Need advice about USC

[UCFpremed]

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Hey everyone,

I just got accepted to BU today. I'm thinking about cancelling my upcoming interview at USC. I have an interview at Nova soon and if I do get in, I'll be faced with choosing between boston and ft lauderdale. Should I cancel USC?

 

[in her drawer]

Yes.

 

[li1p0ptart]

if youd rather go to BU than USC then yes. If not then no.

 

[in her drawer]

if youd rather go to BU than USC then yes. If not then no.

I really wish you would stop posting with that avatar, Poptart. Don't you have anything a little less . . . attractive?

 

[t2thDr14]

USC interview isn't even an interview. They observe you working in a group, I guess to see if the PBL learning style might work for you. And that's basically it.

I'd withdraw from USC.

Congrats on BU 👍 .

 

[TeethVader]

Hey everyone,

I just got accepted to BU today. I'm thinking about cancelling my upcoming interview at USC. I have an interview at Nova soon and if I do get in, I'll be faced with choosing between boston and ft lauderdale. Should I cancel USC?

Totally cancel USC. I remember being accepted to BU but let it slip away b/c USC accepted me (personal reasons). As time has passed and students have found about the program at BU it has gotten more competitive to get accepted at Boston. So, honestly, go to BU and forget about SC and NOVA. Boston has an awesome academic atmosphere and with the cold and all, you'll never be distracted when studying for boards..good luck to you

 

[KahunaDentist]

Oh PLEASE cancel your USC interview invite. I got my USC interview invite in December, and cancelled ASAP.

I don't like the PBL curriculum, and in fact, I've shadowed their dental school while I was an undergraduate at SC. A lot of the students I've asked either told me they hate dentistry, or dislike the USC dental program's curriculum.

BU's dental program definitely has a better academic environment than USC.

Plus it's in Boston the academia capital of the world, and despite the cold horrible winters, I'd take Boston any day over smoggy LA.

Hey everyone,

I just got accepted to BU today. I'm thinking about cancelling my upcoming interview at USC. I have an interview at Nova soon and if I do get in, I'll be faced with choosing between boston and ft lauderdale. Should I cancel USC?

 

[UCFpremed]

Thanks guys, I'll see what happens at nova but im stoked about Boston.

 

[PChemGrad]

I really wish you would stop posting with that avatar, Poptart. Don't you have anything a little less . . . attractive?

Cancel it I think BU is better.
IHD I agree, poptart you are very attractive just like most every other girl at USC. The one reason I am sad I am not going to USC.

 

[UCFpremed]

if youd rather go to BU than USC then yes. If not then no.

Can you tell me about your experience at USC thus far? As far as hand skills, what you are allowed to do as a student clinically?

 

[li1p0ptart]

I really wish you would stop posting with that avatar, Poptart. Don't you have anything a little less . . . attractive?

No. =P

 

[li1p0ptart]

Can you tell me about your experience at USC thus far? As far as hand skills, what you are allowed to do as a student clinically?

For handskills, its mostly been waxing up teeth to learn their identification and morphology, that is what the first years do in lab.
We have had radiology rotations where we have learned to take full mouth x-rays on Dexter the dummy (=P) and we get to start on patient radiology rotations this month (i think we do two days this trimester). We also start a sealant case next month during which we get to put sealants on children from a local elementary school. We have had diagnosis rotations to learn how to perform an extraoral/intraoral exam on patients as well as take vital signs. But for first years its mostly case and lab work.
I enjoy USC however because I like the PBL curriculum so far, it helps me remember information because its case studies so I remember the people involved in the stories and what their problems were, and it also gives me a lot of free time (probably because im a first year). I do notice that not everything that will show up on the boards can possibly be covered in these case studies, but of course not everything can be covered in lecture either. I just think PBL is a lot more interesting than sitting in a lecture hall.

 

[TeethVader]

For handskills, its mostly been waxing up teeth to learn their identification and morphology, that is what the first years do in lab.
We have had radiology rotations where we have learned to take full mouth x-rays on Dexter the dummy (=P) and we get to start on patient radiology rotations this month (i think we do two days this trimester). We also start a sealant case next month during which we get to put sealants on children from a local elementary school. We have had diagnosis rotations to learn how to perform an extraoral/intraoral exam on patients as well as take vital signs. But for first years its mostly case and lab work.
I enjoy USC however because I like the PBL curriculum so far, it helps me remember information because its case studies so I remember the people involved in the stories and what their problems were, and it also gives me a lot of free time (probably because im a first year). I do notice that not everything that will show up on the boards can possibly be covered in these case studies, but of course not everything can be covered in lecture either. I just think PBL is a lot more interesting than sitting in a lecture hall.

I shall see you in second year.. I had the same sentiment about PBL since we had sooo much time free; I was at the beach most of the week. Now that we have hit 2nd year we are overwhelmed with the amount of work we do...come on! is not so hard for you to realize it...you can see all us 09ers being slaves everyday with very little instruction trying to do stuff we don't even know is right or wrong. Hopefully for you guys, things will change in the future when you hit posterior fixed pros, perio, endo, and a heck of a lot more stuff. This is why, I recommend BU to the PM b/c I'm in the trenches and you 20-10s (like Scott calls you) are not even in bootcamp.

 

[li1p0ptart]

I shall see you in second year.. I had the same sentiment about PBL since we had sooo much time free; I was at the beach most of the week. Now that we have hit 2nd year we are overwhelmed with the amount of work we do...come on! is not so hard for you to realize it...you can see all us 09ers being slaves everyday with very little instruction trying to do stuff we don't even know is right or wrong. Hopefully for you guys, things will change in the future when you hit posterior fixed pros, perio, endo, and a heck of a lot more stuff. This is why, I recommend BU to the PM b/c I'm in the trenches and you 20-10s (like Scott calls you) are not even in bootcamp.

lol I definitley understand things are easier for us than for you guys. Would it be easier without the PBL program? Sitting in lecture for even longer hours while still having to do all the clinical work?

 

[TeethVader]

lol I definitley understand things are easier for us than for you guys. Would it be easier without the PBL program? Sitting in lecture for even longer hours while still having to do all the clinical work?

Dental classes would be great since we would know the basis and the necessary procedures to do great work in lab. The program is not well organized and they push the envelope giving us way too much labwork; it is not evenly distributed per semester. I think you guys should be doing something preclinical besides waxing so a smoother transition from first year to second could be possible. You will see what I'm talking about comming summer. Once again, from my experience, I can say that 100% PBL does not cut it as a pedagogy curriculum; PBL is pretty much self-learned basic sciences and dental which I don't really function well on. Perhaps, lilpoptart (by the way, it sounds delicious) you function and retain the necessary information efficiently. I don't mean to brag or anything but I've been in the dean's list and maintained a very good gpa while in undergrad but I have not been able to absorb all the important info in PBL. That is why I would rather be in a traditional curriculum than PBL; I truly missed it.

 

[shamrock84]

i think they are both ok schools but i don't think i would like the PBL program. so you have to decide is this program for you? location also influenced my decisions. i really like boston better than the LA area. i've lived in a suburb of LA for 6 months now and i don't like it. you need a car to go anywhere, traffic jams are very frequent, smog is everywhere...
boston is quaint, historic, filled with young people.
that is only my preference though.

 

[sliderule]

PBL has its good side and bad side. I'm a D1 at USC and so far PBL has been OK for me though it took some getting used to. I am now having to recall stuff based on the case we had ...which is weird but it works. I'm getting about 5hrs of sleep a night during weekdays (case and lab takes so much time for me) so I'm not looking forward to summer (no sleep?)