up to the administration. They backed off of the seating chart. I guess we will see if they try to enforce it again this year. They are adding finger print scanners to our attendance card readers to make sure nobody scans for their friends. How would you like to pay 40K a year and get stuck on the back row for four years, or the front row for that matter! The funny part about this thread is Yah-E's response. Seems to sing a different tune.
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=305976
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I'm not insulting Yah-E when I say this, but Yah-E--kind of--does sound like a 14 year old boy in that link. He claims he has both a DMD AND an MD?? That's hard to believe, but if he insists, I'm not going to argue on a forum.
 
NAVY DDS 2010 said:
Yes, he definitely shows a lack of intelligence in the way he comes across in his postings
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Didn't know that I needed intelligence to deal with whinners? Interesting!😕
 
NAVY DDS 2010 said:
Here is the posting where Yah-E admits to the extraction. If you go and do a search with these three words - (wrong tooth Yah-E), you'll see 16 threads where he is ripped for this.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=167547&highlight=wrong+tooth+yah-e


In defense of Yah-E, yes I am actually defending him this time, so don't wet your pants in surprise. Extracting the wrong tooth does happen and there is a good chance most dentists will do it once in their life time. As he said, for him, it was good that it happened in d-school. He will probably never do it again. Yes, he definitely shows a lack of intelligence in the way he comes across in his postings, but extracting the wrong tooth can happen to anyone. At least a tooth is easily replaced. It is not too uncommon to hear about surgeons amputating the wrong limb, thus the patient becomes a double amputee. I'd take the wrong tooth extracted any day over that! Mistakes do happen.
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Ok. Yah-E sounds more lucid on that page, and I respect that he learned from his lesson.
 
997GT3 said:
Yah-E claims he has both a DMD AND an MD??
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Got the DMD...
Anticipating the MD in 2009

Never claimed to be a MD already.....🙄
 
Yah-E said:
Got the DMD...
Anticipating the MD in 2009

Never claimed to be a MD already.....🙄
Click to expand...

Okay sorry, I skimmed too quickly, thought one needed an MD before starting residency.
 
997GT3 said:
Okay sorry, I skimmed too quickly, thought one needed an MD before starting residency.
Click to expand...

You get accepted to an OMFS residency and the med school portion (usually 2 or 3 years depending on the school) is in med school working to become an MD. Then you complete the rest of the residency working on the requirements for OMFS. The other route is to get your certificate in OMFS in which you do not get an MD degree, but are licensed a a OMFS, but only with a DMD or DDS degree.
 
Hi OP
Take heart

It is always so hard to be somewhere and see all the negative points. I have that problem too, I love medical school overall but 10 days out of 10 I am unhappy with it. All schools care about the bottom line, they do not spend it back on the students either – that 40k is going to other programs and research. I just made peace that I am going to have to get a well paying slot when I get out, it is sad because I used to want to be a doctor of all trades, you know…you can come and I will be able to help you with ANY illness – a family doc or a ambulatory medicine doctor. They seem the smartest to be because they can efficiently help anyone with any problem without the patient hopping through specialists. But in the past 3 years I can sympathize with you, being a doctor that is paid equivalent to what my net cost of attendance to school isn’t really financially smart and I don’t like the attitude or immense work load they have to deal with. My school also over books, I have sat on the floor or just left if I come less than 5 minuites early. I just leave, I cant learn with my butt numb – I consider a part of the sick mental competition we have – the goal being to whittle each other away till the number of people left = # of seats. It helps that in about 60% of classes no one comes, so you can get a seat but when it is mandatory you better be in 10 mins before the start time to get a seat. I think it is a common practice because they can teach 180 same as 100 and get those extra 80 tuitions in their pockets.

On the bright side you soon will have that overtly expensive paper (diploma) in your hand, and I also self learn – it is the best way. When you are in clinics challenge yourself, be comfortable teaching yourself, take pride in that you are a self made man/lady and enjoy that feeling that you can do things on your own. On the wards I always keep that attitude because you have to look out for yourself, including in your education -- every day. So keep it up and get through this, if you love dentistry anything will be worth it in the end.

Ps: we are neighbors so I can also sympathize with the city/ geographic annoyances.
 
Yeah when I tour the school I give it my best but lose my patience especially when the visitors are blatantly rude (including parents!), one asked me what my credentials for showing the labs are..well I just spent the better part of one year in them. But just the sass and unappreciation of me missing my lunch or class time to make up later by the majority of candidates made me quit. I would rather NOT tour them than give them some candy coated sugared idea about what they are getting into. I think it is up to the M1s to refuse to tour something they are not familiar with, they should defer to 3s and 4s.
 
[YOUTUBE]http://youtube.com/watch?v=DOtMGR2igMI[/YOUTUBE]
 
I am really not liking what I am reading. NOVA is one of the schools I really wanted to attend. Hey, maybe with all this trash talk someone will drop out and I can get in.:laugh:
I don't think you know how lucky you are to be in dental school. I am looking at another year before I can start my career.I would love to be at NOVA this year, even with all the alleged problems.
 
So, this hasn't been a real fun thread to read considering I'm starting Nova in about two weeks. I knew Nova had it's problems, but you guys are really hating on it. I understand you're trying to "help" the predents, but it sounds kind of silly to badmouth your own school. Like you said, you can't pack up and leave, so just roll with it. I have yet to start and I don't know how I'm going to feel 2 years from now, but as of now I dont regret my decision to attend Nova. Sure they're sometimes rude and most of the time have no idea what they're talking about, but if you keep concentrating on the negative you're just going to make yourself more and more unhappy. Just think that in three more years you'll be a dentist and can move as far away from Nova as you wish 🙂
 
But don't you want to be a good dentist not just in it for the $$$$$$$$$$. I can understand if it is the only school you get into I would take the plunge too.
 
acara003 said:
So, this hasn't been a real fun thread to read considering I'm starting Nova in about two weeks. ..
Click to expand...

Ready for the "big" move?
I know its 'far' from where you live, and I just wish you the best.
Did you know from our class, something like 11 people are starting in dental school this fall!
Go FIU!
 
11 of us? Which schools and how many people applied in all?
 
Ok, well our advisor, showed me that a total of 74 students applied from our school, however, that includes students that took at least one class at FIU.
Technically, not all 74 students were at FIU for more than one semester. She went through most of them and estimated that at least 40 were from FIU for more than one semester. Also I know at least three that applied but never too their DATs and/or completed secondaries.

12 out of 40<--and I don't know about the other 25 ppl.

3 to Nova
2 to UF
2 to Maryland
1 to Tufts
1 to Iowa
1 to UPenn
1 to Columbia
1 to Harvard
 
Thanks for the info. I was considering applying there but now I am not to sure.Personally, that is not the kind of situation that i want to be in,

Good luck with the rest of your studies.
 
collegeboy30000 said:
Ok, well our advisor, showed me that a total of 74 students applied from our school, however, that includes students that took at least one class at FIU.
Technically, not all 74 students were at FIU for more than one semester. She went through most of them and estimated that at least 40 were from FIU for more than one semester. Also I know at least three that applied but never too their DATs and/or completed secondaries.

12 out of 40<--and I don't know about the other 25 ppl.

3 to Nova
2 to UF
2 to Maryland
1 to Tufts
1 to Iowa
1 to UPenn
1 to Columbia
1 to Harvard
Click to expand...


Very nice. Thanks bro.
 
Yeah, I have an apartment already but I won't be moving in until the end of the month. It's very exciting. That's awesome that 11 people are starting dental school. Very impressive. Someone must be doing something right.

Are you ready for New York city?? You know if you make it there, you can make it anywhere!

I'm so corny 🙄
 
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