Stop the kill-joy.
NEWSFLASH.........ALL dental schools have some issues. If you think there is one out there that is sans-issues.........you are living in a dream world. The best description I have heard......is that the dental-school-experience is like having a chainsaw shoved up your ass while it is running, You can't identify each tooth on the chain.....but the overall effect is evident.
Get over it........bend over and get the party started.
What would these kids be expected to do at this point anyway ? Change schools based on unknown whiners blogging on some website ?
Give it a break.
Living in a dream world... I can definitely relate to that. Actually, most people's view's of uthscsa can be viewed that way. UTHSCSA lives in the shadow of its past brilliance. Yes, many former graduates that went there that I know enjoyed their time there, and it was once regarded highly and students enjoyed their time there. Over the past 10 years or so, the school has taken a downturn. It is now finally starting to reach more of the public and people unfamiliar with the school. Ive been amazed at noticing how many more people in the community and predents I encounter and help with their dental school applications have already expressed their concerns to me about uthscsa, so the word is reaching a broader audience. So most people that think this school is so awesome are living in the "dreamworld" of the past, not the reality of the present.
Youre right.. dental school is hard no matter where you go. It takes tons of late hours, its not always going to be fun, and its going to be one of the most challenging experiences of your life. Every school is going to have negatives about it, and every student is going to have problems with whatever school they attend. That is not my point, or many other's points in writing our comments here. The point about UTHSCSA is not that there are some bad aspects, but there are MANY. Every school has downfalls.. but not very many schools lack ethics. The biggest difference is that MOST schools are progressive, efficient and fair.
Since we are generalizing to other dental school experiences and other schools.. heres what MOST schools have that UTHSCSA does NOT:
-MOST schools have 2 years of hand skills.. that means a freshman operative and a sophomore operative.. as well as fixed and occlusion. As one resident teaching me said in shock.. "You dont have an occlusion course? How are you supposed to know what to do??".. You know when you go to the dentist and they have you "bite bite" and "tap tap" on the paper to see where high spots are on fillings or adjust occlusion?? Forget really learning the correct way to adjust or line up contacts.. instead you have to "learn on the fly" in clinic with a real patient. So much for fundamentals.
- MOST schools take their boards after first year, when information is fresh in the students minds, MOST schools also take oral path after 3rd year.. not way at the beginning of school when its not needed till nbde part 2
-MOST schools teach their students what they need to know for boards, instead of padding classes with useless information and "electives' that try to make the curriculum look progressive, when in reality its still the same it was years ago.
-MOST schools change their deans and administration on a regular basis, to keep new perspectives, update curriculum and prevent bias, not keep the same person as a quasi dentist monarch over the entire population. MOST schools administration also cares about their students and knows them personally
-MOST schools do not make students repeat a clinic year due to a couple credits in clinic or a patient dying instead MOST schools let the student move on to the next year instead of dropping thousands of dollars to get by
-MOST schools use monitors or TV's to actually show their students how to complete procedures. Not just have monitors up to impress people and only use them a couple times.
-MOST schools really mean it if they tell you you have your own chair. not just say it at your interview, and then leave you to find out that you have to share with others due to overcrowding (failing students and throwing in a ton of international students)
-MOST schools dont dismiss many of their students, and if they do it is just a few for EXTREME circumstances.
-MOST schools have standardized grading scales for all of their courses.
-MOST schools have student representatives and omnibuds persons that help to deal with conflicts and problems to make things fair for everyone.
-MOST schools do not condone cheating for half of a class, unethical behaviors to your peers in clinic, unprofessionalism and sexual harassment by faculty
-MOST schools dont care if you come to lecture as long as you are doing well in your courses and coming to labs
-MOST schools arent shared with one of the ONLY medical schools to be on probation in the united states right now for accreditation... shows very much how awesome the administration at uthscsa is.
-MOST schools dont have faculty complaining to students about how the curriculum is outdated, the treatment of students is unfair, and that their voices arent heard.
-MOST schools dont have admin members leaving because they cant take watching the school treat students so poorly.
-MOST schools really DO want everyone who is accepted to finish, and believe that everyone deserves that chance.
Talk about a killjoy--- I definitely DONT think dental school is as bad as you make it sound in your post. Dental school is actually really cool. Instead of college where you are getting all of your requirements to attend d school, you are instead finally learning what you will be doing for your career. Yes, its a lot of work and its a different kind of hard then college, but to liken it to something as immature and painful as you have is definitely more of a killjoy than just stating facts. Thing is, I had hoped, like most people, for dental school to be what I had seen and heard it was like from lots of people. Something that is very difficult, but that is also filled with great memories. Memories of being a team with your classmates through the tough times, and memories of a school you were proud to attend. Somewhere that was tough but fair. Somewhere that you could be proud of.
My point in writing this, is not to be a "whiner." If I wanted to whine I could just blow up any part of SDN.. and why this thread.. why now? Because its only February. Many students could still be waiting to hear from other schools even after being accepted here, many students could be trying to decide where to go. Many students could be reading this looking for information about trying to decide where to apply in the future. I know that I read this board a lot when I was applying, and I know that to some extent you really CAN take what people have to say on here to heart. Actually all that I read on here about UTHSCSA turned out to be true. I have felt compelled, as others have, to share things because we wish people had told us more before we went to school there.
I hope that anyone reading this knows that I am not some terrible person. I have been in your shoes, I know how excited, nervous and anxious you must be to be starting school. Even if you are attending UTHSCSA, you can be ok. Just know ahead of time what to look out for. If you are ready and prepared for some of the shadiness and struggles, you will be better adept to make it.All of my information is meant with the upmost sincerity, and honesty.Wether it be offering advice to make it through, or helping someone in a tough decision, I am just here to inform and support. I am in no way trying to take anyone's excitement away, and I do wish everyone luck. If anyone has more specific questions or concerns I would love to help anyone that needs advice or information. Feel free to pm me as well.
