school matters?

[maverick88]

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I have seen many threads were people have talked about their debt being around 200k-300k , my question is does school matter when getting hired? for instance the university of Mississippi has a tuition of around 11,000 dollars a year no where near 100k why pay so much for tuition?


even if school mattered when job hunting would it not be irrelevant if you opened your own practice?

 

[Shunwei]

I have seen many threads were people have talked about their debt being around 200k-300k , my question is does school matter when getting hired? for instance the university of Mississippi has a tuition of around 11,000 dollars a year no where near 100k why pay so much for tuition?

I would say the actual school name does not matter so much (unless it's for specialization later on, then to a degree perhaps) but the philosphy of the school. Some schools favor PBL, others stress research, some others, etc. I would say that while cost is a factor in choosing a school, it is important to get as much training and education as you can in a program. The worst thing is to actually graduate without being competent enough to do some of the most basic procedures.

 

[Tygerm9]

I think in general you get a great education anywhere and most people will tell you to go to the cheapest school. Also, most dentists won't get hired and will open their own practice, so the school you go to won't matter in that case. The other thing to consider is, when you or your parents chose a dentist, did you ask where they went to school? I know my parents didn't for us, they found a dentist they felt comfortable with and liked and went with them.

 

[Regmata]

Try to stay out of debt first...pretty much all of the American schools offer a good education. There are some schools undergoing some issues that are cause for concern to some, but that is for the individual to decide. Additionally, a reasonable portion of the education you receive will depend on how well you took advantage of the school you attended. That being said, if each school will adequately prepare you for a future in dentistry, then you should probably choose the school that will have you graduate with the least debt. Ten years out of school, nobody will care if you went to this university or that university...but you will care about the extra 250k in loans you ended up with if you chose the more expensive institution.

 

[maverick88]

Thanks everyone, do any of you know of a website that tells you the tuition for different dental schools?

 

[Regmata]

Use the ADEA book...or just go to the schools sites

 

[djeffreyt]

only time I have seen school mattering is if you wanted to practice in a specific area, then if there is a school there, going to that school often helps you make contacts to the transition to an associateship is easier and/or you take boards in that area so you can practice in that area without having to find a way to take boards from across the country.

The only other time is sometimes for associateships, some schools are a little better about trying near the end of your fourth year to hook you up with a network of alumni who are looking for associates.

other than that...not really.

 

[lemoncurry]

Thanks everyone, do any of you know of a website that tells you the tuition for different dental schools?

go to www.predents.com and set up an account, then check out all the schools and see the tuition rates. Granted, the rates posted are JUST tuition. They do not account for additional fees (instruments, etc) that the schools may charge, nor living expenses. I know this because I was the one who compiled the info for the webmaster.