nyu vs. maryland - need feedback!

[dentistry2011]

I posted this on the pre-dent forum, but i would really like to get input from current students at both schools

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which school do uthink has a better reputation/is a better school - maryland or nyu???

i CANNOT decide which school i want to go to!

by the way, i am an in-state Maryland resident. So, maryland would be obviously cheaper, but is nyu a better dental school???

and for students at maryland, do u feel like you get enough clinical experience? because when i visited, i felt like there weren't that many patients in the clinics, but it could have just been a bad day/bad time. not sure

id REALLY appreciate any feedback whatsoever!

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[Bifid Uvula]

I posted this on the pre-dent forum, but i would really like to get input from current students at both schools

------------------------------------------------------------------------

which school do uthink has a better reputation/is a better school - maryland or nyu???

i CANNOT decide which school i want to go to!

by the way, i am an in-state Maryland resident. So, maryland would be obviously cheaper, but is nyu a better dental school???

and for students at maryland, do u feel like you get enough clinical experience? because when i visited, i felt like there weren't that many patients in the clinics, but it could have just been a bad day/bad time. not sure

id REALLY appreciate any feedback whatsoever!

Ok, I'm in a good position to answer this question, because I faced this problem years ago, chosing between NYU and Maryland (and I was a Florida Resident).

I chose Maryland, and at first regretted my choice, and wished I had gone to NYU (since I was wait-listed at my top choice in FL). But by the time I graduated, I saw 3 of my close friends from undergrad get kicked out of NYU, and I saw the differences between the Maryland and NYU curriculums. At the time NYU had more bells and whistles, and at Maryland we were still in the stone-age. But we came out with higher national board scores, greater # of complex procedures, and a higher passage rate on the NERBS. I don't regret even for one second my decision to get my DDS at maryland.

Now Maryland has the most modern dental school in the world. The education and curriculum they are building is top notch. When I talk to the faculty there from time to time, I can't believe how much has been invested into providing a dental education that is on the cutting edge of dentistry and medicine.

1) The debt load coming out of school is a real B!tch to say the least. Don't be stupid... GO TO THE sCHOOL THAT WILL COST YOU sIGniFICANTLY LEss!

2) I believe when you compare apples with apples Maryland's dental school is superior. I think that no matter where you go, you will become a good dentist if you WORK HARD and put the effort in. But if you weight the two side-by-side... the ONLY THING better NYU has to offer is "location." Most of our faculty at Maryland genuinely cared about us and seeing us succeed. You will still find deuche-bags as classmates and instructors no matter where you go to school. The journey of dental school will be made better by forming strong bonds and friendships. Then it won't matter where you are.

3) IT WILL NOT MAKE A DIFFERENCE WITH REGARDS TO SPECIALIZING LATER.... Only your grades, board scores and letters of recommendation matter. The Name of the school on your degree doesn't matter. Keep that in mind as well.

4) But as far as "reputation is concerned"... what could be more respectable and prestigious than graduating from THE WORLD'S FIRST and OLDEST Dental school??? NYU can only claim 3rd place...

I wouldn't worry about seeing empty clinics at Maryland. Trust me, they are usually PACKED. You have no worries when it comes to keeping busy with patients.

In the end, its up to you to decide what is best for you, psychologically and financially. But when you graduate and you have a HUGE debt load, you will think twice and realize that the same degree could be hanging on your wall from Maryland and there would be more money in your pocket... Either way, you will be successful no matter where you go, as long as you put your heart and soul into your education. Good luck.

 

[Lesley]

I posted this on the pre-dent forum, but i would really like to get input from current students at both schools

------------------------------------------------------------------------

which school do uthink has a better reputation/is a better school - maryland or nyu???

i CANNOT decide which school i want to go to!

by the way, i am an in-state Maryland resident. So, maryland would be obviously cheaper, but is nyu a better dental school???

and for students at maryland, do u feel like you get enough clinical experience? because when i visited, i felt like there weren't that many patients in the clinics, but it could have just been a bad day/bad time. not sure

id REALLY appreciate any feedback whatsoever!

As this is one of my favorite hobbyhorses, and you asked, I'll share my opinion.

Both schools should prepare you well enough to do well on your boards. All schools, while similar, emphasize different clinical aspects, in the end you will have to continue your education to fill in and improve any weak areas. Dental school is the beginning, not the end. Both are ADA accredited.

Should you go to NYU, starting next year your total dental school costs including interest, if you are paying everything on your own, at the time of graduation will be close to $400,000. Should you continue in four years to a speciality program at a similarly priced institution, you can add another $200,000+ to that debt.

If you go to Maryland, and you decide to specialize, your debt may not be as much a factor in your decision as your debt load will be considerably less.

When you have a lot of debt, it will effect your choices down the road. This is a truism, not speculation. A recent article by a Yale economist, states that the risk and reward of getting a college degree has become riskier, because relative to the expense the rewards may not be as great as they were in the past. I think I read this article on cnn.money for those of you who need a "source."

Another article I recently read states that students, I was one of them, do not have enough familiarity with money and it's workings when they are borrowing money, to understand the impact of their borrowing down the road.

Given the above examples, NYU for a basic dental degree will be a payback of, approximately, $2,800/month for 30 years. Considering the alternate senario of a speciality degee, the payback will be $4,200/month for 30 years. Both cases assume an average interest rate of 7.5% during the payoff period.

I can not stress enough looking at the overall costs, adding in all that unsubsidized interest and guesstimating what you will be facing at the end. Not to deter you, but just to give you a realistic view of the choice you are making. Go to http://www.fin.aid.com and input some figures in the loan calculator. Very best wishes and best of luck with your decision, Lesley

 

[Mustt Mustt]

I posted this on the pre-dent forum, but i would really like to get input from current students at both schools

------------------------------------------------------------------------

which school do uthink has a better reputation/is a better school - maryland or nyu???

i CANNOT decide which school i want to go to!

by the way, i am an in-state Maryland resident. So, maryland would be obviously cheaper, but is nyu a better dental school???

and for students at maryland, do u feel like you get enough clinical experience? because when i visited, i felt like there weren't that many patients in the clinics, but it could have just been a bad day/bad time. not sure

id REALLY appreciate any feedback whatsoever!

Simple: Go to Maryland and save some money. you will thank yourself later for doing this.

 

[godbless]

hi

 

[muz]

when i was applying...nyu was a laughing stock...since then i guess its image has made a 180...maryland has a great rep...and from what i hear a kickass facility...

i choose an out of state school over my in state...do i regret it...no and id do it again in a heart beat....but nyu vs. maryland comon....

be a terp

 

[drpduck]

when i was applying...nyu was a laughing stock...since then i guess its image has made a 180...maryland has a great rep...and from what i hear a kickass facility...

i choose an out of state school over my in state...do i regret it...no and id do it again in a heart beat....but nyu vs. maryland comon....

be a terp

As someone starting at UMaryland this fall, I will have to say go to UMD! Why? Because its freaking awesome facilities, only positive reviews from alumni, and like muz said, be a terp!!

 

[peter3blood]

Others have already said it best, all things being equal, go with the less expensive school.

HOWEVER,

Please don't think that just because a school has sparkling new facilities that everything is good. Maryland is a great school but there is a HUGE adjustment going on as people have moved from the Old School to the New School. Not all is perfect, not all is bad. Clinically, some things are better, some worse. But one thing is for sure, the attitude of Maryland is changing big time. I'm not saying its necessarily a bad thing but just be aware that the school you think you know may not be exactly the school that you graduate from.

Still, I would go to MD over NYU because while MD may have some issues they aren't worth paying an extra 150,000 dollars to avoid.

 

[Dukie]

I have lived in both MD and NYC and got in to both schools, so I'll give you my two cents... I think if you ask practicing dentists, Maryland probably has a better reputation. However, I would not make that a huge factor in choosing your school, since I think you'll get a decent education at either place. The big things I would look at are the following:

1. Location. This is not something to downplay. NYU is in a very nice area of New York, while MD is in a not so nice area of Baltimore. New York is a much more exciting place to live, though you will likely not have a ton of time during dental school to enjoy it.

2. Cost. As others stated, this really should be a big factor. As long as you will get a good education, you should chose the less expensive school. That being said, you can and will make money in dentistry and paying back your debt is doable despite how many loans you have.

3. Class size. NYU's class is huge, which really turned me off to the school. If you don't mind being one out of 350 (after the international students come in), then NYU is a good choice. MD is not small, but certainly not that big.

After all that, I'd weigh how you felt at the place. When I chose to go to UNC, it was in no small part because I had a good feeling about the school. Follow your intuition. Good luck!