Requesting insights about UCLA

[quocstazz]

Hey guys I was wondering how come threads about ucla do not get as much inputs in compare to other schools?

But anyways, I was wondering if anyone of you expert can give me insights about ucla. The demand of the courses, the students, and the social life. Do we have time to hang out with others, go out, and I guess just have fun on the weekend.

When I went there for interview all four students on the panel seemed so depressed about the course works that it made me a bit worry, especially when I thought the p/f/honor system should help them ease up a bit.

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[quocstazz]

All they were talking about was how miserable their lives were

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

 

[ushaseos]

UCLA doesn't get much love because its in California which is, to some, a saturated market and a bit of a financial nightmare. It is also a pretty selective school that doesn't give too many interviews. It also has a bent for taking plenty of in-state etc. etc.

I am sorry your 4 student panel sucked, but the one I had on my interview was excellent! Our first year student looked miserable and she was only complaining about how hard the courses were. The 2nd year dude looked super stressed out because he was in the process of figuring out things. The 3rd and 4th years were super chill and happy. They all basically said 1st year is hard because of the transition, the 2nd is hard because that is the one where you'll be studying for NBDE and CBSE (if your'e going for OMFS) etc. along with the tons and tons of courses. 3rd and 4th years are relatively easier academically, but the clinic work can be overwhelming for some. the 3rd year guy was talking about how he'd go home everyday for lunch and frequently hang out with friends. Basically, suffer for year 1 and 2 academically. You spend years 3 and 4 struggling through clinical stuff.

Of course this is what my panel said and a small sample can't really be fully believed. I have an older sister who is in med school and her experience parallel's what the panel said so I am pretty confident it can't be too much different.

 

[UCLAzy]

life is pretty miserable for ucla sod students. go there if you want but don't expect to love your life
and Med school is an entirely different beast. pretty naive to think they're comparable

 

[quocstazz]

Maybe you're right. I know a guy in 3rd year at med school at UCLA. Seems like the guy is just breezing through.

But solid advice. I really thought the pass/fail system would ease the stress some how. Do you know how competitive are the students? I would think most of them wants to specialize and therefore would really try to do well. For me, I just want to become a general dentist and have good relationship with everyone

Now, i'm kind of leaning toward UNLV (hate the laptop they make their students buy 👎)

Also, the 4th year student on the panel told me she was able to take her NBDE I after only the first year there. is this actually possible?

 

[UCLAzy]

I just know a bunch of ppl there in different stages of school and none of them relaxed...dont get me wrong I bleed blue and gold. . but it just doesn't seem like a relaxed place haha

 

[quocstazz]

Can i ask what year are you? Assuming that you are attending there right now haha

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

 

[UCLAzy]

I do not attend . I used to work there

 

[wzhu85]

I'm currently a 1st year at UCLA and I think I can shed some insight on the school.

I'm sorry that the interview panel you got were a bit depressed about the coursework here. I was part of one of these panels and everyone had a lot of positive things to say about the school. There's no doubt that the curriculum at UCLA is intense, especially the first 2 years of didactic. With that said, almost everyone I talked to are having a great time here at UCLA despite our busy schedules. I love my entire class and have met many great faculty here that care about your success. You can't beat the weather here and Westwood is a pretty nice area to live in if you don't mind doing more walking than driving.

As far as social life goes, we do spend a significant chunk of time studying outside of class and even most weekends. However, don't think that means you'll never be able to see the light of day. There's certainly down time here and there (easy week after midterms, easy day after quizzes) and we definitely make the most of it. There's groups in my class that enjoy going to the bars together, groups that enjoy watching the occasional movie together, groups that enjoy outdoor activities and intramural sports etc. There's also been several big social events organized by the class or school organizations that we took full advantage of. We may not get to cruise by and party all the time but we definitely make the most of the free time that we do get. Just define your goals, figure out your study habits, and adjust your social life accordingly.

As far as competitiveness goes, most students here at UCLA are naturally overachievers. Yes, the system is pass/fail/honors, but a large percent of the class do have intentions of specializing. Some students are aiming for honors, but most just simply have a hard time adjusting from overachieving mode to aim at 70-80% to pass mode. As a result, you'd feel that everyone in the school is extremely hard working. With that said, I'd say that I haven't really met any true "gunners" in my class at all. EVERYONE shares their notes, study guides, and anything helpful they find with the rest of the class. Everyone is more than willing to help each other out and very often study together. This has been one of the best things I've liked about being here because it creates a very positive and motivating environment.

As far as boards go, now that they are pass/fail, no one cares to overstudy for them in order to get high scores for specialties. You don't learn everything covered on the board by the end of the 1st year but you definitely have enough time to cover the rest with some summer studying. One of the advantages of having a rigorous didactic curriculum is how prepared we are for things like the NBDE. I know a lot of people in my class that are planning on taking it after 1st year just to get it out of the way. That frees up their 2nd year to do things like research, mission trips, or study for any secondary tests for their specialty.

If you're absolutely sure that you do not plan on specializing, then you'll love the pass/fail system. There is a SIGNIFICANT amount of difference between how much work you put in to pass, and how much you put in to attempt at honors. If you don't get hung up on trying to get honors, you'll have a lot more free time to get involved with all the extracurricular opportunities available here or just have fun with some like-minded classmates.

I've interviewed at UNLV last year and was pretty impressed by their facilities. I liked a few of their faculties but my student interviewer was absolutely miserable. He hated his life and regrets choosing dentistry. That really turned me off from the school which I'm sure is similar to what you experienced at UCLA. I would say that if you ever want to even CONSIDER specializing or a career involved with academics, choose UCLA hands down. UCLA has a much more established program and has a great reputation for matching specialties. Otherwise, it's down to the tuition cost and where you plan on practicing after graduation. You certainly won't be cruising through school and partying every weekend here, but I'd say it's definitely not all doom and gloom. Hopefully this was useful in helping you decide and feel free to ask if you have any other questions.

 

[quocstazz]

That's the best insights I've received about the school. Have you had any clinical experience yet? How do you like the quarter system so far with only so few breaks between the quarters?

I remember the students saying that you only have 2 or 3 weeks between each quarters to relax, so how is studying for the board be possible? Or do they have a longer break during summer.

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

 

[ushaseos]

life is pretty miserable for ucla sod students. go there if you want but don't expect to love your life
and Med school is an entirely different beast. pretty naive to think they're comparable

You completely misunderstood what I was saying. I wasn't stating medschool = dental school, just saying that the academic parts of her Medschool (1st and 2nd year) at Wash U were difficult for my sister for the exact reasons of "transition" and "overwhelming material". I was merely drawing a parallel between her experience in a similar situation to those presented by the panel at UCLA.

I am sure it's no breeze but honestly, I don't think any dental school is going to be easy. It is expected that the 4 years in dental school and any residency years will be challenging in more ways than one .

@ wzhu85 - Thanks for taking the time to explain. Pretty much what I gathered from my panel and was expecting. The coursework is going to be very difficult and life won't be like undergrad, but it ain't all bad.

 

[dentstudent2017]

I'm currently a 1st year at UCLA and I think I can shed some insight on the school.

I'm sorry that the interview panel you got were a bit depressed about the coursework here. I was part of one of these panels and everyone had a lot of positive things to say about the school. There's no doubt that the curriculum at UCLA is intense, especially the first 2 years of didactic. With that said, almost everyone I talked to are having a great time here at UCLA despite our busy schedules. I love my entire class and have met many great faculty here that care about your success. You can't beat the weather here and Westwood is a pretty nice area to live in if you don't mind doing more walking than driving.

As far as social life goes, we do spend a significant chunk of time studying outside of class and even most weekends. However, don't think that means you'll never be able to see the light of day. There's certainly down time here and there (easy week after midterms, easy day after quizzes) and we definitely make the most of it. There's groups in my class that enjoy going to the bars together, groups that enjoy watching the occasional movie together, groups that enjoy outdoor activities and intramural sports etc. There's also been several big social events organized by the class or school organizations that we took full advantage of. We may not get to cruise by and party all the time but we definitely make the most of the free time that we do get. Just define your goals, figure out your study habits, and adjust your social life accordingly.

As far as competitiveness goes, most students here at UCLA are naturally overachievers. Yes, the system is pass/fail/honors, but a large percent of the class do have intentions of specializing. Some students are aiming for honors, but most just simply have a hard time adjusting from overachieving mode to aim at 70-80% to pass mode. As a result, you'd feel that everyone in the school is extremely hard working. With that said, I'd say that I haven't really met any true "gunners" in my class at all. EVERYONE shares their notes, study guides, and anything helpful they find with the rest of the class. Everyone is more than willing to help each other out and very often study together. This has been one of the best things I've liked about being here because it creates a very positive and motivating environment.

As far as boards go, now that they are pass/fail, no one cares to overstudy for them in order to get high scores for specialties. You don't learn everything covered on the board by the end of the 1st year but you definitely have enough time to cover the rest with some summer studying. One of the advantages of having a rigorous didactic curriculum is how prepared we are for things like the NBDE. I know a lot of people in my class that are planning on taking it after 1st year just to get it out of the way. That frees up their 2nd year to do things like research, mission trips, or study for any secondary tests for their specialty.

If you're absolutely sure that you do not plan on specializing, then you'll love the pass/fail system. There is a SIGNIFICANT amount of difference between how much work you put in to pass, and how much you put in to attempt at honors. If you don't get hung up on trying to get honors, you'll have a lot more free time to get involved with all the extracurricular opportunities available here or just have fun with some like-minded classmates.

I've interviewed at UNLV last year and was pretty impressed by their facilities. I liked a few of their faculties but my student interviewer was absolutely miserable. He hated his life and regrets choosing dentistry. That really turned me off from the school which I'm sure is similar to what you experienced at UCLA. I would say that if you ever want to even CONSIDER specializing or a career involved with academics, choose UCLA hands down. UCLA has a much more established program and has a great reputation for matching specialties. Otherwise, it's down to the tuition cost and where you plan on practicing after graduation. You certainly won't be cruising through school and partying every weekend here, but I'd say it's definitely not all doom and gloom. Hopefully this was useful in helping you decide and feel free to ask if you have any other questions.

Thanks everyone for their responses! I got into my state school (Michigan) and UCLA and I'm having a really hard time with this decision. Both are excellent schools but I'm just worried that with a graded system at Michigan, it may be harder to specialize than at the h/p/f system at UCLA. Both schools provide world class research opportunities which is something that's very important to me. I think we may've been at the same interview day OP because that student panel REALLY turned me off. Also, one or two of the interviewees were pretty arrogant and annoying as well. I'm not trying to make a decision off a small sample but it definitely didn't help make a good impression.

 

[wzhu85]

That's the best insights I've received about the school. Have you had any clinical experience yet? How do you like the quarter system so far with only so few breaks between the quarters?

I remember the students saying that you only have 2 or 3 weeks between each quarters to relax, so how is studying for the board be possible? Or do they have a longer break during summer.

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

I believe we begin assisting upper-classmen either winter or spring of 1st year (I'm not 100% sure on that). Starting 2nd year in fall, students begin injections and work on their first prophy patients I believe. Clinic rotations officially start at the start of 3rd year. We probably don't get into clinics as soon as some other schools do but it's not like we stay holed up in our classrooms the entire first 2 years either.

As far as quarter system goes, I came from another UC which had the quarter system so it was no big deal for me. I haven't really heard any Berkeley students complain about it either so I'm sure it's something everyone can adjust to. We get 3 weeks off for winter, 1 week off for spring, 2 weeks off before summer session, 3 weeks off after summer session.

http://www.dentistry.ucla.edu/students

It's not a full summer break but there's definitely plenty of off time. The 2nd and 3rd years also say the summer quarter of the first 2 year are generally a lot more relaxed so you'll definitely be able to get a bulk of your studying done while taking summer classes.

Thanks everyone for their responses! I got into my state school (Michigan) and UCLA and I'm having a really hard time with this decision. Both are excellent schools but I'm just worried that with a graded system at Michigan, it may be harder to specialize than at the h/p/f system at UCLA. Both schools provide world class research opportunities which is something that's very important to me. I think we may've been at the same interview day OP because that student panel REALLY turned me off. Also, one or two of the interviewees were pretty arrogant and annoying as well. I'm not trying to make a decision off a small sample but it definitely didn't help make a good impression.

I am not familiar with University of Michigan at all or how well they match their specialties. However, here is a link to every annual report done at UCLA in the past 6 years.

http://www.dentistry.ucla.edu/about-us/annual-reports

Just looking at last 3 years, the number of students matched to NON GPR/AEGD specialties were 30, 44, and 33 out of ~100 students.

Our Dean of Student Affairs also tells us that every person that she remembers not getting into the residency of their choice the first time all got in on a reapplication after doing a GPR/AEGD.

I'd probably consider the tuition cost between Michigan and UCLA (I believe you start paying in-state tuition at UCLA after 1 year) and compare the specialization rates of both schools. Good luck with your decisions.

 

[quocstazz]

Thanks everyone for their responses! I got into my state school (Michigan) and UCLA and I'm having a really hard time with this decision. Both are excellent schools but I'm just worried that with a graded system at Michigan, it may be harder to specialize than at the h/p/f system at UCLA. Both schools provide world class research opportunities which is something that's very important to me. I think we may've been at the same interview day OP because that student panel REALLY turned me off. Also, one or two of the interviewees were pretty arrogant and annoying as well. I'm not trying to make a decision off a small sample but it definitely didn't help make a good impression.

I think i know who you are the moment you mentioned you went to Michigan haha. Wow this is great considering only 8 people were there that day! But just to be sure you wear glasses right and somewhat tall right?

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

 

[quocstazz]

I believe we begin assisting upper-classmen either winter or spring of 1st year (I'm not 100% sure on that). Starting 2nd year in fall, students begin injections and work on their first prophy patients I believe. Clinic rotations officially start at the start of 3rd year. We probably don't get into clinics as soon as some other schools do but it's not like we stay holed up in our classrooms the entire first 2 years either.

As far as quarter system goes, I came from another UC which had the quarter system so it was no big deal for me. I haven't really heard any Berkeley students complain about it either so I'm sure it's something everyone can adjust to. We get 3 weeks off for winter, 1 week off for spring, 2 weeks off before summer session, 3 weeks off after summer session.

http://www.dentistry.ucla.edu/students

It's not a full summer break but there's definitely plenty of off time. The 2nd and 3rd years also say the summer quarter of the first 2 year are generally a lot more relaxed so you'll definitely be able to get a bulk of your studying done while taking summer classes.



I am not familiar with University of Michigan at all or how well they match their specialties. However, here is a link to every annual report done at UCLA in the past 6 years.

http://www.dentistry.ucla.edu/about-us/annual-reports

Just looking at last 3 years, the number of students matched to NON GPR/AEGD specialties were 30, 44, and 33 out of ~100 students.

Our Dean of Student Affairs also tells us that every person that she remembers not getting into the residency of their choice the first time all got in on a reapplication after doing a GPR/AEGD.

I'd probably consider the tuition cost between Michigan and UCLA (I believe you start paying in-state tuition at UCLA after 1 year) and compare the specialization rates of both schools. Good luck with your decisions.

👍

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

 

[katy5787]

I'm a current 4th year at UCLA and going to UCLA has been the best 4 years of my life! It is a lot of hard work, but I know it will pay off. I'm so happy I decided to go here for dental school. Living in LA is SO FUN!! We definitely make time to go out and enjoy LA when we can, which is pretty often as long as you stay on top of your school work. You can easily do something at least once a weekend (sometimes more) if you are good at time management. Some of the negatives of living in LA are the fact that living costs are expensive and traffic is awful.

As everyone is saying, the first 2 years of dental school are generally the most demanding, but this is the case at any school. I studied a lot, but I still made time to have a life. Some students at UCLA are very stressed out, but they do this to themselves. I'm not trying to say that dental school is easy, but different people handle the stress in different ways. If you have things in life that are important to you, you have to make time to still do them to keep your sanity and you definitely CAN make time! The 3rd and 4th years have different stresses, but generally, nights and weekends are more free during these years.

I will say that in general, UCLA dental students are competitive, but this is partly due to the type of dental student that UCLA accepts. When you look at the stats, UCLA typically gets some of the top applicants in the country. If someone is already a competitive/an overachiever, this typically doesn't change once you get to dental school. That being said, you DON'T have to be at the "top of the class"/get the most "honors" to specialize! People know that anyone who got into UCLA is already a great student (even the "worse" student in the class) and as long as you continue to work really hard and be involved in dental school/extracurriculars, you can get to wherever you want to go next. Honestly, almost any dental school in the country is going to have their fair share of competitive people, but I will say that UCLA probably has a higher number than most schools will. My philosophy being in this type of environment is that I always work hard and do my very best and try not to worry about what others around me are doing. So far, it has worked well. By the way, usually at least 1/2 of the class from UCLA goes to a post-doc program every year, so that just shows you that it's not only the "best" students that get in.

The patient pool is somewhat weak, but given that, I am already almost done with all of my clinical requirements (which are extensive) and I still have about 6 months left before graduation. If you are good at patient management and work hard, you will have no problem graduating on time. Also, I feel that our clinical experiences are very strong and well-rounded. I've compared notes with friends from other dental schools all over the country and I truly believe that I am just as strong (if not stronger in most cases) clinically as any other 4th year dental student in the country. If you go to UCLA, you will be well prepared both clinically and didactically. FYI- we assist in the clinic occasionally as 1st years and begin to see patients for prophies early in the 2nd year and start doing restorative work on patients towards the end of 2nd year. The 3rd and 4th years still have some classes, but these years are primarily spent in the clinic seeing patients.

UCLA has a great name! If you are thinking about applying to a specialty or even a GPR/AEGD, going to UCLA can only help you. Obviously, we all work really really hard and do all of the things that people applying for specialties do, but the UCLA name gives you an extra advantage when applying to post-doc programs. So far this year, my classmates have been extremely successful in getting interviews at the most prestigious residency programs. So far, everyone has gotten into a program for next year, including 13/13 students matching for ortho. We will see how things go when we find out the match results for the rest of the candidates in January, but I am willing to bet that we will be very successful. There are other schools that have great names too (Penn, UCSF, Harvard, etc.) and while going to one of these schools definitely isn't necessary to get into a residency program, it can only help.

Good luck! Let me know if you have any more questions that I might be able to answer for you about UCLA!

 

[UCSFx2017]

UCLA has a great name! If you are thinking about applying to a specialty or even a GPA/AEGD, going to UCLA can only help you. Obviously, we all work really really hard and do all of the things that people applying for specialties do, but the UCLA name gives you an extra advantage when applying to post-doc programs. So far this year, my classmates have been extremely successful in getting interviews at the most prestigious residency programs. So far, everyone has gotten into a program for next year, including 13/13 students matching for ortho. We will see how things go when we find out the match results for the rest of the candidates in January, but I am willing to bet that we will be very successful. There are other schools that have great names too (Penn, UCSF, Harvard, etc.) and while going to one of these schools definitely isn't necessary to get into a residency program, it can only help.

Good luck! Let me know if you have any more questions that I might be able to answer for you about UCLA!

Would you say that UCSF's class size of 88 experiences similar matching success rate as UCLA's?
2011
AEGD: 12
Endodontics: 1
GPR: 13
OMFS: 3
Orthodontics: 13
Pediatric: 9
Periodontics: 4
Prosthodontics: 2
Other: 3
None: 47


2012
AEGD: 11
Endodontics: 1
GPR: 17
OMFS: 5
Orthodontics: 10
Pediatrics: 7
Periodontics: 3
Prosthodontics: 0
Other: 5
None: 45

 

[katy5787]

Yes, I would say they are similar in terms of getting people into specialties.

 

[KillaCam]

I believe we begin assisting upper-classmen either winter or spring of 1st year (I'm not 100% sure on that). Starting 2nd year in fall, students begin injections and work on their first prophy patients I believe.

Actually you start injections on classmates in summer and start asissting/doing prophys in Fall of 2nd year. Either way you start clinic in 2nd year. I used to think that starting clinic early was a good attribute for a school but it really makes no difference. All that matters is where you are at by the time you leave.