UCSF vs Columbia

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Columbia vs UCSF?

  • Columbia

  • UCSF

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D

dentalgirl6500

I am a little concerned about going to UCSF over Columbia, but I feel like it is the right thing to do. For starters, I noticed UCSF does have lower specialty rates. As of now, I do have an interest in doing OMFS, which I know Columbia is good for, but UCSF also has the highest research funding especially for Craniofacial Research. What school would be better to go to long-term both in terms of cost and future prospects (specialializing, alumni network, etc.). I know I don't want to end up living in California because it's saturated unless I do OMFS then not so much?

UCSF Pros:
-Family in CA
-Way Cheaper by ~70k
-Renowned school with great funding

UCSF Cons:
-Don't really like SF/CA that much to live there for 4 years
-Definitely do not want to stay in CA if I'm general/ortho/any specialty that's saturated. Therefore, would have to specialize / go to residency in another state? Or try to move elsewhere if I end up being general (WREBs are accepted almost everywhere?)
-Lower specialty rates?

Columbia Pros:
-I love NYC and the East Coast
-"Ivy League" reputation
-High specialization rate (especially for OMFS)

Columbia Cons:
-Cost (~70k more expensive)

I don't care about weather. I've grown up in cold my entire life so I can take East Coast weather easily.
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Last edited by a moderator:
People voting--can you explain why you're casting your vote as such?
 
Also, the difference between UCSF and Columbia is about 70k.
 
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I think the cost should settle the question along with your family being there. Both are good schools that will offer you plenty of opportunity and at that level of comparison it's more about what you do with your program.


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If you want to practice in the east coast, what can be better than to start your east coast life in DS? 70k is nothing if you really want to go to Columbia. However, I'm biased.
 
CallMeDoct said:
If you want to practice in the east coast, what can be better than to start your east coast life in DS? 70k is nothing if you really want to go to Columbia. However, I'm biased.
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I already turned down Maryland which is ~100k cheaper than Columbia, so UCSF would be a good compromise.
 
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dentalgirl6500 said:
I already turned down Maryland which is ~100k cheaper than Columbia, so UCSF would be a good compromise.
Click to expand...
If you want to go to UCSF, then go. I think you really want to go and I don't know what's the point of asking us if you already know that you want to go there.
 
Miami_Postbac said:
Columbia is very, very unique culturally.

Currently they are doing a week-long no-rape orientation/relationship training that started in response to Carry That Weight:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mattress_Performance_(Carry_That_Weight)

I do not think it is a welcoming place for white, non-jewish, cis, hetero types.

UCSF has better weather and cheaper tuition and no crazy culture.
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I go to a Top 10 East Coast school that has very similar "culture" you're speaking of so I don't mind liberalism either (in fact, I am pretty liberal).
 
CallMeDoct said:
If you want to go to UCSF, then go. I think you really want to go and I don't know what's the point of asking us if you already know that you want to go there.
Click to expand...
I want to go to Columbia with the price tag of UCSF. Clearly, I can't do that so I'm trying to see if UCSF is worth it if they don't have as good specialty rates as Columbia and weighing the chances of leaving California for East Coast after.
 
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dentalgirl6500 said:
I thought about that a lot (for years actually) and spoke to a wide range of people who are going to go through it or have went through it. Decided it wasn't for me.
Click to expand...

NHSC?
 
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UCSF is equally as good as Columbia in terms of getting students into residency programs. It's just that more students choose to go into private practice. Look up the ucsf magazine that they release yearly and you'll see the number of people who go into residency. I was told by UCSF faculty and students that more than 80% of students get into their first choice residency placements. I was in the exact same situation and had to choose based on NYC vs sf for the next four years. Hope this info helps! I always recommend speaking to people at each school and looking up facts!
 
florida561 said:
UCSF is equally as good as Columbia in terms of getting students into residency programs. It's just that more students choose to go into private practice. Look up the ucsf magazine that they release yearly and you'll see the number of people who go into residency. I was told by UCSF faculty and students that more than 80% of students get into their first choice residency placements. I was in the exact same situation and had to choose based on NYC vs sf for the next four years. Hope this info helps! I always recommend speaking to people at each school and looking up facts!
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http://dentistry.ucsf.edu/graduation-and-retention
The numbers here are so much lower than Columbia's specialty, but I can understand if a lot of students choose to go into private practice.

UCSF is als H/P/F like Columbia, right?

Do you go to UCSF?
 
dentalgirl6500 said:
http://dentistry.ucsf.edu/graduation-and-retention
The numbers here are so much lower than Columbia's specialty, but I can understand if a lot of students choose to go into private practice.

UCSF is als H/P/F like Columbia, right?

Do you go to UCSF?
Click to expand...
No I do not, I was accepted to both of these schools this cycle. Deciding between the two was a really hard choice for me, and I had hour long conversations with students and faculty from both schools. I think you should call them up if you're having a really hard time. Both schools have some sort of p/f/h system, and I think the numbers are skewed because Columbia is a private school that many students attend with the mindset of specializing whereas ucsf is a state school that many Cali residents get into. Honestly you will be fine at either school in terms of specializing, so it's more of a choice based on money and where you want to live. Keep in mind that ucsf also offers possible scholarships later on

This is all info I got from speaking to people at both schools
 
florida561 said:
No I do not, I was accepted to both of these schools this cycle. Deciding between the two was a really hard choice for me, and I had hour long conversations with students and faculty from both schools. I think you should call them up if you're having a really hard time. Both schools have some sort of p/f/h system, and I think the numbers are skewed because Columbia is a private school that many students attend with the mindset of specializing whereas ucsf is a state school that many Cali residents get into. Honestly you will be fine at either school in terms of specializing, so it's more of a choice based on money and where you want to live. Keep in mind that ucsf also offers possible scholarships later on

This is all info I got from speaking to people at both schools
Click to expand...
Thank you! You've been very helpful 🙂. Do you know where you're going to go next year?
 
Miami_Postbac said:
Columbia is very, very unique culturally.

Currently they are doing a week-long no-rape orientation/relationship training that started in response to Carry That Weight:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mattress_Performance_(Carry_That_Weight)

I do not think it is a welcoming place for white, non-jewish, cis, hetero types.

UCSF has better weather and cheaper tuition and no crazy culture
Click to expand...
LOL...you're talking about the undergrad campus. The medical center campus is nothing like that. Hard to fit identity politics in the day when you're too busy studying. That being said, Columbia CDM does value diversity more than other dental schools. (Otherwise, we would 100% Asian like NYU...haha.)
 
The Flossopher said:
LOL...you're talking about the undergrad campus. The medical center campus is nothing like that. Hard to fit identity politics in the day when you're too busy studying. That being said, Columbia CDM does value diversity more than other dental schools. (Otherwise, we would 100% Asian like NYU...haha.)
Click to expand...
UCSF has so many Asians, too.
 
UCSF is like 80% Asian when you look at their class profile.
 
UCSF, and to show that you chose SF over Columbia because you're someone who can make responsible financial decisions, spend that $70k on a nice bright red BMW so you can pull up to the dental school parking lot and portray said responsible financial decisions.
 
OrphanageCaretaker said:
UCSF, and to show that you chose SF over Columbia because you're someone who can make responsible financial decisions, spend that $70k on a nice bright red BMW so you can pull up to the dental school parking lot and portray said responsible financial decisions.
Click to expand...
The Columbia graduate would smartly invest that 70k and buy a house with the profits
 
CallMeDoct said:
Cuz he decided to buy a "nice bright red BMW" 😛
Click to expand...

He could buy the nice bright red BMW AND smartly invest the 70k he makes later on and do what the Columbia student did.

What makes people think getting into Columbia will turn them into instant mega entrepreneurs?

Lets be honest here, you get the same piece of paper that allows you to practice dentistry in both schools. UCSF is a top notch school. Its not LECOM.
 
Likkriue said:
He could buy the nice bright red BMW AND smartly invest the 70k he makes later on and do what the Columbia student did.

What makes people think getting into Columbia will turn them into instant mega entrepreneurs?

Lets be honest here, you get the same piece of paper that allows you to practice dentistry in both schools. UCSF is a top notch school. Its not LECOM.
Click to expand...
What's the problem with LECOM? Doesn't it give you the same piece of paper that allows you to practice Dentistry? 😛
 
CallMeDoct said:
What's the problem with LECOM? Doesn't it give you the same piece of paper that allows you to practice Dentistry? 😛
Click to expand...

Less research opportunities that are very crucial to buff up your application when applying to any type of residency, such as GPR AEGD OMFS Ortho whatever. UCSF has $8.8 Million in grants for research. LECOM has ZERO.

Dont even play that game with me.
 
Likkriue said:
Less research opportunities that are very crucial to buff up your application when applying to any type of residency, such as GPR AEGD OMFS Ortho whatever. UCSF has $8.8 Million in grants for research. LECOM has ZERO.

Dont even play that game with me.
Click to expand...
Snap.
 
You can't go wrong with either school but I would check both schools to see if they offer the licensing exam for the state you want to end up practicing in.
 
Both are top programs in the country. Work very hard at either and you will surely open a lot of doors for yourself. Go wherever you will be happier.
 
dentalgirl6500 said:
I am a little concerned about going to UCSF over Columbia, but I feel like it is the right thing to do. For starters, I noticed UCSF does have lower specialty rates. As of now, I do have an interest in doing OMFS, which I know Columbia is good for, but UCSF also has the highest research funding especially for Craniofacial Research. What school would be better to go to long-term both in terms of cost and future prospects (specialializing, alumni network, etc.). I know I don't want to end up living in California because it's saturated unless I do OMFS then not so much?

UCSF Pros:
-Family in CA
-Way Cheaper by ~70k
-Renowned school with great funding

UCSF Cons:
-Don't really like SF/CA that much to live there for 4 years
-Definitely do not want to stay in CA if I'm general/ortho/any specialty that's saturated. Therefore, would have to specialize / go to residency in another state? Or try to move elsewhere if I end up being general (WREBs are accepted almost everywhere?)
-Lower specialty rates?

Columbia Pros:
-I love NYC and the East Coast
-"Ivy League" reputation
-High specialization rate (especially for OMFS)

Columbia Cons:
-Cost (~70k more expensive)

I don't care about weather. I've grown up in cold my entire life so I can take East Coast weather easily.
Click to expand...

From your original post, you sound like you'd be happier at Columbia. So go there. 70k + is a hefty sum of money, but it's the only con you have compared to the con list you have for UCSF. You're going to be there for 4 years. You're probably not going to be "happy" anywhere. Try to make those years as least miserable as possible.

I have to ask though, when you did your calculations for $, did you consider that your 2nd, 3re, and 4th years at UCSF would be in-state tuition compared to your first year of OOS?
 
Kittenz said:
From your original post, you sound like you'd be happier at Columbia. So go there. 70k + is a hefty sum of money, but it's the only con you have compared to the con list you have for UCSF. You're going to be there for 4 years. You're probably not going to be "happy" anywhere. Try to make those years as least miserable as possible.

I have to ask though, when you did your calculations for $, did you consider that your 2nd, 3re, and 4th years at UCSF would be in-state tuition compared to your first year of OOS?
Click to expand...
I didn't thembased off theCOA I got from each school. I did calculate IS tuition after D1.
 
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