The price of "prestige"..?

[Dr.Payne]

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Okay so I understand this is a highly individualized question. So the dilemma I face now is going to either a "prestigious school" like UCLA, Mich, UNC, Penn or going to a more affordable school that may not be as "prestigious". I know EVERYONE says go to the CHEAPEST school and that really none of your future patients will care. But will you yourself care? But anyway let's say the less prestigious school is 10k, 20k, or 30k cheaper? At what point will you say hey this X amount is worth the extra "prestige"..?

 

[Scumbag_Steve]

[]

 

[Kittenz]

Okay so I understand this is a highly individualized question. So the dilemma I face now is going to either a "prestigious school" like UCLA, Mich, UNC, Penn or going to a more affordable school that may not be as "prestigious". I know EVERYONE says go to the CHEAPEST school and that really none of your future patients will care. But will you yourself care? But anyway let's say the less prestigious school is 10k, 20k, or 30k cheaper? At what point will you say hey this X amount is worth the extra "prestige"..?

If you were chasing "prestige," then you wouldn't have gone into dentistry. I'm assuming you're here chasing your dream and not some alumni sticker on the bumper of your car.

 

[Advance]

Okay so I understand this is a highly individualized question. So the dilemma I face now is going to either a "prestigious school" like UCLA, Mich, UNC, Penn or going to a more affordable school that may not be as "prestigious". I know EVERYONE says go to the CHEAPEST school and that really none of your future patients will care. But will you yourself care? But anyway let's say the less prestigious school is 10k, 20k, or 30k cheaper? At what point will you say hey this X amount is worth the extra "prestige"..?

I personally don't care. But i'm assuming many people on SDN do.

 

[ajj70]

No amount extra is worth "prestige" for me. Now, if I liked one program better than another, maybe $10,000 overall cost difference might be worth going to a more expensive school.

 

[Mascota]

I think the real question you need to ask is, "how much does my ego cost?" because that's what you're paying for when you choose an Ivy League over a cheaper school.

 

[helprosie]

Okay so I understand this is a highly individualized question. So the dilemma I face now is going to either a "prestigious school" like UCLA, Mich, UNC, Penn or going to a more affordable school that may not be as "prestigious". I know EVERYONE says go to the CHEAPEST school and that really none of your future patients will care. But will you yourself care? But anyway let's say the less prestigious school is 10k, 20k, or 30k cheaper? At what point will you say hey this X amount is worth the extra "prestige"..?

It shouldn't matter about "prestige". Pick the school that you feel fit you the best and program seemed the best for you. If a school is a bit more expensive, but their program is far better then my other choices, then i would go to the more expensive school

 

[swindoll]

Go for the dream! You only YOLO once

 

[A Pre-dent]

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[akog]

Prestige is way too unbounded of a concept. You're gonna have to define your goals more precisely and just see how each program/town will help you.

E.g. "I'm interested in specialties and school A had four times as many specialists on staff as school B, quadrupling my chances of finding someone I gel who can help me down the line when it comes time to apply." Or "I'm neurotic and physical activity is essential to my sanity. School C is in a town/climate that will allow me to do things weekly whereas school B is in an arctic wasteland of depressed jerks."

 

[okiedokeartichoke]

I would just choose the best program, regardless of the money (of course within reason. I really don't want to be 350-400K+ in debt). If it's both inexpensive and offers great clinical experience, score! But if it's one of the best programs, and 'tis a bit more expensive than the cheapest option, I would still go for the more expensive one because I want to feel absolutely prepared and confident in my abilities to work on patients' mouths by the time I graduate.

 

[allantois]

You can have all the prestige you want (which btw no one will ever care about), but you will be the one paying for it later on.

 

[Typical Average Student]

Not every dental school is the same. There are some programs that are lackadaisical in their program (mostly the new ones) and may not have the best patient pool and thus, make you stay an extra year to fulfill requirements so you'll end up paying an extra 50-70k anyway!

I would draw the line at an extra ~15k/yr unless your more affordable school has all the fixings of a good dental program.

 

[Dr.Payne]

The thing is idk if I want or even will be able to specialize or not. But I would like to attend a school that would provide opportunities for both.

 

[kholley25]

If you're thinking about a residency, school prestige helps (data is there to support this) but attending a lesser-known program isn't going to keep you out. If your grades are good, you network effectively, and you do well on the future ADAT exam, I feel like your chances would be as good as any.

Unless the difference in cost is astronomically high, I would personally choose the school at which I would be most comfortable. For me, that includes considering school location, mission, proximity to future anticipated practice area, faculty, and class makeup/demographics.

Hope that helps a bit.

 

[hellofuturedentists]

I'm assuming your "less prestigious" school is a state school. I think almost any state school will get you to where you eventually want to be given that you work hard and do well. I had to make the "prestige vs cheap" decision for college and chose the free state school, so I guess I'm over it by now but I really don't think it matters much. State schools are established and you'd be fine. For your original question, I'd say if your ego costs 10k/yr extra, go. Otherwise, swallow your pride. You can still brag to everyone that you go into those places if you want.