UF (IS) vs. UConn (OOS) vs. Pitt (OOS)

[My user name]

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School 1: UF (IS)
Pros:

• Cheapest (~300K)
• Closest to family
• I know someone that currently goes there
• Will still feel more like a college experience (football games, on the main campus, etc.)
• Most of the dentists I know went there
• Has electives

Cons:

• I’m not really sure of how I feel about living in Gainesville
• I wasn’t a big fan of the campus which is why I chose not to go there for undergrad

School 2: UConn (OOS)
Pros:

• Pass/Fail
• Potentially the closest option to my girlfriend who will be attending law school potentially in the northeast
• Have family friends in Boston
• 2 hours from Boston and 2 hours from New York
• Newer facilities

Cons:

• Seems to be in the middle of nowhere (I didn’t really see much to do while there within a reasonable distance but I was there for less than 24 hours)
• Not the cheapest option (330K)
• Very rigorous program -> no electives
• Will feel much less like a college experience (on a regional campus, football team is… well you know, only med students and dental students)

School 3: Pitt (OOS)
Pros:

• I really enjoyed my interview there and I loved Pittsburgh
• I liked that there are selectives that students can take
• Overall, I felt like the faculty truly cared about the students (please let me know if this is not reality)
• More of the college experience will it being by the main campus and having a football team

Cons:

• I have no connections (family, friends, etc.) in Pittsburgh
• I’m unsure of how the academics compare to the other two schools
• Most expensive of the three (~360K)

Summary: I don’t know if I want to specialize at this point but I want to keep the option open. At this point I am leaning towards UF because it is the cheapest and being from Florida most of the dentists I know went there and say that it’s a really great school. However, I am from Boston and would love to go back to the northeast and I do have some connections up in that area. I know all of these schools are great however, I’m not entirely sure of the clinical exposure within the schools. I enjoyed my interview experience at all of the schools. Thank you in advance.

 

[bracketbuster68]

UF is a great option, particularly if you want to practice in Florida. You'll get to know your future colleagues and you can start to build referral networks in school if you decide to specialize later on. If you decide to setup shop in the northeast, this point is moot, but I think going to UConn and practicing near Boston would be the same moot point. Either way, UConn is also a great school!

 

[mrneatteeth]

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[2jz]

School 2: UConn (OOS)
Cons:

• Seems to be in the middle of nowhere (I didn’t really see much to do while there within a reasonable distance but I was there for less than 24 hours)
• Not the cheapest option (330K)
• Very rigorous program -> no electives
• Will feel much less like a college experience (on a regional campus, football team is… well you know, only med students and dental students)

Current UConn student here, just wanted to point out what to do around campus. You'll need a car to get anywhere but:

• Restaurant scene is strong (West Hartford center/blue back square, Front street in Hartford, J Timothy's in Plainville, New Haven apizza 30min away)
• Craft brewery scene is strong
• Theatre scene is strong (Broadway shows at the Bushnell, Palace, Shubert, actual Broadway only 1.5 -2 hrs away)
• Lots of hiking trails
• Football sucks, they sell beer at the Rent so I guess that's a positive lol
• Hockey, men's and women's cbb play all or half their games respectively at the xl center in Hartford not far from campus. Student tickets are free, beer is sold at games.
• Hartford Yard Goats are a fun night, they have one of the better minor league baseball stadiums
• Easy to take trips to Montreal, NYC, Boston, some of us regularly do that on the weekend.
• Skiing in the winter, beaches in the summer, town agricultural fairs in the fall

I think you'd be pleasantly surprised at all there is to do in central CT.

UConn has a very strong medical education, and pass/fail is absolutely amazing. You have a wonderful problem having to pick from some great schools. If it was me, I would probably stay with family and save some money - which I am doing just that at UConn. Although I know several out of staters who had multiple reach acceptances, none of them regret coming up to CT.