Public School vs. Private School

[enginerd]

---

Members don't see this ad.

I was wondering if the difference between a public dental school and a private dental school are that significant. Basically, is it worth it to pay more to go to a "private" school. For example does going to a private school give you more post graduate connections, a better faculty(?), a better education(?), etc.

The reason I ask is that it seems like most dental schools have small class sizes anyways, either around 100 students or less (of course I'm excluding schools like NYU 😛 ). So the difference between public and private dental school doesn't seem as obvious as undergrad, where in public undergrad schools we would get crammed into a lecture hall with 200+ people. And if I were to go to a public school as an non-resident, I might as well pay more to go to a private school?

I'm not comparing a certain school to another, but just wondering in general does a private school give you things (if any) that public schools don't due to the excessive amount of $$$ you are investing. Does it even make a difference when the school claims itself to be a "private" institution?

 

[EyeAmCommi]

Wow, I forgot what it was like to be at step one.

Its actually not that simple. Private schools and public schools differ in all sorts of ways and they also differ amongst themselves.

One good rule of thumb is this:
Public schools have a mission and their mission is to recruit students in the best interest of their state. They tend to mint out more general practioners than their private school counterparts. However, there are some private schools that focus solely on the clinical aspect of their curriculum, and not their academic part. And there are some that focus on just academics with less emphasis on clinical skills.

In my opinion, public schools only come in one flavor. They're more balanced in terms of academics and clinical. Private schools, on the other hand, come in all sorts of flavors.

I hope that helps.

 

[TimR]

I was wondering if the difference between a public dental school and a private dental school are that significant. Basically, is it worth it to pay more to go to a "private" school. For example does going to a private school give you more post graduate connections, a better faculty(?), a better education(?), etc.

The reason I ask is that it seems like most dental schools have small class sizes anyways, either around 100 students or less (of course I'm excluding schools like NYU 😛 ). So the difference between public and private dental school doesn't seem as obvious as undergrad, where in public undergrad schools we would get crammed into a lecture hall with 200+ people. And if I were to go to a public school as an non-resident, I might as well pay more to go to a private school?

I'm not comparing a certain school to another, but just wondering in general does a private school give you things (if any) that public schools don't due to the excessive amount of $$$ you are investing.

I think in a lot of cases you could say that private schools have better funding and therefore better facilities and better technology. Also, private schools depend on their alumni for donations, with that in mind, there will probably be some effort on the part of the school to take care of its students to leave them with a good impression so that they will be willing to donate.

At public schools, rules (such as dress code) might be more relaxed.

I don't know, I finished my undergrad at a private school and really liked that it wasn't a state sponsored school. It allowed some autonomy that public schools don't get.

that's my biased opinion. hope it helps

 

[Gargamel]

Perhaps the only place where a school being private vs public matters is the schools likelihood of admitting out of state residence. Generally private schools do not care in which state you reside as long as you show up and pay tuition. Public schools because some of their funding comes from the state and their charters usually stipulate providing for the states needs preferentially take in state residence. In terms of the quality of the education and facilities public vs private does not seem to be a factor. Harvard, Penn, UCLA, and UCSF are among the top schools in the US, two are private and two are public (and the public ones arguably have the nicest facilities). University of Colorado and University of Maryland (both public schools) have just built brand new facilities which are state of the art. Often “well to do” states can afford to put money into education.

 

[enginerd]

Also, private schools depend on their alumni for donations, with that in mind, there will probably be some effort on the part of the school to take care of its students to leave them with a good impression so that they will be willing to donate

I really have no idea, but I was wondering are connections with alumni in the dental field important?

At public schools, rules (such as dress code) might be more relaxed.

They had dress codes for undergrads at private schools??? Makes me not want to go anymore...

 

[INFNITE]

I really have no idea, but I was wondering are connections with alumni in the dental field important?



They had dress codes for undergrads at private schools??? Makes me not want to go anymore...

dress code? in college? what kind of nonsense is that?
by the way, you mentioned how 200+ kids are crammed into a lecture hall in public school...that also happens in private schools.

 

[Gargamel]

Keep in mind that professional schools, particularly dental schools do have dress codes. This is because of likely interaction with patients. Maryland for example posts this:

http://www.dental.umaryland.edu/dentalstudent/dentalhandbook/hbdownloads/DS-DRESSREGULATIONS.pdf

It’s simply part of being a professional

 

[TimR]

Keep in mind that professional schools, particularly dental schools do have dress codes. This is because of likely interaction with patients. Maryland for example posts this:

http://www.dental.umaryland.edu/dentalstudent/dentalhandbook/hbdownloads/DS-DRESSREGULATIONS.pdf

It’s simply part of being a professional

At UCSF (for example) there is one dental student in particular who can be seen cruising campus in his "Dr. Reefer" T-shirt. Apparently he wears it often enough that everyone knows who he is. Take it for what it's worth. It wouldn't happen at a private school.