ucsf vs uop?

[bruin432]

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Both have their pros and cons...but, just curious, which would you pick and why? Just trying to get an idea!

 

[ROSE1010]

Both have their pros and cons...but, just curious, which would you pick and why? Just trying to get an idea!

Both great schools! I really like UoP and since it is three years I take UoP evenif it is private and you pay more, but since it is 3 years you can make up that money by working on 4th year and making money instead of staying at school for 4 years. UoP is a great dental school who care about students and it is hard to say NO to pacific!

 

[Oracle DMD]

both schools are great! i like uop as the clear winner but ucsf is way cheaper and is also a very good school. if you wanna go to uop...kill the DAT. if you wanna go to ucsf....have a killer GPA...and kill the DAT. if you get into either one, kudos. i've got friends at both and they are both really happy w/ their school. you should tour both schools and get your own opinion though.

 

[bruin432]

both schools are great! i like uop as the clear winner but ucsf is way cheaper and is also a very good school. if you wanna go to uop...kill the DAT. if you wanna go to ucsf....have a killer GPA...and kill the DAT. if you get into either one, kudos. i've got friends at both and they are both really happy w/ their school. you should tour both schools and get your own opinion though.

Well, I've been accepted to both and I loved both! Not sure what I am leaning towards...thanks for the advice!

 

[xpheene]

I would go to UOP cuz its 3 years.

 

[osimsDDS]

I also got accepted to both, I am also having a very hard decision...I am leaning towards UCSF though because it is cheaper and you get more breaks. UOP is year round except for a 2 week break. UCSF has many breaks as well as a few months off between undergrad and D1 and D1 and D2 summers. This is important because students at UCSF told me that the break between D1 and D2 you can study for part of the board exam and take it!!!

UCSF- Way Way cheaper than UOP, many dispersed breaks, great school
UOP- Expensive, three years (almost no breaks), great school

Also another thing to add, people in the dental world respect both schools, however, patients do not know UOP. Every person Ive spoken to thinks UOP is the school in stockton haha. UCSF is world renowned, top tier school

 

[PDizzle]

UCSF....#1 ranked in sexy people!

The Dizz....out!!!!

 

[sl2obel2ts]

ucsf! uop lacks research (compared to ucsf).

 

[hurley987]

UoP hands down

 

[Oracle DMD]

i like ucsf but people blow their research WAY out of proportion. also...who cares what patients think is a good school? that's a bad way to pick a school. ucsf is not any more advanced or knowledgeable than the students at uop. so what benefit do you get? none. there is nothing ground breakingly new going on at ucsf that you wouldnt be exposed to at uop. the only real question is $$$ and tough schedule and out in 3 versus way less $$$ easier schedule and out in 4. i think the facilities are nicer at uop but thats subjective. congrats and good luck!

 

[xpheene]

i like ucsf but people blow their research WAY out of proportion. also...who cares what patients think is a good school? that's a bad way to pick a school. ucsf is not any more advanced or knowledgeable than the students at uop. so what benefit do you get? none. there is nothing ground breakingly new going on at ucsf that you wouldnt be exposed to at uop. the only real question is $$$ and tough schedule and out in 3 versus way less $$$ easier schedule and out in 4. i think the facilities are nicer at uop but thats subjective. congrats and good luck!

nicely put

 

[armorshell]

be back later to post

 

[joeDDS]

UCSF and UOP were my top choices. Luckily I got shafted by UOP and accepted at UCSF, so I don't have that tough decision. Both are well respected, both place a lot of specialists and have high percentages of students passing the boards. I really like the fact that UCSF is cheaper and has a much smaller class size. In the end I think it's your choice of money vs. time.

You could always flip a coin...

 

[UCSF2012]

UCSF and UOP were my top choices. Luckily I got shafted by UOP and accepted at UCSF, so I don't have that tough decision. Both are well respected, both place a lot of specialists and have high percentages of students passing the boards. I really like the fact that UCSF is cheaper and has a much smaller class size. In the end I think it's your choice of money vs. time.

You could always flip a coin...

Welcome to UCSF!

 

[vlct0ria]

Before I got into this whole dental school idea, I had no clue what the differences in the dental schools were....and I really doubt your average patient has any clue whether a degree from school A is any better than a degree from school B...so I don't think "prestige" of the dentist's school is really a deciding factor....just my opinion.

 

[rawknee]

so I don't think "prestige" of the dentist's school is really a deciding factor....just my opinion.

You're right, most patients won't know the difference, but the referrals you get from other dentists is what makes all the difference. So the "prestige" does factor in a little there. It's a business, of course you would more likely hire a dentist from a school with a great reputation.

The dental complex i worked at had 8 dentists in different fields, all of them UCLA or USC. They even told me they like to hire only UCLA or USC... sounds pretty ridiculous i know.

 

[stillhere858]

prestige does matter for some situations. It depends on how you run your practice. I have family members in dentistry and many patients have commented on where they have gone to school for their education. The more intelligent/educated crowd follows. I know that may sound rude and un-PC, but it is the case.

 

[hoss19]

i understand that UoP is well respected in cali. but if you want to specialize or end up looking to go to the east coast, i would choose ucsf. i dont think UoP has much of a reputation in the east, but that is just what i have gathered talking to my dentist buddies here in DC. they are all wowed by ucla, ucsf, and uw, and think the rest are just so-so schools.

 

[harrygt]

First of all, congrats to Osim and all the guys who got accepted in either of the two.
I have not been interviewed at either, but I would go to UCSF in a heartbeat, if the two were my only choices. There is no doubt that both of them are great schools. UCSF costs much less, and you can have a less stressful life during the four years of your education [UOP's program is pretty intense]. Why pay more to only go through more pressure? I know you can make the difference in cost by getting into work a year earlier, but then that would only give you the advantage of having one more year of experience over the other DS students of the cycle. Let's say, 10 years later, a UOP student will have 7 years of experience, while a UCSF student has 6 years. Big difference?

 

[armorshell]

I also got accepted to both, I am also having a very hard decision...I am leaning towards UCSF though because it is cheaper and you get more breaks. UOP is year round except for a 2 week break.

We don't have as many breaks as UCSF, but we have 7 weeks of break per year, not 2.

UCSF- Way Way cheaper than UOP, many dispersed breaks, great school
UOP- Expensive, three years (almost no breaks), great school

May want to crunch those numbers again. For most Ca residents, the difference between attending Pacific and UCSF is under $50k. While that is a ton of money, it's not an unsurmountable amount, especially with the frequency UoP gives out the Dean's Scholarship. If you're out of state Pacific and UCSF are basically a wash.

Also another thing to add, people in the dental world respect both schools, however, patients do not know UOP. Every person Ive spoken to thinks UOP is the school in stockton haha. UCSF is world renowned, top tier school

The last thing patients care about is where you went to school. I have multiple patients who have all previously been patients at UCSF and have vowed never to go back (I'm sure there are patients like that at UCSF too) and I've also had a few patients who thought we were the only dental school in the city.

 

[armorshell]

prestige does matter for some situations. It depends on how you run your practice. I have family members in dentistry and many patients have commented on where they have gone to school for their education. The more intelligent/educated crowd follows. I know that may sound rude and un-PC, but it is the case.

If my patients are shopping for a dentist based on the prestige of the school they went to, I don't want them as my patients.

 

[armorshell]

You're right, most patients won't know the difference, but the referrals you get from other dentists is what makes all the difference. So the "prestige" does factor in a little there. It's a business, of course you would more likely hire a dentist from a school with a great reputation.

The dental complex i worked at had 8 dentists in different fields, all of them UCLA or USC. They even told me they like to hire only UCLA or USC... sounds pretty ridiculous i know.

Luckily within the dental field, Pacific has a great reputation, especially in relation to clinical dentistry.

Additionally, I said it before in other terms, but if a hiring dentist is looking more at the school someone graduated from than their personality, clinical skills and experience, is that a place you really want to be?

 

[sl2obel2ts]

If my patients are shopping for a dentist based on the prestige of the school they went to, I don't want them as my patients.

True

Btw I thought ppl use yelp to shop for dentists thesedays. Haha

 

[bjhath]

I interviewed at both and was impressed by both. I got accepted by UoP and 'rereviewed' by UCSF, so I may be a little biased.

It depends on what you want out of d-school.

cost - UCSF wins by $100k
time in school - UoP, hands down, with the caveat of intensity
research - UCSF is known for its research, UoP also has research opportunities
teaching methods - the humanistic approach of UoP wins in my book
specialization - both seem to be credible schools with high board scores

If you really can't decide, go with your gut or flip a coin!

 

[crazy_sherm]

You're right, most patients won't know the difference, but the referrals you get from other dentists is what makes all the difference. So the "prestige" does factor in a little there. It's a business, of course you would more likely hire a dentist from a school with a great reputation.

The dental complex i worked at had 8 dentists in different fields, all of them UCLA or USC. They even told me they like to hire only UCLA or USC... sounds pretty ridiculous i know.

You aren't going to get a lot of referrals from other dentists unless you're a specialist. And in that case, more than likely, the referring dentist isn't going to care where you went for your undergrad dental education. They're probably more interested in where you did your postgrad training, or how nice a gift basket they received for xmas.

I do see a lot of alumni take grads from their respective schools as associates more readily, however. I feel a lot of this has to do more with familiarity and a good understanding of what they can expect out of their associate more than believing one school produces better dentists than another.

i understand that UoP is well respected in cali. but if you want to specialize or end up looking to go to the east coast, i would choose ucsf. i dont think UoP has much of a reputation in the east, but that is just what i have gathered talking to my dentist buddies here in DC. they are all wowed by ucla, ucsf, and uw, and think the rest are just so-so schools.

Depends on what you want to specialize in. UOP is very well known among east coast schools for our undergrad endo program. UPenn has a UOP alum in the class every year.

 

[armorshell]

Depends on what you want to specialize in. UOP is very well known among east coast schools for our undergrad endo program. UPenn has a UOP alum in the class every year.

BU and Harvard endo as well as Washington Hospital and Jacksonville OMFS are some more east coast programs that appear to like Pacific students.

 

[joeDDS]

If you can't tell, UCSF students and UOP students are each very proud of their schools and rightfully so, they're both phenomenal institutions. There are a lot of great points that have been made but a lot of it ends up being subjective (what's great for one might not be great for you) so I'd trust your gut to tell you which one fits you personally.

If the gut thing doesn't work, I like the coin idea

 

[stillhere858]

If my patients are shopping for a dentist based on the prestige of the school they went to, I don't want them as my patients.

now i respect a lot of your posts, but I would recommend being less presumably aggressive about your support for UOP. An extreme bias makes it hard to value your opinion.

If you notice, I didn't knock UOPs reputation. I was responding to a early post from a member about saying reputation doesn't matter. Clearly it does, otherwise you wouldn't have an opinion about your school and so often support your position. It also has an impact on patients desire to go to you (for a given crowd) and referrals. Granted it has to be backed by skill, but an institution maintains its reputation by having very competent individuals, thus deserving its reputation.

Both are great schools.

 

[PDizzle]

Ortho match rates came out today and UCSF had a 100% match!!

In your face UoP!!!! Neener neener neener





Both schools are awesome and thousands of people would kill to be in your, "tough" decision.

Gratz to all who have to make this choice....

Dizz

 

[DiNoZeRo2o9]

I don't know where you guys get at Patients not knowing UoP Dental. Every patient I tell that the doctor I work for went to UoP is very impressed, I usually say Pacific though. Pacific dental is very well known in California, and I garner most people going to UoP will end up practicing here as well.

 

[armorshell]

now i respect a lot of your posts, but I would recommend being less presumably aggressive about your support for UOP. An extreme bias makes it hard to value your opinion.

If you notice, I didn't knock UOPs reputation. I was responding to a early post from a member about saying reputation doesn't matter. Clearly it does, otherwise you wouldn't have an opinion about your school and so often support your position. It also has an impact on patients desire to go to you (for a given crowd) and referrals. Granted it has to be backed by skill, but an institution maintains its reputation by having very competent individuals, thus deserving its reputation.

Both are great schools.

I'm not sure that anything I've posted has shown "extreme bias", or even a measure of aggressiveness. You seem to believe that I hold the opinions I do because of the school I go to, where the reverse is actually true.

I still maintain that reputation of the school will have little effect on your practice. The vast majority of patients won't care to know, reputation is subjective and regional(Ask someone in Washington state what they think of Columbia University and they'll probably think you're talking about a local community college), and assuming that referring dentists universally care about the school attended is pretty out there. My experience has been that when looking for a specialist, dentists primarily look at the level of care the specialist provides, and the cost/deliciousness of the free lunches/gift baskets that specialist courts them with.

Additionally, I think UCSF is a great school, I have many friends who attend UCSF and as I've said before, threads like this are like arguing with a professor about 2 points when you already have a 98%

 

[armorshell]

Ortho match rates came out today and UCSF had a 100% match!!

In your face UoP!!!! Neener neener neener

Impressive! All I know about so far is two friends of mine matched, one at UCSF! Oh noes!

 

[PDizzle]

Impressive! All I know about so far is two friends of mine matched, one at UCSF! Oh noes!

Do you know about UoP's policy about matching UoP's ortho program from their own students? Like,..do they always let in x number of people and leave other spots open for other schools?

 

[armorshell]

Do you know about UoP's policy about matching UoP's ortho program from their own students? Like,..do they always let in x number of people and leave other spots open for other schools?

All I've heard is scuttlebutt that if you have "X" GPA you're guaranteed a spot but I have no idea in reality.

I do know that 50% of the OMFS residents are Pacific grads though.

 

[PDizzle]

All I've heard is scuttlebutt that if you have "X" GPA you're guaranteed a spot but I have no idea in reality.

I do know that 50% of the OMFS residents are Pacific grads though.

Scuttlebutt?? Were you in the service by any chance?

 

[trukini]

do you have a year to spare? think about this. u will b done in 3 years... and will enjoy the MONEY sooner than the rest...

 

[homewardbound]

do you have a year to spare? think about this. u will b done in 3 years... and will enjoy the MONEY sooner than the rest...

in the grand scheme of things, I don't think one year makes a large difference and i think that education/life is more "about the journey, because the destination is only an ending."
i don't think this MONEY ASAP attitude represents everyone at pacific, but it does bring up a good point: consider which types of students each school attracts, and if those are the types of students you want to associate with for 3-4+ years.

Both schools are incredible!!

 

[dj kal]

Im still waiting to hear back from both schools.. but if it came down to these 2 schools, I'd accept UOP in a heartbeat

Both schools have amazing dental programs but UOP stands out a lot more. To sum it up tho:

Its a THREE year program... incorporates the humanistic model of teaching... AND they have a bunch of HOTTIES!! lol