MWU-AZ vs UNLV !!?

[member0543183]

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Hi everyone, I am having a really difficult time choosing between these two schools and need your help! 🙂 I'm OOS for both. This is what I have so far:

MWU-AZ pros
- high technology/great facilities
- boards after 1st year
- 3 months off to either study for boards (or finish boards early and relax!).. 3 months off the second year as well
- option to buy a Mac or Dell
- block system (one subject at a time, with other classes that integrates everything together)
- educates more about how to make a profit in private practice
- recorded lectures podcast
- more breaks

MWU-AZ cons
- total 20K more expensive (for now)... not including the interest
- newer school
- slightly more expensive area than Las Vegas
- typical class day is 8am-4/5pm from Mon-Fri (please correct me if I'm wrong!)
- test every week in the hardest classes
- Arizona has optometry schools (husband is an optometrist and would need to find a job there)
- not good for specializing


UNLV pros
- audio/visual learning style
- decent facilities
- total 20K cheaper (for now) after claiming residency after 1st year.. not including interest
- cheaper area to live in
- Nevada has no optometry schools
- textbook and patient records are all digital/electronic
- better for specializing
- older school
- class is 8am-3pm from Mon-Wed.... 8am-5pm Thurs... 8am-12pm Fri

UNLV cons
- financial problems leading to bigger tuition increases each year
- school is all year round, including summer
- don't have time off to study for boards (required to do ECs during that time off)
- boards after 2nd year
- must buy a Dell
- no recorded lectures podcast
- less breaks

Thanks! I appreciate any feedback and help!!! 🙂

 

[mjlake1]

I'm not sure I would say UNLV is better for specializing...

 

[Bis-GMA111]

I'm not sure I would say UNLV is better for specializing...

their specialization rates were insane for the 2011 class.

when i visited unlv, one of the clinical professors was going on about mwu az and how efficient their system+facilities are. as a whole, i've only heard good things about mwu az.

 

[mjlake1]

their specialization rates were insane for the 2011 class.

when i visited unlv, one of the clinical professors was going on about mwu az and how efficient their system+facilities are. as a whole, i've only heard good things about mwu az.

Where do you get the class specialty information? Does it include placement for GPR and AEGD? To my knowledge, these "specialties" are almost 100% placement and the main reason why students take them is because they are not ready to practice yet. Just a thought...

 

[Bis-GMA111]

Where do you get the class specialty information? Does it include placement for GPR and AEGD? To my knowledge, these "specialties" are almost 100% placement and the main reason why students take them is because they are not ready to practice yet. Just a thought...

the ada is pushing for more gpr/aegd programs because they want to push the idea of 'self sustaining' dentists in the middle of no where. it has nothing to do with being ready to practice right away or not. more dentists are pushing for it.

and i got the info when i went to their sim course. off hand i don't have the facts/figures with me, but i distinctly recall that ortho and omfs had relatively high match rates.

edit: the patient pool at unlv is pretty large as well, so you'll never really have a shortage of patients

 

[NguyenDDS]

When I went to the interview at UNLV, they had a powerpoint presentation on the specialty statistics/information. I also recall high match rates and was impressed by that.

I'm also having a hard time choosing between schools! Both schools are good

 

[periopocket]

UNLV! Viva Las Vegas all the way loved it there was just too far from home!

 

[jeffity]

Only MWU comments:
True, first year summer is off for boards. But after 2nd year, you roll right into clinic as a D3. I'd guess there is some sort of break, but it's not a sweet summer vacation sort of thing. You still get those other breaks you mentioned. For D1 it's 5 weeks throughout the 3 quarters. D1 is basically 30 weeks + whatever time you need for boards.

Lectures aren't recorded. I don't know the reason behind it. You'd think they would. You can record it for yourself if you want. But there is no official system in place.

Typical D1 schedule is more in line with what you posted for UNLV. I've never been there until 5. And I've never had a full Friday...yet.

Textbooks aren't needed unless you want them. Everything you need will be (has to be) provided in powerpoint.

Focus for D1 is basic sciences (although you do have sim lab and dental lectures in there too). You seem familiar with the curriculum. It's very summer school style. While the weekly test seems insane...and sometimes it is, it's also nice to really only study for one class. You don't juggle multiple courses or prioritize what to study.

 

[tennisman]

I had a very similar choice to make, since I was also accepted at UNLV, Midwestern, and Louisville. Ultimately I chose Midwestern, but let me tell you why:

I know many who have attended UNLV (including my cousin who was part of the 2nd class to graduate). There are a couple of very disturbing cons that I know of at UNLV. One is that nearly every 3rd or 4th year you talk to absolutely despises the place. Granted, dental school is hard, but compare that to most of those you meet at Midwestern that love the place. So that means one of two things - either UNLV is more of a nightmare, or it's filled with a bunch of pessimists. I guess no matter where you go dental school is what you make of it, so it is ultimately up to you!

Another thing, at UNLV they have their "team system" that is strikingly similar to russian roulette. Ask anyone that goes there and they will tell you that if you happen to be one of the unlucky ones to end up in Team 2, you're toast. Apparently they are incredibly slow in what they get to do in the clinic and finally perform procedures at the end of their 4th year that everyone else did back in their 3rd. Out of four teams to be randomly thrown into, you had better hope it's NOT Team 2.

If you're making the decision solely based on price, UNLV is a little cheaper (but not by much). Keep in mind that at Midwestern, you'll be done with your first board exam after the first year. That means you get LOTS of time in the clinic to build your skills (placing implants, doing perio surgeries, and extracting third molars). I think overall, the school is establishing itself and is becoming more well known to specialty programs. According to the clinical director, every graduate who applied for their specialty straight out of school has gotten in.

Best of luck in your choice though! It's a stressful decision to make. I hope to see you at Midwestern this fall!