OHSU (?) vs. Harvard vs. UMN (?)

[Wishing4Teeth]

School 1: Harvard
Pros:

• I was considering med for as long as I can remember and I'm super into the medical aspect of Harvard's education.
• Great foot in the door for specialty
• Boston - favorite city!!!

Cons:

• Too cut-throat?? Stress??
• Less clinical experience

School 2: OHSU

Pros:

• Faculty was amazing
• SUPER nice school, high tech, lots of patients

Cons:

• Not as good for specialty
• Greyyyy weather

School 3: Minnesota
Pros:

• Got along really well with the students
• Tradition of producing successful dentists

Cons:

• Letter grading
• Not as impressed with the clinic, pre-clinic, sim lab, etc.

Summary: IRREGARDLESS of cost, which would be the best place to go? I'm thinking I will want to specialize, but I not completely set on it. I want a good education and I think I'll want to do research as well.

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[Invisibility]

I would go with OHSU. It's a beautiful school with amazing resources/clinics. Everyone who goes to dental school is being trained to be a proficient dentist first, and OHSU has very good clinical experience to help you achieve that. I know a few dental students there who are very happy to be there. I am not familiar with Minnesota's dental school, so I can't touch upon the experience there. Harvard does have a big name and is also a good school but if you truly want to pursue a certain specialty, where you go to school will not greatly impact your chances. Best of luck in your decision process!

 

[AppalachianDentalBoy]

If you're driven enough to get into Harvard, you're driven enough to specialize from a state school. In this case it sounds like OHSU would be a great fit for you.

 

[taurusdentist]

I am also deciding between OHSU and MN and having a hard time making a decision!

 

[Wishing4Teeth]

I am also deciding between OHSU and MN and having a hard time making a decision!

It's tough!! They're similar in so many ways and different in so many others. Are you in-state at either?

 

[taurusdentist]

It's tough!! They're similar in so many ways and different in so many others. Are you in-state at either?

Yes, in-state at Minnesota! So I think it's my family and the familiarity of the school (I've done a bunch of pre-dental day events there) that is holding me back from fully committing to OHSU. In terms of facilities, it's OHSU >>>> MN..... the no windows thing at MN is pretty depressing when compared to the views that OHSU gives from its sim lab and clinic. But yeah in terms of specialization and research, they're pretty similar since both have good research and have many specialties to dip your feet into. The main difference is OHSU is pass/fail, but I think if you're going to specialize at a non-P/F school, you'll need like top As, whereas at OHSU you need 92% or higher to get a letter of commendation, so it evens out there for the most part. And I mean between the two you have either grey/rainy or snowy, so not really an advantage there.

 

[deleted993025]

If you are planning on specializing, choose Harvard. Other than that, choose the cheaper school.

 

[nightowl54]

If you are planning on specializing, choose Harvard. Other than that, choose the cheaper school.

Agreed ^^

 

[wengerout]

School 1: Harvard
Pros:

• I was considering med for as long as I can remember and I'm super into the medical aspect of Harvard's education.
• Great foot in the door for specialty
• Boston - favorite city!!!

Cons:

• Too cut-throat?? Stress??
• Less clinical experience

School 2: OHSU

Pros:

• Faculty was amazing
• SUPER nice school, high tech, lots of patients

Cons:

• Not as good for specialty
• Greyyyy weather

School 3: Minnesota
Pros:

• Got along really well with the students
• Tradition of producing successful dentists

Cons:

• Letter grading
• Not as impressed with the clinic, pre-clinic, sim lab, etc.

Summary: IRREGARDLESS of cost, which would be the best place to go? I'm thinking I will want to specialize, but I not completely set on it. I want a good education and I think I'll want to do research as well.

If you want to do GP don't pick Harvard (not good clinically unless things have changed). Otherwise go to Harvard (Pass/Fail is seriously underrated).


Sent from my iPhone using SDN

 

[nightowl54]

If you want to do GP don't pick Harvard (not good clinically unless things have changed). Otherwise go to Harvard (Pass/Fail is seriously underrated).


Sent from my iPhone using SDN

P/F is a game changer, I can attest

 

[bracketbuster68]

Minnesota. Facilities don't matter nearly as much as the opportunities that are available. I bet Minnesota has great opportunities (research, specialty exposure, grades, etc.) Find out what the clinical requirements are for each school. Schools don't actively tell you them, but this stuff matters. Especially if you want to be a skilled dentist.
If you can get into Harvard, you are going to be one of the top kids at your school so long as you put in the time and effort - no matter what state school you go to. You'll also save hundreds of thousands of dollars that you need to save if you are considering a specialty. During residency, your loans are going to accumulate interest anywhere from 4-8% AND a lot of residencies charge tuition (talking 100K-300K here). If you have 400K+ in debt and then another 100-300K in debt from residency PLUS 4-8% interest accruing annually on your loans, do the math. OMFS takes 4-6 years. Pedo is 2-3 years. Endo is 3 years (w/ GPR). Perio is 3 years. Prosth is 3 years (and you don't need to go ivy league to get into prosth). Ortho takes 2-3 years and it is more common to spend 100K-300K+ than to get into a paid (60K/year) residency.
If you have any doubts about your chances of specializing at MN, PM me.

 

[dentalgal93]

P/F is a game changer, I can attest

In pure curiosity, why do you think P/F is a game changer? What are some of the pros and cons to that style of grading, from your experience?

 

[TeethAreKewl]

In pure curiosity, why do you think P/F is a game changer? What are some of the pros and cons to that style of grading, from your experience?

Well you won’t need to nitpick about an 89.6 vs. an 89.7 for an A (for example). If you’re specialising and studying for the ADAT or CBSE, etc. - can you imagine how much stress that takes off your life during that time?! You still need to know enough to pass obviously, but the minute point differentials won’t be an issue