ucla or harvard

[pdepapas]

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I don't know which school I should pick: UCLA or Harvard.

I am currently a senior at UCLA. I want to specialize and in the end, practice in CA. Which school do you think is better? How hard is it to pass the CA boards if you're an out of state dental student from Harvard? People say that there is a concern with patients, but since I live in California, could I just ask my relatives to be my patients when I take the boards? Is one school really better than the other? Both seem to do well on the Boards Part I, and I think both don't do too shabby in Part II. I've spoken to two Harvard grads, and they believe that their clinical skills are good compared to other students. If I want to specialize, do you think that it is best to go to Harvard?

 

[Revellian]

Hi pdepapas,

I'm obviously going to be a bit biased, but I'll try to be as impartial as possible.

I don't know if the question is so much "which is better", as it is "which is better for you?" You're going to get an excellent education from either school, as you would from any dental school. From what I understand, prestige isn't really a factor in residency matching for dental school like it is for some other schools. Last year I believe 100% of Harvard's students and about 60% of UCLA students went on to specialize, and you're right that both schools do well on the boards. However, I believe these numbers can be misleading. Ultimately it will be YOU who decides whether or not you will specialize, NOT your school of graduation. Board scores are in large part (completely?) an individual accomplishment, as much as the schools would like to claim otherwise. If you go to Harvard you will specialize because you will study your a$$ off, same as if you went to UCLA or any other school. I suppose the difference in residency rates is that a larger percentage of Harvard students study their a$$es off compared to UCLA students.

I'm sure some people are going to tell you you'd be a fool to turn down Harvard, and I understand there obviously is a prestige factor that plays into your decision. If you're always going to regret not getting that Harvard diploma, then maybe Harvard's your place. For me the most important things in choosing which dental schools I wanted to attend were my proximity to family and friends, and the amount of future debt. If money is an issue for you, like it is for me, I would encourage you to go to UCLA. If it's not, and you don't mind being away from your family, where would you be happiest?

The problems with taking the California boards I think may be minor ones. It IS harder for out of state trained dentists to pass the CA boards, but if you prepare and know what they're looking for you should be fine. Dentists do it all the time, and I don't know that it should make or break your decision. Maybe you can use your relatives, but I think most dentists pay their patients to come out to CA. Does someone else have more insight on this one?

Hope this helps. Good luck! 🙂

OK. Enough of being impartial. HARVARD SUCKS!! UCLA KICKS A$$!! Ahhh, that felt nice. Back to studying for finals.

 

[Revellian]

You seriously get bitterness from the UCLA dents? That's odd. What exactly are they bitter about? I haven't known anyone here to be like that, but then I don't really know any of the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th years. My first year class seems pretty laid back, and you'd be amazed how much we help each other out. Thank God for P/NP

I'm definitely not a morning person, but I haven't had much of a problem with the schedule. I miss the occasional eight o'clock class, and when I do someone picks up the lecture notes for me. I think they say at the interview that attendence at lecture is mandatory, but it isn't. I missed all but one of my classes today as I've been cramming for next week's finals.

Best,

Rev

 

[StarGirl]

biased opinion #2

i would have to agree...UCLA 100%.

I was at ucla's dent school over thanksgiving and it's awsome, i would definately go there over harvard...

i know a few people at harvard and they don't start clinical courses at all til 3rd yr....

i've known many people like you who went to ucla for undergrad and declined harvard for ucla.... (and have known 3 that went to harvard over ucla).

UCLA gets a LOT of their students into specialities as well... and I'll bet that their top 30 students does better on the boards than Har students...

ucla teaches their students really well...
plus all the perks of being a ucla students...low tution, sports game, low tution, nice 70+ weather all yr, low tution, westwood, low tution, your friends and family, low tution (i don't know if you're from a well off family but the difference will be quite a bit)....

oh well, I'm biased as well... I LOVE Ucla and would recommend that school 100% for any Califorian (just based on tution & quaility of education alone). And i would NOT have gone to Hav if I had applied and had gotten in...but that's me and their curriulum isn't what I would have wanted... LAB work all the way! (research and textbook stuff.....blaaaaaah)

you can't really ask a student who's school's lab work is better either... you have to see it and it's also an individual thing... and plus w/ all the freakin projects ucla students get...THEY BETTER be awsome at it...

i don't sense any bitterness from ucla students towards havard students either... actually i think most of them could have or did get into Havard but didn't want to go...

*just remember no matter what school you go to, dental school's hard and it's going to feel awfully crappy sometimes (or lots of times for some people)...but you just gotta figure a way to get thru it and live during your breaks (spring, winter, summer)*

hmm i wonder if professional school counts as leaving a "legacy" for your kids... oh well... i don't know... my kids are going to UCLA (maybe stanford or princeton) anyways...😛

oh well if I were you I would come to Columbia. 😛

 

[StarGirl]

Originally posted by Revellian
You seriously get bitterness from the UCLA dents? That's odd. What exactly are they bitter about? I haven't known anyone here to be like that, but then I don't really know any of the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th years. My first year class seems pretty laid back, and you'd be amazed how much we help each other out. Thank God for P/NP

I'm definitely not a morning person, but I haven't had much of a problem with the schedule. I miss the occasional eight o'clock class, and when I do someone picks up the lecture notes for me. I think they say at the interview that attendence at lecture is mandatory, but it isn't. I missed all but one of my classes today as I've been cramming for next week's finals.

Best,

Rev

THE 2ND YR CLASS AT UCLA DOES THAT ALSO!! YOU GUYS ARE AWSOME... Good luck on your finals...

(and good luck to you too!) < !----person reading this knows who it's for

 

[Revellian]

Thanks StarGirl 🙂

You go to Columbia, is that right? *edit* Ah, I see that you do.
Do you have finals soon or did you already finish or what? Good luck on finals if they're coming up.

 

[StarGirl]

um, test ever other day/week this year... had two yesterday and 6 more to go before winter break (in two weeks plus 1 day)... then I'm heading to LA to see all my wonderful buddies there again! yay! 😍

 

[StarGirl]

comfort zone's good...
sometimes i wish i had that... but I can't complain cause I've always wanted to come here (and even the few times that I thought I wanted to be elsewhere it really would have been influence by someone else) You really should sit down and think about what YOU really want...and not what ANYONE tells you... seriously if you don't you're just going to be unhappy (and trust me dental school's already hard and stressful...i know it's true for me and at least 6 other friends at various schools that all feel the same way)

i know Jackey but she won't remember me...she was going to hire me but then found out she couldn't hire another work studies student so she referred me to another job in the Prostho department which I LOVED. (and better pay too). She's really nice 🙂

 

[Revellian]

Hmm.

I, personally, find nothing wrong with staying in my comfort zone with family and friends because it's just that: a comfort. I went to UCSD, now UCLA for D-school, and hopefully I can stay here in CA for residency. But that's just me. I moved around alot as a kid and have no interest in leaving Socal now.

I don't know. It sounds like you're itching to be on your own for a change. Tough call. What's more important to you? Family/friends or exploring yourself? I don't even know that they're mutually exclusive. You're right though, you will have other opportunities to move away from your comfort zone. Does it feel right to leave now, or would it be better to do it in four years? I guess that's what it boils down to.

Wow. I answered a post with a bunch of questions.

Oh, and I don't know Jackey yet, but I'm sure I will come to know her sometime in the next four years if she works in the clinics.

Rev

 

[Stanford Fencer]

I like Stargirl's choice of potential colleges for her kids.

Running naked is a big thing at both Stanford and Princeton. Way to go.

On to more serious matters...

Harvard and UCLA is a tough call.

It's 4:00 am and I have nothing but gut feeling left at this point. No meaningful advice this time, after my little back'n'forth with an ENT doc on the oral surgery thread.

Go to Harvard. Congrats 🙂

 

[vishal_k32801]

At Harvard entrance, it is engraved at some entrance,
"To grow your wisdom, enter here", I believe that. Cold weather
scares the hell out of me though. If you are good enough to
get in at both places, u r smart enough to make right choice.
"Listen to all, do what your herat says! " All the best friend!

 

[dudelove]

Stay in your comfort zone if you are going to be staying in socal. Harvard is a good school to get into a specialty with. I had a lot of freinds who were going to harvard when I was with Tufts. At the time, the complaint was that they weren't getting enough clinical exposure. Things may have changed in terms of patient pool,etc. I do know that at Harvard you will get into your specialty of choice if you do well. UCLA is a fine school. I would have gone there if I had grown up in socal. If you are going to save a bunch on tuition then stay at UCLA. Take my advice on this. I assume that you are planning on doing well, so you will get into your specialty regardless of which school you attend. My comfort zone will be changing very soon as I will be moving from the east coast to socal next summer! I can't wait for the great weather and the beaches! I will probably see you around UCLA as I will be in the Westwood area! Good luck!

 

[vishal_k32801]

U will have a great appreciation of nice warm weather if u
experience cold winters though! Just a thought.

 

[pdepapas]

Thanks you all. THis forum is pretty nifty.

 

[StarGirl]

Originally posted by Stanford Fencer
I like Stargirl's choice of potential colleges for her kids.

Running naked is a big thing at both Stanford and Princeton. Way to go.

On to more serious matters...

Harvard and UCLA is a tough call.

It's 4:00 am and I have nothing but gut feeling left at this point. No meaningful advice this time, after my little back'n'forth with an ENT doc on the oral surgery thread.

Go to Harvard. Congrats 🙂

*crosses Stanford and Princeton off the list* (I guess my kids are going to UCLA for sure.)

First SnowDay this Year.... It's suppose to get worse tomorrow. I'm NOT leaving my room until Monday Morning when I'm forced to take an exam. I would much perfer nice warm UCLA weather.

 

[dudelove]

I hope that I don't get any emergencies that can't be treated without some rx this weekend. This snow sucks...I can't get out of here fast enough.

 

[StarGirl]

just stay in all weekend 🙂