Originally posted by eleannaDDS:
•Hi DDS2006,
It's too bad that we weren't able to have you in our class this year. We welcomed a new student to the Class of 2005 only yesterday - he wasn't admitted from the waiting list until the first day of lectures. I definitely encourage you to apply again for September 2002 if you didn't get in the first time around! Admission to the entering class always depends on the applicant pool during that cycle, so things may shift into your favour next year. How did you do on your interview in April? It is my understanding that many students applied more than once before they were accepted into UWO School of Dentistry, so there's always the second try... it just means a little more waiting, that's all.
But anyways, here's the scoop on the dental school here: The curriculum is heavily clinical and patient-based in nature, which means less time in a lecture room and more time at the chair in clinics. In contrast, U of T and some other schools are more didactic overall. A lot of comparisons are drawn between the DDS programs at U of T and at UWO since they are the only two dental schools in Ontario. It's not to say that one is better than the other (U of T is an excellent school with many graduate specialities), but it's best to join one that is more suited for the way you prefer to learn. Which US dental school did you defer admission to until next year? I personally believe that a school with a strong clinical program produces more competent clinicians for private practice, unless one plans to go into research instead. In terms of patient pool, third- and fourth-year dental students at UWO are exposed to a wider variety of patients with complex oral health problems. Since there are only two specialty programs (oral path and ortho), difficult cases are not taken and transferred to the graduate student patient pool like they are at other schools. Rather, they are dealt with by the students in the DDS program since patients cannot easily be referred to the dental specialists in the adjoining University Hospital due to lack of immediate appointments and higher fees there. It is a definite advantage to have more experience in creating complex treatment plans. The student body is quite small (class size is only 53) so you will become aquainted with many upper-year students. There is also a colleague system where old tests and notes are passed down year-to-year.
Disadvantages? Tuition was raised slightly to CDN $15 600 this year, which I believe is the second highest is Canada, but is obviously still lower than if you were to attend an American dental school. Including instruments, you're anticipating > $22 000 per year, plus additional clinic supplies like loupes. However, if you were were planning to go to a private school next year, your facilities will most probably reflect the amount that you pay. I think that some of the US schools have private operatories, which is something you won't see in Canadian dental schools, which are all publically-assisted (except U. Sask). Regardless of where you go, you will receive a pretty standard education, unless the first-year program is integrated into the medical school (which is the case at McGill: where they don't take any dentistry courses until the end of the first academic year). For your purposes, all UWO DDS classes are specifically geared towards the profession and are taught within the faculty. If you're planning on practicing in the US, I doubt that you will really get any dramatic advantage from going to the States. The only other disadvantage that I can really think of right now is the fact that the dental school delayed the first session of Operative Dentistry by one week due to renovations in the preclinical lab. But then again, that probably won't happen next year. Also, the renovations relate to the completion of Phase I of a $5M project to bring newer facilities into the Dental Sciences Building. These include a new research addition, new clinic entrance/reception area and expanded clinical facilities. There is also a simulation clinic for use by first- and second-years. It wasn't too much of a delay in all; we started class and received our instruments yesterday and will be in the sim clinic cutting teeth next week.
Most students who took a year off between undergrad and dental school did some sort of graduate work. Others did work in a related field (dental claims, dental office) or went on an exchange program overseas. The majority of the class came straight from another university program (completing between 2-4 years).
That's quite a bit, so I hope that I've answered all your questions. If you have any additional ones, just let me know. Good luck!•
