MWU AZ vs. USC

[3Angelo]

Hello, everyone! I am a Texas resident who has been accepted to MWU-AZ and USC. Just a little bit of backstory... I know people will grill me for not trying to go to school in Texas because of how much cheaper tuition is, but I am a California native who also lived in Arizona, and my entire family is in the west coast (California, Arizona, Washington). I stuck it out working in the Texas Medical Center as a trauma care registered nurse while struggling through the prereqs at University of Houston... I have missed too many family events (including, unfortunately, not seeing some loved ones for a long time before they passed away). I also declined an interview at UNLV which was scheduled the same week my grandmother passed away... It's time for me to go home so I can be closer to my loved ones =).

Anyway, MWU-AZ vs. USC seems like it would be an easy decision. MWU-AZ blew me away in terms of how beautiful the campus was, how technologically advanced the institute was, and how close-knit and family-oriented everyone was during the interview. Some other things that are bonuses include the fact that the program itself is in a popular retirement community (huge patient base!), having your own chair, having D3-D4 mentorships, and having a lot more procedure volume since there aren't any specialty programs at the school. USC, on the other hand, seems like a program that is just hanging on to its "tradition" and "big name". I've heard a lot of negative things about PBL and it sounds like I won't get the same clinical experience at USC... and of course, while MWU-AZ is very expensive in its own right, USC is even more absurdly expensive. HOWEVER, the reason this decision is tough is because I have family members in Southern California who are in the dental profession (as dentists or dental hygienists, and even a manager for an orthodontist's office in Encino, CA) who are saying the alumni network of USC is massive and just being a USC graduate is a huge deal in terms of getting a good gig or even getting into a specialty program. USC does have all the specialty programs in-house, whereas MWU-AZ focuses primarily on general dentistry. It's just weird to see such contrasting opinions on USC because let's be honest... there's quite a bit of dirt being thrown on USC in these forums haha.

Sorry for this long post, but yeah... I would appreciate if anyone offers input on this! Currently, I'm in favor of MWU-AZ... but I can't seem to be 100% sure on a decision lol.

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[887194]

While SDN forums are great for certain things, they are also not so great for other things. There are bad things said about each dental school on these forums. MWU-AZ does have a higher focus on clinical experience but realistically, we will all be in a similar boat after graduation in regards to clinical abilities. I visited both campuses and each had their own positives and negatives. I would make a list of pros/cons of each school, reach out to current students and then decide if the cost difference is worth going to USC over MWU-AZ.

 

[O Gaúcho]

Go to the cheaper school

 

[I-hate-alginate]

Midwestern for sure. Problem based learning, residency programs, absurd tuition, etc. Enough to say no to USC. You can specialize from any school as long as you work hard. I would go to Midwestern.

 

[3Angelo]

Midwestern for sure. Problem based learning, residency programs, absurd tuition, etc. Enough to say no to USC. You can specialize from any school as long as you work hard. I would go to Midwestern.

I officially rejected USC haha. MWU-AZ it is! (but still holding onto hope for an interview from UoP)