Thanks for the mention
@Roy Williams . I was looking for something to procrastinate studying for finals with xD.
Hey there! Congrats on getting into some amazing schools. I was in your position last year and chose Pitt. Before making my decision, I spoke extensively with students and admissions officers at both schools.
Here are some differences between both schools:
- Part 1 NBDE: Both schools have excellent passing rates. At Pitt you'll take Part 1 after D1. 100% passing rate on first try last year with average 12-15 days of studying. I'm confident UConn has that too, though at UConn you take Part 1 after D2.
- Class Size: UConn is mid-40s. Pitt is 80. I felt more comfortable with 80 personally. Seems like just the right size.
- One big thing to consider: Ask about the student to faculty ratio. Pitt has it at 10:1 in waxing lab and sim lab. Several other schools have less students to faculty (like 5:1 or 6:1) which can mean more 1 on 1 time. However, I've always found several faculty and classmates and upperclassmen here approachable so I'm personally fine with 10:1.
- Breaks: Pitt - 4 weeks off in the summer after D1, and that's when you take Part 1 NBDE. UConn gives you 8 weeks off in the summer after D1 and no need to take Part 1 then. That's pretty cool. I wanted to get Part 1 over and done with. Not sure how much this applies to you though since the INBDE is being rolled out and could be the exam used for your year.
- Dental stuff: I have a D2 friend at UConn and whenever we chat, he tells me I at Pitt have done more dental-related stuff than him. First term at Pitt and we've gotten used to Axium, rotated through nearly every department (emergency, perio, general dentistry modules, etc. etc.). We've drilled endo access on extracted molars, practiced drilling preps on plastic ivorine blocks as well as on typodont teeth, placing rubber dam, and cutting convergent/divergent/parallel walls. It goes on and on.
- Basic sciences: This is HUGE and is probably what swayed my decision the second most. UConn has gone PBL on basic sciences. Self-directed study coupled with meeting your team to take quizzes. My year would have been the second year doing it and I talked to several UConn D1s, a few of whom loved it, a few of whom hated it, and a few who had mixed feelings about it. Personally, I knew I wanted lectures that could be recorded so I could view them online later. And Pitt offered exactly that (in most classes - some professors here do not record). Either way, I'm happy with this curriculum set-up.
- Environment: This is the biggest reason I chose Pitt. I felt more comfortable at Pitt. Very affordable, city life. I've gone kayaking on the rivers, attended a Steelers game (yes I'm still a Pats fan), taken advantage of several museums here, and really enjoyed the street food and one million different food options on campus. There's a dental crew team as well (Incis-oars) if you're interested. Being right on the undergrad campus gives me a ton of opportunities like fitness classes (did a bootcamp one this term).
Best of luck - you've got an excellent and tough decision to make. Can't go wrong at either school. If you do come to Pitt Second Look day, hit me up and maybe I can show you around!
Don't rely on rankings from some random source - as far as I'm aware, there are no official rankings to schools.