Pre-dent Pre-dicament!

[Rezdawg]

I can tell you for certain that myself and quite a large group of us don't give a hooplah about a H as long as we get by with a big fat "P".

That goes for almost every school in the country with an A/B/C system. A majority of students could care less if they get an A.

Thats my point, A/B/C is essentially the same as H/P/F.

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[ProZackMI]

Dear future Dentists and Specialists,

This issue has been discussed to death on the pre-dental forum and I have not yet found my answer. I have currently been accepted to some dental schools and am left with a decision to make. Particularly, I have to decide between Columbia (Nice IVY league school which boasts of high Boards, and hence specialty placement) vs. UMDNJ (Nice, light on the pocketbook, state school with good clinical training).

Please let me have your suggestions, as I am torn between the two schools. As a pre-dent, I have an inkling that I might want to specialize, but I am unsure due to the lack of information I have about dentistry to begin with. Is IVY prestige worth the extra $90,000 for dental school? That is basically what it boils down to, as I am sure that if I want to keep the option of specializing open, UMDNJ is not a bad school for it. Thanks in advance for your advice.

UMDNJ is a great school. Unless you're hoping for teaching in academia one day, an Ivy league dental degree won't mean much more than a DDS from any other dental school, but you'll have double the student loans.

Also, why Dr. Parm? You're not a doctor yet. It's funny to see so many students on this forum refer to themselves by titles and degrees that they have not yet earned. To some, that could be perceived as cute and endearing, to others it could be perceived as arrogant or deceptive.

 

[Tzips]

Also, why Dr. Parm? You're not a doctor yet. It's funny to see so many students on this forum refer to themselves by titles and degrees that they have not yet earned. To some, that could be perceived as cute and endearing, to others it could be perceived as arrogant or deceptive.

Or it can just be an exercise in positive reinforcement - one of my lab partners and I call each other Dr. X (we share a last name) just to remind eachother what the goal is when we're high on inhaled wax and want to commit homicide with the cleoid/discoid.

 

[Dr. Parm]

Thanks for all your posts. I guess I have to chew on the cud for sometime before I make my final decision. If anyone else has any other inputs, please feel free to share.

P.S. About my screenname, it is what it is....a Screenname and the matter should be left at that. Any comments as to my motives for choosing that particular sn are unnecessary and useless to anyone who is in a similar position as I am, as far as D-schools are concerned.

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

As a 6 digit student loan in debt, my advice to you is to go to the school that IS THE CHEAPEST !!!! Ivy league or not does not really make sense once you are out. Ofcourse, it would be more pretigeous to say that "I am going to Havard Dental school " rather than "University of Missouri at KC", but does the extra cost worth it??? Absolutelty not! Remember that the name of the school MEANT nothing when comes to training you to be a competent dentist. All schools have there own weakness and strengths. And also remember that dental school grades, National Board scores, maturity and among other things will get you into post graduate training than the name of the school you graduated from. Do yourself a favor and drop that "Ivy" league stuff and save yourself some money.

Dai Phan, BSAE,DDS,MSD
UMKC Grad 1995