Most stressful/competitive schools?

[558832]

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Hey guys,

While talking to numerous D1,D2 s around me and during interview days, this question came into my mind:

Which schools are the most stressful /or competitive?
Or, which schools are least competitive?

(Yes, I do understand ALL dental schools are stressful, but it seems that atmosphere is very different for each school.)

Any stories you heard from your friends/families would be appreciated.

I'll start.

Upenn/Columbia - full of people trying to specialize and full of gunners. (No offense to those attending! They are actually one of my top choices)
Also, so many tests they say. (1~3 per week?)
NYU - some of my friends tell me that they have insane quiz/test schedule.
Also, they seem to have no breaks, compared to some dental schools


I thought this could be a fun thread before Dec 2nd

 

[Longcatislong]

I've heard UCSF is quite competitive.

 

[LFA20]

Least stressful would probably be the pbl schools but when board comes....

 

[Jps17kl]

I heard UPENN is at another level in terms of difficulty of classes

 

[gn4]

Idk about that. When I interviewed at Columbia, the students seemed very non "gunnerish". There are plenty of smart students there, but they all want to help each other. That's the vibe that I got. It's still pretty hard to be in top 10 of the class. One of the first years said the class average in Anatomy was a 92. That's pretty high.

LSU students seemed very relaxed. Probably the most relaxed of the students I met on my interviews. All talking about drinking later with some of the professors.

UTHSC-Memphis surprisingly had students that were very stressed out. I believe because of the way the tests are done. All subject classes have their tests the same day. All different questions are on the same test..I think.

 

[Slumber]

It's class specific. Even within the same school, different classes have different atmospheres, personalities and attitudes.

 

[sgv]

It's class specific. Even within the same school, different classes have different atmospheres, personalities and attitudes.

srsly, your class could be full of gunning d1cks or awesome lifelong friends...the class above me is no where near as well knit together as my class

obviously pass fail makes everybody happy...only like three schools are pass fail, not high pass, pass, fail

 

[MedDevil]

From my interview last week, I learned that Penn doesn't curve grades and the average on many of their exams is 90+. That doesn't necessarily mean the school is stressful, it just means everyone is intrinsically motivated to do well. Students help each other all the time because they aren't competing, they're pushing through it together.

 

[gn4]

srsly, your class could be full of gunning d1cks or awesome lifelong friends...the class above me is no where near as well knit together as my class

obviously pass fail makes everybody happy...only like three schools are pass fail, not high pass, pass, fail

yea, I don't get the High Pass, Pass, and Fail system. I don't see how that eliminates competition. It's not like people aren't gonna be gunning for the "High Pass" grade. They also get their class rankings as well. As long as there are rankings, I think there will be competition.

 

[Slumber]

Of course class characteristics can't be ignored, but I think there are at least general trends due to school systems and characteristics for many schools.
P/F vs Graded, Class Ranks, Number of classes and hours per semester, semester vs quarter system, etc.
(again, depends on individual characteristics but then what won't?)

Indeed, there are class characteristics as well as school characteristics. I heard that UPenn students are very uptight and unhappy, so is Columbia. And from my interviews, I can tell you that Buffalo and Tufts are very chill.

 

[BlackThought]

I heard UPENN is at another level in terms of difficulty of classes

I think that the general consensus is that you have to digest the information in a shorter span of time compared to undergrad. Does it feel overwhelming at times? I'd be lying if I said it didn't, but its manageable (imo). It's hard to gauge and quantify "difficulty". Some people may find a certain concept difficult while others may not; while on a different concept, it's switched. So, the whole idea of 'difficulty' is going to change from person to person (based on their own background) so using that as a measure of a a school's curriculum doesn't make a whole lot of sense, imo. Also, keep in mind that there is a very healthy form of competition that can exist within a dental school and it can play an important role in keeping you, the student, on top of things (at least that's what I find to be the case so far). I just dont want people to dismiss the concept of 'competition' entirely, since it has the capability of being mutually beneficial if it can be cultivated in the right way.

Indeed, there are class characteristics as well as school characteristics. I heard that UPenn students are very uptight and unhappy, so is Columbia. And from my interviews, I can tell you that Buffalo and Tufts are very chill.

As far with students at Penn being 'uptight and unhappy', well again, is that a conclusion one can make based off speaking to a couple of students? Understand that stress around the time of an exam is normal and doesn't correlate to them being unhappy with the school. Sure, they may be 'unhappy' about how their studying is going, or about the fact they have another exam the next week for which they are behind on, etc., but that's not the same thing as being 'unhappy' with the school.

I'm not here to defend Penn or any one given school. No school is perfect, but just keep in mind that making sweeping statements about a schools curriculum and/or student body takes a lot more research than what you will find in the SDN forums. Reach out to current/former students and ask them about their experience first hand (which I know many of you do). You can then proceed to make an informed opinion rather than relying on the "I heard..." statements that fill this forum from time to time.


Good Luck to those applying this cycle

 

[Illfavor]

I HEARD that the students at UPENN slaughter a calf in the name of the Allfather every semester, but that's just from one student...who is very anti-Quaker...and isn't in dental school.

 

[J777]

I've heard UCSF is quite competitive.

Where did you hear this?

 

[Longcatislong]

Where did you hear this?

From a few acquaintances who currently attend. My sample size is very small, obviously.

 

[Longcatislong]

Where did you hear this?

From a few acquaintances who currently attend. My sample size is very small, obviously.

 

[free99]

I don't know any current UCSF students who can attest, but at the interview they said several times that the P/F grading system fostered teamwork, camaraderie and all that. I bought what they were selling.

 

[J777]

Ya, I was under the same impression as 99. Interesting to know

 

[TheHostess]

I kind of got the sense when I interviewed at NYU that it was an especially high stress, competitive environment. I think a lot of that stems from the very large class size. Does anyone who interviewed there, or any current student have any insight on this?

 

[Toothshucker]

Indeed, there are class characteristics as well as school characteristics. I heard that UPenn students are very uptight and unhappy, so is Columbia. And from my interviews, I can tell you that Buffalo and Tufts are very chill.

Uptight and unhappy....? No, it's called being busy with projects and exams. If you interviewed at Columbia, you spoke mostly with D2's, and this is our busiest semester. Every class is different and has their own personality. There really aren't any gunners here. Everyone works hard, those who want to specialize and those who don't. There are definitely people who study more than others and may not study in groups, but everyone gets along, works together, and helps each other. It is competitive, but everyone is just trying to do well for themselves and they don't care how well other students do on exams. People match every year from the bottom third of our rankings. Everyone goes into a residency whether it's a specialty or GPR/AEGD. The handful that don't are usually military and a couple PP. This isn't a "high-stress" place.

 

[toothexplore]

not only does it depend on the school, but the class year too. some classes within the same school look out for each other more than others

 

[goffdent]

I think that the general consensus is that you have to digest the information in a shorter span of time compared to undergrad.

The problem is that you don't always have time to "digest" the information... It's the equivalent of eating CORN..

 

[r2thekesh]

I would bet if you were looking at state schools only, I would think that if you were dividing the number of spots per instate dental students in a class by the state's population would tell you how competitive they are relative to each other (i.e. state X has 30million people, 1 school, 80 spots vs. state Y has 1 school, 80 spots but 15 million people). So I'd say the CA, NY, IL, TX, FL schools are competitive relative to the LA, MS, AB, IA, and NE. Yeah I know that's relative to pre-dental entrance into the school, but I'm willing to say that competition probably continues through dental school.

 

[Toothshucker]

I would bet if you were looking at state schools only, I would think that if you were dividing the number of spots per instate dental students in a class by the state's population would tell you how competitive they are relative to each other (i.e. state X has 30million people, 1 school, 80 spots vs. state Y has 1 school, 80 spots but 15 million people). So I'd say the CA, NY, IL, TX, FL schools are competitive relative to the LA, MS, AB, IA, and NE. Yeah I know that's relative to pre-dental entrance into the school, but I'm willing to say that competition probably continues through dental school.

That doesn't make any sense.

Anyways, certain state schools accept more OOS applicants than others and there are substantial differences.
You can find the statistics for each school.... #of applicants, #of interviews, #of acceptances, #of seats... and broken down by residents and OOS applicants.

 

[MAdental]

How does UPitt fit in this category ??

 

[two thirty]

I kind of got the sense when I interviewed at NYU that it was an especially high stress, competitive environment. I think a lot of that stems from the very large class size. Does anyone who interviewed there, or any current student have any insight on this?

I'm a D1 at NYU and it's not that bad. I mean there is the gunner clique but for the most part our class gets along great and helps each other out. I mean the exams and quizzes are hard but I feel like that's pretty universal. If nothing else it prepares the students for the boards as 100% (of 300 or whatever) passed last year. But pretty much everyone I know shares notes/old exams to anyone they know and I've had help from students in my class I barely know when it comes to labwork.

That said, I'm not a gunner by any means so maybe the super competitive kids don't see me as a threat, but I haven't found it cuthroat at all.

 

[dentistkim]

WHat dental schools are the less stressful ones?!?

 

[KittySquared]

How does UPitt fit in this category ??

Severe deficit in patient pools. This is another kind of stress, compared to the didactics. When you're in clinic, there are way too many factors that you can't control.