UCLA or UCSF???

[Literati81]

unfortunately for new students, i heard they're taking down Turk and single-bedroom-Aldea housing i guess to remodel so that means that everyone has to move out and either find a place closer to campus or go to mission bay housing. a lot of people don't want mission bay housing because of the distance but i'm sure it'll be somewhat nice and there will be ample transportation...at least i hope. i wouldn't live there though cuz i like staying close to campus. there's actually on-campus housing that's close to campus so hopefully you can find out about those. when i say close i mean like the dental school is literally your backyard. that kind of housing is usually lottery-based...i THINK...so make sure you get in on that pretty quick if that's what you want. i think they range from shared rooms to single rooms..but all in a multiple bedroom apartment like complex with one kitchen and living room and such.

My student interviewer at UCSF mentioned something about having the option to live in a frat (girls can live there too). I believe he said the rent is something around $500/month...I'm not sure. He didn't live in the frat but said he would recommend it to those on a low budget. Any reviews on housing at the UCSF dental frat?

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[xxdakinexx]

hahah...i would have to agree on the "good looking girls" part. but what about us guys?!!?!? j/k. but i must agree that i love my classmates. i'm not sure if it's just our year or not but we're all very supportive of each other and help each other a lot...it's awesome! i think a lot of it has to do with the new Pass/No Pass system because we just want everyone to pass. hey xxdakinexx...is your friend a 1st year?

Yea, his name is Tony and he is asian. Not sure if he wants me to say his last name. I am sure there aren't that many asian Tony's in a class of 80.

 

[jessUMD]

Oh man, if many of you UCSF/UCLA applicants decide to do this, those of us that didn't get in on the first round (like myself) will end up having to wait FOREVER.

(mentally preparing to wait even longer than January 15th and put down a deposit on Nova...yikes).

did i miss something? what is wrong with nova?

 

[luder98]

It's true, you do deserve credit for your accomplishments. At the same time, you have an entire month to decide (which is plenty to visit the schools again) and by putting down 2 deposits, you take away from other peoples chances of getting in to these schools. UCSF is my number one choice and I would go in a heart beat if accepted. So this whole UCLA or UCSF conversation is annoying for all those waiting to hear from these two schools. In applying to these schools, I assume you did some research anyway. I just hope that there aren't to many people putting down deposits at both schools (which is low for the reason of being affordable before you arer eligible for financial aid and not as an incentive to place deposits elsewhere), because I know that others, including myself would be very disappointed if denied a spot due to this kind of crap.

45 days should be plenty of time. I hope these folks make up their mind by then, and not throwing in two deposits. Since my chance at UOP is getting slim, UCSF is my first choice right now. So I do care about what's going on there too. On the other hand, I was told that there were still lots of available seats. So keep your hope up.

 

[crazy_sherm]

Yea, his name is Tony and he is asian. Not sure if he wants me to say his last name. I am sure there aren't that many asian Tony's in a class of 80.

You'd be surprised. When i was in 3rd grade, there were 3 asian Tony's in my class and there were only 30 of us.

 

[nothen2do]

45 days should be plenty of time. I hope these folks make up their mind by then, and not throwing in two deposits. Since my chance at UOP is getting slim, UCSF is my first choice right now. So I do care about what's going on there too. On the other hand, I was told that there were still lots of available seats. So keep your hope up.

Thank luder. UCSF is definitly my top choice and even though the next round of letters wont be sent out until january, i still check my mailbox everday Good luck with UOP, I have an interview there in early January and have heard some great things. San Francisco is the place I want to be for the next 3-4 years.

 

[nothen2do]

BTW, if anyone knows how many and when more acceptances are sent out for UCSF, please share...its going to be a long 2 months, if not longer

 

[dyarhea]

You'd be surprised. When i was in 3rd grade, there were 3 asian Tony's in my class and there were only 30 of us.

yup, there are 3 asian tony's in my 7 n 8th grade classes too

 

[Literati81]

For those of you that said that UCSF is your first choice, could you explain why? Or more specifically, why isn't UCLA your first choice?

 

[xxdakinexx]

For those of you that said that UCSF is your first choice, could you explain why? Or more specifically, why isn't UCLA your first choice?

Talk to some third and fourth years at UCLA. It will help make ur decision a lot easier.

 

[Lin709]

hey all... i haven't been to the "pre-dental" forum in a long time but decided to see if there were any interesting threads. This one definitely caught my eye because I was in the same position as many of you three years ago. I am currently a third year dental student at UCSF but back then, I had the HARDEST time deciding between UCSF and UCLA. In retrospect, I feel like it's the best decision I have ever made... I LOVE it here and couldn't see myself anywhere else. However, I have some friends at UCLA who really love it there, so it's hard to say that one school is better than the other. IMO, I think it comes down to preference and location. Academically, the classes we take are very similar... and now we're both Pass/Fail. Clinically, we both start really seeing patients our third year. I don't know the specific clinical requirements at UCLA, but I'm sure they're similar to our's.

What I can tell you about is my personal experience at UCSF. The 1st years here can tell you how they are liking the new curriculum, because I was on the old one. But the change was definitely a good one, because they are learning clinical dentistry a lot earlier than we did. I have an ample amount of patients and I'm happy with that because I've done a good amount of restorative work already. Some people haven't done as much, but I think it's just luck whether your patient needs a crown or a cleaning. But overall, I don't think people complain about the patient pool - there are new patients coming in every day that need student dentists. There's also a variety of volunteer work you can do within organizations and clubs to gain more experience in dentistry your first couple years. We're also required to do a 4-week externship in various areas in California where there's a need for dental care (Chico, Indian reservations, etc.)... we do that our 4th year and I heard it's a great experience because it simulates a private practice setting (with your very own dental assistant!!). Hmm... I dunnno what else would be helpful... so if you guys have any specific questions, feel free to post them or pm me. Bottom line: they are both great schools and you can't lose either way!! Good luck to you all!

 

[dane4695]

anyone know the usernames of 3rd and 4th year ucla people on sdn?

Oh -- I should point out -- my dad was at a CE class at USC his weekend and bumped into some recent UCLA grads and I guess they all said that UCLA was lacking in the clinical department... kinda makes me sad to hear that.

 

[Literati81]

So, I got a call last night from my UCSF student interviewer (that was a nice surprise!). I thought I should share with you what we discussed.

As for my comment on UCSF counseling, he said there are a lot of administrative people at UCSF with open-door policies, e.g. Dean Alexander. He also mentioned that clinically, UCSF hasn't had much trouble finding patients (compared to UCLA). But he did mention one downside to UCSF--lack of faculty. Other than that (and UCSF weather), he couldn't list any negatives. In addition, they are making drastic improvements in their curriculum and facilities (a large majority of which will be available to our incoming class).

Okee doke, so there are a few answers to questions I listed in previous posts. Thought I should share.

 

[ecdoesit]

Oh man, if many of you UCSF/UCLA applicants decide to do this, those of us that didn't get in on the first round (like myself) will end up having to wait FOREVER.

(mentally preparing to wait even longer than January 15th and put down a deposit on Nova...yikes).

Dont worry that much about "holding another spot."
Every schools have to send out more acceptances than their class size.
Trying calling the school, I highly doubt UC has filled all the seats.
UCs' take their time, which kinda favor you bcos you getta have more interview experience. I know many of my classmates(including me) dont get interview till next year and some didnt get their acceptance till late summer.

red,
where on earth could u find 80 degree temperature in december?! when i left school, i thought someone turned on a gigantic outdoor heater. So, a guess it is either dried oven or cold storm for you. Well, if you like warm weather, come to join us. And, today, we had a school xmas tree party when we got free breakfast. and finally, our backordered scrubs have arrived. o ya, our class had a xmas gift exchange/secret santa yesterday. it is quite fun. so it is all about balance. school is tough and long, there are still limited good time.

Final is next week. (I will swing by again at the end of next wk)One extra note: you may want to visit the sch website: www.dent.ucla.edu and click on calender and curriculum to select year 1. You could check out what schedule is. Do keep in mind that the "independent studying time" next quarter pretty much means time in anatomy lab. From what I heard, the first two quarters are the toughest. It may or may not be the same elsewehere. This is going to be a challenge. Meanwhile, just enjoy ur holiday and u still get plenty of time to think later on.
Eric

 

[cool fillings]

did i miss something? what is wrong with nova?

Nothing is wrong with Nova, but I'd rather go to a UC to save a little on tuition (Nova is pretty reasonable), be closer to family, and I really liked UCSF's curriculum (I haven't interviewed at UCLA so I can't comment much on their curriculum, but I'm from LA and would like to stay here). Plus, and this is not a great reason, I realize, but it'd be pretty annoying to constantly have to have people asking me what Nova Southeastern is, whereas, the UCs are well-known and well-regarded by people outside of the dental profession.

About all the double-deposit stuff, I don't begrudge you guys your ability to do this, just my understanding is that the UCs admit people as they hear back from the people they admitted first. If they get a false yeses from people, they won't notify as other people as early as they would've been able to had people turned them down. Eventually they'll admit the same number of people and this won't matter at all. I'm just hoping to hear back from UCSF before January 15th so I won't have to put down a deposit elsewhere.

Back to the main point of the thread, UCLA vs. UCSF, I think being close to family is also important. I understand we are all going to be busy and not be able to visit often, but it is nice to be close to celebrate milestones, or visit someone in the hospital if they are ill. Also, flying can get annoying and expensive, and having a car in San Francisco is probably not a good idea. Just something to add to the mix.

 

[DREDAY]

For those of you that said that UCSF is your first choice, could you explain why? Or more specifically, why isn't UCLA your first choice?

Ive heard the same thing... several 3rd and 4th year dental students said that if they could do it all over again, they would go to UOP or UCSF.

 

[Red823]

Dont worry that much about "holding another spot."
Every schools have to send out more acceptances than their class size.
Trying calling the school, I highly doubt UC has filled all the seats.
UCs' take their time, which kinda favor you bcos you getta have more interview experience. I know many of my classmates(including me) dont get interview till next year and some didnt get their acceptance till late summer.

red,
where on earth could u find 80 degree temperature in december?! when i left school, i thought someone turned on a gigantic outdoor heater. So, a guess it is either dried oven or cold storm for you. Well, if you like warm weather, come to join us. And, today, we had a school xmas tree party when we got free breakfast. and finally, our backordered scrubs have arrived. o ya, our class had a xmas gift exchange/secret santa yesterday. it is quite fun. so it is all about balance. school is tough and long, there are still limited good time.

Final is next week. (I will swing by again at the end of next wk)One extra note: you may want to visit the sch website: www.dent.ucla.edu and click on calender and curriculum to select year 1. You could check out what schedule is. Do keep in mind that the "independent studying time" next quarter pretty much means time in anatomy lab. From what I heard, the first two quarters are the toughest. It may or may not be the same elsewehere. This is going to be a challenge. Meanwhile, just enjoy ur holiday and u still get plenty of time to think later on.
Eric

Thanks for the heads up with the calendar and curriculum. So would you say that there is a good camaraderie among the UCLA dent students? GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR FINALS!

 

[Red823]

So, I got a call last night from my UCSF student interviewer (that was a nice surprise!). I thought I should share with you what we discussed.

As for my comment on UCSF counseling, he said there are a lot of administrative people at UCSF with open-door policies, e.g. Dean Alexander. He also mentioned that clinically, UCSF hasn't had much trouble finding patients (compared to UCLA). But he did mention one downside to UCSF--lack of faculty. Other than that (and UCSF weather), he couldn't list any negatives. In addition, they are making drastic improvements in their curriculum and facilities (a large majority of which will be available to our incoming class).

Okee doke, so there are a few answers to questions I listed in previous posts. Thought I should share.

What exactly did your student interviewer say about lack of faculty? As in the faculty are not as welcoming? What new improvements are being renovated now at UCSF? Btw, I see in your signature you got the Dean's Scholarship at UCLA, kudos! So where's the decision leaning towards now?

 

[excite4]

Does UCSF have a sim lab? I don't recall seeing them it during the tour but I could have just forgotten. If so, how many seats or chairs or whatever do they have?

 

[nothen2do]

Does UCSF have a sim lab? I don't recall seeing them it during the tour but I could have just forgotten. If so, how many seats or chairs or whatever do they have?

They didnt really have a sim lab as it was the same room as the normal lab. Each student has a sim mouth (kept in a locker) that they put onto an extension from underneath the bench table in the lab.

 

[ecdoesit]

I thought UCSF have just renovated their place. At least that's what I heard(check my ucsf/ucla post. It doesnt mean that UCLA facility aint pretty and new. We have a relatively new and extremely cleaned waxing lab and 1 sim lab with 30 units. So far, we have used it for identify tooth and doing some review, in another word, non-drilling related stuff. I know we will use it in spring quarter. They are making progress to integrate the technology in our curricumlum though. Just in case, for lefty like me, there are about 10 lefty stations. They are cool cos they are closest to the window. Not that the room is dark.

Since we are talking about facility. I just think we get tons of room in UCLA. First of alll, most students have a mailbox(u will have tons of thick handouts and journals delivered there. If your alphabet ends in x,y, or z, it is likely that they will run out and u will have to get ur mail during office hour=( Then, we have a coed and female locker room with a half body height locker per student. Some girl lockers are taller from what I heard. Then we have another locker right outside our waxing lab.

Note, I getta give a thumb up for Arizona. I know a friend there who is working at the simlab the first semester.

Reading room. there is a graduate reading room just for medical professional students. It has about 8-10 studying room, two quiet study area, with computer and plugs and several long tables and comfy chair to take naps. If u like absolute quietness, we have fishbowl which has about 10 cubicle and two tables. It is named that bcos people walk by the school can see thru inside. If you interview here, u can ask them about this and stare at the non-motile fishes. Then there is a Schaefer student lounge where there are 4 computers, wireless access, copy machine, a BIG HUGE flat screen tv where D3 and D4 plays gamecube(D1 usually join too, if we have time) Then several big tables for lunch and studying. Very very nice. Then there is a room called Information technology. WIth about 10 computers, >10 tables etc. I studied there last night. It kinda restricts access after 10. I stepped out and trapped myself outside. And had to sleep in the graduate reading room =( But it is cool that my stuff is safe in there. I am happy. Then this quarter, we also have the histology lab where we have 24/7 access unless there is another class. I hope u get the point. There are plenty of rooms to study which u will need.

Though, it seems there are quite a few face changes in our school. There are people retiring and new people coming in. I dont think faculty is a huge issue cos it seems we have 20(ok, 10) faculty members to teach our biochem class(due to their specialty)

There are numerous opportunities at UCLA. It is up to you how high you want to go. Let me know if u are concerned with any other parts of the school facility. I will give u a student point of view on it.

For patient pool, I cant really answer that cos I havent been in a clinic long. The thing is that I always see patients waiting in the lobby, so i guess they get patients. And I went to a couple health fair, venice clinic, and I have practied placing sealants on many kids. Venice clinic is the off campus site for AEGD residents. We have that place once a month. Last time, we tried 25 kids in 4 hrs. So, it really depends on how much you want ur patients. We will get a thorough series of lectures on patient management.

Did I mention that i finally get my scrubs? This is so exciting. Finally, we can blend in and dont get to recognize as D1 any more. (Just an interesting fact: If you wear suit and look nice(or professional), u r likely to be an interviewee. If you have a green scrubs, u r likely to be a D4. D1 used to have their own clothes.)

Back to studying,
EC
Bottomline: I love everything here, except the long lecture hrs and test schedule.

 

[Literati81]

What exactly did your student interviewer say about lack of faculty? As in the faculty are not as welcoming? What new improvements are being renovated now at UCSF? Btw, I see in your signature you got the Dean's Scholarship at UCLA, kudos! So where's the decision leaning towards now?

No, I think he just meant that most of the faculty are leaving or have left. So there is less dental faculty. But I'm sure they make it up somehow, either by bringing in new faculty or having someone from the School of Medicine come in (I'm just guessing here).

He stated a few improvements, mostly the curriculum and the facilities. I'm being vague here because I really can't recall the specifics (which, in short, should clue you in on my impression of the improvements).

My decision now? Still undecided. Whatta 'bout you?

 

[Red823]

I thought UCSF have just renovated their place. At least that's what I heard(check my ucsf/ucla post. It doesnt mean that UCLA facility aint pretty and new. We have a relatively new and extremely cleaned waxing lab and 1 sim lab with 30 units. So far, we have used it for identify tooth and doing some review, in another word, non-drilling related stuff. I know we will use it in spring quarter. They are making progress to integrate the technology in our curricumlum though. Just in case, for lefty like me, there are about 10 lefty stations. They are cool cos they are closest to the window. Not that the room is dark.

Since we are talking about facility. I just think we get tons of room in UCLA. First of alll, most students have a mailbox(u will have tons of thick handouts and journals delivered there. If your alphabet ends in x,y, or z, it is likely that they will run out and u will have to get ur mail during office hour=( Then, we have a coed and female locker room with a half body height locker per student. Some girl lockers are taller from what I heard. Then we have another locker right outside our waxing lab.

Note, I getta give a thumb up for Arizona. I know a friend there who is working at the simlab the first semester.

Reading room. there is a graduate reading room just for medical professional students. It has about 8-10 studying room, two quiet study area, with computer and plugs and several long tables and comfy chair to take naps. If u like absolute quietness, we have fishbowl which has about 10 cubicle and two tables. It is named that bcos people walk by the school can see thru inside. If you interview here, u can ask them about this and stare at the non-motile fishes. Then there is a Schaefer student lounge where there are 4 computers, wireless access, copy machine, a BIG HUGE flat screen tv where D3 and D4 plays gamecube(D1 usually join too, if we have time) Then several big tables for lunch and studying. Very very nice. Then there is a room called Information technology. WIth about 10 computers, >10 tables etc. I studied there last night. It kinda restricts access after 10. I stepped out and trapped myself outside. And had to sleep in the graduate reading room =( But it is cool that my stuff is safe in there. I am happy. Then this quarter, we also have the histology lab where we have 24/7 access unless there is another class. I hope u get the point. There are plenty of rooms to study which u will need.

Though, it seems there are quite a few face changes in our school. There are people retiring and new people coming in. I dont think faculty is a huge issue cos it seems we have 20(ok, 10) faculty members to teach our biochem class(due to their specialty)

There are numerous opportunities at UCLA. It is up to you how high you want to go. Let me know if u are concerned with any other parts of the school facility. I will give u a student point of view on it.

For patient pool, I cant really answer that cos I havent been in a clinic long. The thing is that I always see patients waiting in the lobby, so i guess they get patients. And I went to a couple health fair, venice clinic, and I have practied placing sealants on many kids. Venice clinic is the off campus site for AEGD residents. We have that place once a month. Last time, we tried 25 kids in 4 hrs. So, it really depends on how much you want ur patients. We will get a thorough series of lectures on patient management.

Did I mention that i finally get my scrubs? This is so exciting. Finally, we can blend in and dont get to recognize as D1 any more. (Just an interesting fact: If you wear suit and look nice(or professional), u r likely to be an interviewee. If you have a green scrubs, u r likely to be a D4. D1 used to have their own clothes.)

Back to studying,
EC
Bottomline: I love everything here, except the long lecture hrs and test schedule.

Are most classes taught by dental professors? Any shared classes with the med school? Do you guys have a lot of interaction through activities and what not with the other graduate/professional programs?

And of course...ACE Those FINALS !

 

[Red823]

No, I think he just meant that most of the faculty are leaving or have left. So there is less dental faculty. But I'm sure they make it up somehow, either by bringing in new faculty or having someone from the School of Medicine come in (I'm just guessing here).

He stated a few improvements, mostly the curriculum and the facilities. I'm being vague here because I really can't recall the specifics (which, in short, should clue you in on my impression of the improvements).

My decision now? Still undecided. Whatta 'bout you?

From what I remembered during the tour, the so-called sim lab at UCSF pretty much was just the old lab with new flat screen computer monitors. I thought they were renovating the whole entire 4th floor to have state of the art sim lab like over at UOP or AZ?

My decision is....STILL UNDECIDED !!! Though so far SF is giving me more moola than LA. hmmm...

 

[ecdoesit]

45 min be4 my histo final!!!!
alright, not time to panic, so relax a bit at sdn.

for those of u who r concerned about patient pool,
i heard from a 3rd year like a month ago.
yes, our patient pool is limited. for sure it is not as good as some of the other school. i think loma linda has the highest productivity per dentist in CA. (Everybody graduates here, so they must get adequate training to pass the board and stuff.) So, the 3rd year also said that the clinical professors are awesome and very very good. Thumb up for them, for all the faculty in dental school as well. so it is like a compensation for the limited patient pool.

Ya, faculty is not likely to be a problem here. we do share facility with the med students. We basically take similar classes with them, except they go in depth on every little detail while we just focus on the whole body while emphasizing the oral cavity. so far, most of the material is the whole body. maybe in spring, we will get into more specific things. keep in mind that pharmaceutical companies are breeding drugs like crazy, so it is not a bad idea to learn more about systemic health. i hope uop curriculum cover this as well.

interaction, it depends on how out going u r. people are there, so u just need to approach and talk with them. u know, i thought ucla is nice that it has undergrad portion, but soon i found that the ucla that i know is basically the CHS building/hospital side of campus. maybe when i have more time, i will explore other areas. u have lunch time to do ur socializing activities. usually u can spot several dental faculty having lunch. they are pretty nice and talk with students =) o yes, u can dine outdoor without get blown away from the wind.

for graduate courses, we have school of medicine faculty to come by and teach us stuff. it is a team effort so that each faculty member could teach us their specialty. most professors are pretty good. they are very responsive with emails. O, our histo professors are very awesome, but too bad two of them are retiring. They spend weekends to tutorial students and make sure we pass. this is how the school's style is like. it is a tough curriculum just like anything else in the dental profession. there are tons of help here ranges from 1on1 tutorial(free service), psychiatry. They really want us to pass and have no mean to fail us.

so after my final, i will talk about extracurricular activities particularly ASDA. Our school has one of the strongest asda chapter in the country. and research is amazing too. cos u could do research in any department even plant biology, if u can find someting related to dentistry =) o and sports. let me know what interest u and i will gather those info. i found ur time is ur limitation, so u could only narrow down the most important/most interested things to do. choose wisely.
EC
btw, my pm box is kinda full, so apologize if ur pm get returned.

 

[Red823]

Ooo Histo final...I'm sure you'll ace that final !

Thanks for the wealth of info...you've truly been a great help !

As far as research goes? I'm interested in cancer in general so I guess the specific thing would be oral cancer. Do you know of any research going on at UCLA with this particular topic?

If you guys share faculty with the med school, do the professors treat dental students like second class citizen as I've heard from other schools?

What sort of ASDA activities do dent students participate in that make UCLA chapter so strong?

Thanks !

 

[ecdoesit]

hehe, i consider myself underachiever academically once i m here. grade doesnt matter much, since it P/NP. As long as i get 70%, then i m happy. Note, that doesnt mean 70% is easy to get though. Even with my little motiation to strike for perfect or EPR(exception passing/top 10% of the class for each class), I want to be an achiever in other areas: research, community service, and asda.

U getta talk with Dr David Wong. He is doing this project along with engineering sch to use chip to analyze cancer! it sounds pretty cool, but cancer is not for me. i will start to look for tissue engineering PI once finals are over.

just a few words about the dds/ms or dds/phd program, (they probably have dds/mba but not sure) i m currently in that program. i m debating whether i should stay cos i would have to take classes during lunch. the part writing notes and part eating aint that much fun. but the program is changing under many active faculty members. so i m waiting for my decision. next quarter, i will have to do an oral presentation on a journal. i better practice my public speaking skills.

compare with ucsf, both places are excellent research institute. i just found there are lots more interesting things if u cross to another discipline. then u getta learn what the other poeple are doing and u getta teach them what u do, etc. 2nd citizen? so far, i havent really interacted with other medical students or faculty. but keep in mind that ucla's dental students' stats are very very strong. we had a year or two that is even higher than med students. and the anatomy professor said med students need to ask dental students questions at anatomy lab! so will u get respect from them? i hope so. for whatever reseason, md are a little strange. while some specialty seems to be more preferred and expected than others. so if they have that in their system, it is impossible for them to exclude us, right?

dude, we are learning full body histology, physiology, and biochem. even though med students go in deeper, which perfect sense as they dont know anything about oral cavity. med students here are so chill, they have hybrid system while dental students are more stressed with didactic lecture. hopefully, they can manage to change that. (yes, we have people working on that in a small scale)

ok, asda. Yeah, i gotta go to asda reginal meeting at denver next month and learn about anything and everything about leadership skills and asda activities. it is a really cool organization at ucla. there are 12 branches. so far, i have involved in community service branch and touched on mentoring. i m the co-chair for Crest healthy smile program when we go to different places to teach kids OHI and distribute dental kit, generous donation from Crest. i m having fun along with other students. and the menotring program is basically for undergrad. then, there is lunch and learn. usually ventors came in with lunch and we getta learn to their presentation. Crest is big on that, they came by to teach us about white strips. btw, in order to go to the denver trip, i need to sell 30 boxes of whitening strips. the crest professional package includes: crest power toothbrush, dual power toothpaste, and 82 strips(42% more than regular). selling them for 30 rather than 50-60 in a dental office. this could only be prescribed by dental professional. so u know i m having fun selling them =)

the key to success: teamwork.

i m a believer of the sum of everybody is greater tan the sum of individual. i porbabyl wont need to explain that dental students are hard core and extremely bright. this organization has so many areas. it is just a matter of time that u find somehting hooks onto u. with the right direction, every members can share the workload and create a higher standard. dentistry is not exactly a very cooperation profession. but ADA, ASDA, CDA are called organized dentistry. they are us and they represent us or our voice. i highly recommend everybody joining ada, cda, and asda. here is the stats: 70% of registered dentists belong to ada. (then it is like a triparta system when u also are member of cda, and ur local society). so while they have to talk with our govt, they can say 70% of dentists think that we should... this create a stronger influcence to get things done. here in CA, the biggest thing is porbably the state license exam. i know there were many students going to cda legistlature meeting to vote and stuff. u getta do things like that. opportunities are out there.(i believe that is the theme at ucsf, didnt they have a video for that?) so pls dont ask me to compare apple and oranges. the important thing is that u get involved.

o ya, big sib and little sib program. so far, this program doesnt seem to work. reason being every 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and resdients are pretty much willing to be our big sib! so i get too much love from them. is this program neccessary? it is nice, but ucla students really want to help each other. they went thru the same steps as i m going thru. they will give us helpful advice(like what i m doing now) i could only assume this is the same for the other school as well (i hope).

so let me know if u have further concerns.

school wise, i just finished my physio final. i think i borderline passed it. so now need to study for morphology and clinical evaluation.

just another note: operative next quarter, fixative during spring quarter
then work on each otehr during summer
and we shall start to see patients early next year.

Ooo Histo final...I'm sure you'll ace that final !

Thanks for the wealth of info...you've truly been a great help !

As far as research goes? I'm interested in cancer in general so I guess the specific thing would be oral cancer. Do you know of any research going on at UCLA with this particular topic?

If you guys share faculty with the med school, do the professors treat dental students like second class citizen as I've heard from other schools?

What sort of ASDA activities do dent students participate in that make UCLA chapter so strong?

Thanks !

 

[Literati81]

Hey ec,

Does UCLA provide discounts for their dental students if they visit the UCLA dental clinics?

Thanks! Your replies are awesome!

 

[ziptree]

Hey ec,

Does UCLA provide discounts for their dental students if they visit the UCLA dental clinics?

Thanks! Your replies are awesome!

Yes, there's discounts for pretty much all the services...but if you have private insurance, it might be cheaper than school discounts. (I go to school with Mr. ecodesit, so I'll answer this since I'm procrastinating and don't want to study for my finals tomorrow.)

A note about the P/NP system here...a lot of people underestimate the amount of work of the classes here...it's not _that_ easy to get a P here (or UCSF either, I would assume.) I don't know if this has been discussed in the previous replies, but our course list is located at: http://uclasod.dent.ucla.edu/Curriculum/index.asp?id=294.

Also, I'm in the graduate housing here, $875/month for a two-room townhouse, all utilities + internet included. It's about a 15-minute walk from school, 10 minutes from Westwood Village (a small, cozy area with stores that sell pretty much everything you'd want.)

I'm going to ramble here a bit about random stuff that they might not tell you during your interviews...The 1st year dental kits are ~$10,000, and 2nd year kits are ~$5,000, no 3rd/4th year kits. They made us buy a laptop and gave us a choice between a larger (and heavier) model or a smaller (and lighter) model...they didn't tell us that the small laptop had an external CD-ROM/DVD drive whereas the larger laptop had the drive integrated into the system. (Just something to know in case you decide to come here)....anything else you guys want to know, hit me up...or ecodesit. =p

 

[ecdoesit]

they got rid of the laptop rule.
at least we dont have to buy the school laptop.
though a laptop is still required.
if u want, i can sell my laptop to u, hehe

good to see u here, ziptree. nice info.
just a note, ziptree is extremely smart and study very very hard despite he said he procrastinate. also a great cook as he told me.

 

[ecdoesit]

interesting, i didnt realize i can quote myself.
while we are at this topic,
we are also required to buy loupes. ranges from 600- about 800 unless u get really fancy one. i m getting tons of mix feeling. first of all, nobody wants to spend a grand. then 2nd yr said it is extremely helpful. i guess i need to wait to see wether this investment worths it.

and yes, we have almost 11k kit. so far, we have used not even 1k. o ya, we have a bp cuff! and we get a free lab coat from the appolisian(sp ck) society. so we can wear it with our cuff to pretend to be a md =) while we also have our fast/slow handpiece. they are really in pieces... ya a bunch of stuff that i donno how to use. bunch of chmeical. so far only used the wax master(wax heater) and color wax to do wax up. then there is scrubs. i wore them to take finals. and i heard we will be wearing that for a long time in the future.

student fee: graduate school here have tons of activiites such as welcome party, halloween, probably one for xmas, etc. this is the whole ucla thing, i guess we have more people than ucsf. they serve good food too. it was really nice.

yes, loan. basically expect to have tuition increase at least 20% or more every year. thanks to arnold and the other politicians. i try to see tuition this way. if we divide how much we pay per hrs of lecture, i think ucla is definitely the cheapest school out there. also high quality of education as well. numerous opportunties, nice weather, cool people, westwood. just what else do u want?

they got rid of the laptop rule.
at least we dont have to buy the school laptop.
though a laptop is still required.
if u want, i can sell my laptop to u, hehe

good to see u here, ziptree. nice info.
just a note, ziptree is extremely smart and study very very hard despite he said he procrastinate. also a great cook as he told me.

 

[Red823]

UCLA sent a list of laptop specifications along with the acceptance letter...so i guess it doesn't matter if it's a MAC or not. DO you know anyone that would have trouble using some of the software with MAC? Also, the didactic lectures are paper-pen sort of thing or is it more laptop involved?

Your posts are definitely informative ! THANKS MUCH !

 

[busdriver]

interesting, i didnt realize i can quote myself.
while we are at this topic,
we are also required to buy loupes. ranges from 600- about 800 unless u get really fancy one. i m getting tons of mix feeling. first of all, nobody wants to spend a grand. then 2nd yr said it is extremely helpful. i guess i need to wait to see wether this investment worths it.

and yes, we have almost 11k kit. so far, we have used not even 1k. o ya, we have a bp cuff! and we get a free lab coat from the appolisian(sp ck) society. so we can wear it with our cuff to pretend to be a md =) while we also have our fast/slow handpiece. they are really in pieces... ya a bunch of stuff that i donno how to use. bunch of chmeical. so far only used the wax master(wax heater) and color wax to do wax up. then there is scrubs. i wore them to take finals. and i heard we will be wearing that for a long time in the future.

student fee: graduate school here have tons of activiites such as welcome party, halloween, probably one for xmas, etc. this is the whole ucla thing, i guess we have more people than ucsf. they serve good food too. it was really nice.

yes, loan. basically expect to have tuition increase at least 20% or more every year. thanks to arnold and the other politicians. i try to see tuition this way. if we divide how much we pay per hrs of lecture, i think ucla is definitely the cheapest school out there. also high quality of education as well. numerous opportunties, nice weather, cool people, westwood. just what else do u want?

since i'm totally procrastinating for my histo exam tomorrow i'm going to try to make this short.

loupes: me and my classmates feel the need for loupes. i didn't know it costs so much but i think we truly need it in order to maintain good ergonomics during drilling and what not.

laptop: we aren't required to buy a laptop although i think laptops can be pretty useful...IMO...and i don't have a laptop. basically, it doesn't really matter what you have...but you'll definitely need a computer...or else you'll be in the library or computer lab forever. pretty much every lecture is powerpoint and can be found online...and in some classes, they give you cds with powerpoint lectures so it's best if you have a comp somewhere(desktop or laptop).

goodies: as for the bp cuff and lab coat and handpieces...yeah i think that's pretty much the same in both schools. in the beginning of the quarter it was like christmas...you literally get boxes and boxes of stuff that you have to sort out.

hey eric, did ucla provide you with scrubs? we had to get our own scrubs from costco (it's not much...about 15 bux i think). the cool thing is you can get any color...you don't have to get the green one.

handpieces: i'm actually kinda surprised you guys didn't use your handpieces yet. we had waxing and drilling during our first quarter. it's pretty cool because we have typodonts that we stick onto a pole (basically ucsf's version of a simlab) and drill. this is where we feel that loupes are extremely useful because we can't see the details that we need to make unless we really look close and mess up our ergonomics. the cool thing is that we're the first class that they had that was tested with drilling on the pole during the first quarter. the 2nd years were telling us that they were tested on tabletop (and they still are!). basically they have the typodont opened on a table so they have full access to the teeth they're working on while we have to sometimes use the mirror and pretend that we're looking in a patients mouth on a chair. i don't know if you guys understand what i'm saying...if there's any confusion just ask. oh yeah we've already done sealants and composite fillings too...fun stuff...especially when using the curing gun....err...light! i think it's a pretty cool change in the curriculum cuz it seems like we're starting out with clinical stuff early on. in fact, i'm gonna be tested on drilling tomorrow in the morning...*crosses fingers*...

don't worry about activities to do. although we don't have any sports teams or anything like that...there's plenty of IM sports going on. there's also plenty of clubs and bars to go out to if you're into that. i'm pretty lucky cuz my class is pretty social and outgoing and we usually all go out after big exams. i think about half of us (like 40) are going to go to vegas for mlk jr. weekend...and we're all going on the same flight!!! of course, ucla will definitely have more parties because of the frats...but i don't know how many of you guys are going to go back to the undergrad world.....probably the guys...

yeah so basically my attempt for a short post fell through but it's all good. i know there were some questions about ucsf that people asked me. i'll definitely try to find out when i have time...i've just been bogged down with finals. sorry for the delay...ok..must go study now!

 

[ecdoesit]

o, we dont have costco scrubs unless u want to buy ur own.
we have a set of 3 all with UCLA logo on them. funny thing is that it could be wore inside out! (but dont let that be ur determinant to come here =p)

hehe, our waxing lab is fun, but it seems we are really slow on our hand skills.
if uop can do it in 3 yrs, spending 1 yr on didactic aint going to slow us down.

o ya, ucla has a hybrid program regarding their dental record (we learned that it is not called a chart. clinical evalutation final tomorrow) so we have paper and electronic patient record. from our experience, it is a messy system. nobody likes it. there are so much restriction that faculty end up spending hrs to login and work on entry. the nice thing is that we getta try out the two systems. yes, we have programs such that we can access patient info on our laptop. i would recommend a PC even though there are poeple in class that uses mac. i have no idea whether the clinic pgoram will work or not. and in addition, it supposes to give us the grading info as well. it is just that we have 2 hrs to learn how to use it and the faculty doesnt communicate well and we end up taking off early without learning anything. but we will learn it eventually.

so, what's the spec on the laptop? want to take over mine? we have a dell D400.
it is graduate level. u can do whatever u want/need. they have paper and computer version provided to suit ur need. use it to study or burn it to keep warm.

 

[ecdoesit]

O ya, another thing that i m doing for asda.
Fundraising to go to the Denver trip.
I am selling Crest Whitening Strip Professional Package for $30 bucks.
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=167265
U help me and I help u.
If you want more info from ASDA meeting and such,
support me and i will provide u additional info once i m back.

EC

just finished the morphology final. i feel better
now working on dental material
(the library is packed)

 

[EightDaysAWeek]

I'll can provide info from UCLA for free (unlike some other people in my class. hahaha...jk Eric!) I'm not going to Denver, so I don't need to sell those things.
Anyways, I just wanted to mention that all tests are paper and pencil. Almost exclusively scantron.
I've brought my laptop to school twice this entire quater. Y? becuase mine is heavy and there really is no need to bring it to school, since there are computers everywhere.
Hope this helps.

 

[Profchaos]

Quick question here, I found this on UCSF website.
"
Q. Do I need a bachelors degree?

A. No. However you will need to finish all requied courses/units specified under admission requirements. For your information, 98% of those accepted at UCSF have completed a bachelors degree. A degree is strongly recommended because it provides you with a broad, liberal education. A degree also provides you with a major field of study.
"
Are those of you accpeted all having a bachelor already or you are finishing up before entrance of dental school. It looks to me that people are this board have an average age of 21,22, so I wonder if that's the case. Thanks!

 

[Profchaos]

Quick question here, I found this on UCSF website.
"
Q. Do I need a bachelors degree?

A. No. However you will need to finish all requied courses/units specified under admission requirements. For your information, 98% of those accepted at UCSF have completed a bachelors degree. A degree is strongly recommended because it provides you with a broad, liberal education. A degree also provides you with a major field of study.
"
Are those of you accpeted all having a bachelor already or you are finishing up before entrance of dental school. It looks to me that people are this board have an average age of 21,22, so I wonder if that's the case. Thanks!

Actually same question for UOP as well, if you guys don't mind.

 

[ecdoesit]

Since people tend to want to specialiize here, it is quite important to get that bs. I dont think they will hunt u down if u dont get the degree though.

our class age ranges from 20(like the guy who posted here be4) to 40. A lot in between. I guess i m also the naive one with 23. there are tons of people with family and our class presidnet has a baby too. so it is definitely doable in any case.


hey, eightdaysaweek,
shouldnt u be studying?
stop slacking off.
i m busy reading (too bad it is not biochem, but sdn)
but still......

 

[crazy_sherm]

Actually same question for UOP as well, if you guys don't mind.

I graduated over 4 years ago, so this was not an issue for me. I did meet several applicants at my interview that were in UOP's 2+3 and 3+3 program. The 2+3's do not get a BS, but the 3+3's receive theirs after their first year of dental school. I don't know how many students without degrees UOP admits that are not from their undergrad school. The best thing would probably to call them to check anyway because they look at different students individually. For example, they were really lax about my pre-reqs when I inquired because I did pretty well on my DAT.

 

[Profchaos]

So bs is pretty important for specialize, I see. I guess I will do more bs then, just k/d Thanks for the input and btw, that just means my dream of slacking off for another half a year is woken up. Get my butt off the screen now and start to read some C++ in computer science!

 

[Literati81]

Um...I don't think I'm really following the current trend of this thread, but heck, I'll ask anyways...

So back to UCSF vs. UCLA. Let's say UCLA decided to take pity on me and gave me graduate housing on Weyburn. Will the process be similar to the UCLA dorms in that I would have to reapply for housing each year (with less chances of acquiring grad housing with each passing year)?

Thanks for your help!

 

[ecdoesit]

weyburn causes a lot of trouble this year.
they suppose to be done early this summer, but wont be done till u r here. (please come here, otherwise, it will never be done).
so still u get the new buliding!

i believe it is a yr contraction with an option to live there for two years.
since u r from ucla, u could say a word or two about the place.
i found that really nice over there. parking is expensive 210 a quarter. but at least it is guarranteed.

send in ur application now
cos there might be a waiting list

 

[Literati81]

weyburn causes a lot of trouble this year.
they suppose to be done early this summer, but wont be done till u r here. (please come here, otherwise, it will never be done).
so still u get the new buliding!

i believe it is a yr contraction with an option to live there for two years.
since u r from ucla, u could say a word or two about the place.
i found that really nice over there. parking is expensive 210 a quarter. but at least it is guarranteed.

send in ur application now
cos there might be a waiting list

Yeah, they look nice from the outside. I haven't seen the inside yet. It looks like summer camp...LA-style...and next to a busy street...and fire station...across from a cemetary...anyways...

Only 2 years huh? Ugh. Well, I guess I shouldn't put too much hope into grad housing then. I don't want to move a mile closer just to be kicked out in 2 years.

I know it's a huge pain to get parking as a undergrad. How is it as a D1? Any easier?

Thanks for your help!

 

[ecdoesit]

once u decide to come, i will tell u the trick to get a permit.
it is costly to own a car though.
i would recommend to live close to campus cos bus seems to take a long time

 

[EightDaysAWeek]

Hello there.
Just a couple of other things:
I know some of my classmates that do have parking permits and some who got denied. But for the most part, they all got what they wanted. I think the key is to get your parking application in on time.

And about Weyburn Terrace kicking you out. While they do kick you out after 2 years, I find it really nice to live so close to campus the 1st and probably the 2nd year. Because you spend so much time at school, it's nice not having to commute or take the bus back and get home early. Plus, it's about as cheap as you can get to campus, it's clean, it's new, everything works, etc.) I hear that even though the other single, graduate housing (I think in Palms) has like a year long waitlist, if you put your name in early enough, you will get in. I also hear you can get in right away if you personally know who is moving out. Then you can just take their space. But I don't know if this really happens or not. This way, you can get to know people during your 1st and 2nd years and hopefully take a spot of someone else who is leaving.

Hope this helps about parking and housing.

 

[Literati81]

Finally made my choice Red.

 

[calbear14]

Finally made my choice Red.

Congratulations Literati!! Go Bruins!

 

[crazy_sherm]

Finally made my choice Red.

Congratz on your choice! Make sure to update this too: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=164583

 

[Red823]

Finally made my choice Red.

Awesome Literati81 ! (My decision is still up on the burner cuz I just got back from Vegas for vacation so haven't been thinking about it Back to the drawing board now though...I should have my decision pretty soon from the info I've been getting...so THANKS to all who provide the info ...KEEP THEM COMING !

Btw, with all the UCLA housing and parking permits ...uh...assuming I choose LA,should I wait for additional info sent from the respective offices or should I go knock on their doors ?