UMD (OOS) vs. MWU-IL vs. Tufts

[Morose]

Let me start by saying I’ve been incredibly interested in getting into OMFS for many years now and finding a program that will give me the necessary tools to get there is important. Additionally, I am considering the 3 year Navy HPSP. So far I’m leaning more towards UMD because I really liked their facilities, the fact they seem to have a strongly represented OMFS department, and it would save me money; however, since I am seriously considering HPSP, I’m not sure whether or not going to Midwestern would make more sense considering their clinical program and that the cost would be largely offset.

School 1: University of Maryland (OOS)

Pros:

• Cheapest option
• Class size is close to average
• Well-established and reputable school (from what I know)
• Has an OMFS residency program in which I could make good connections to eventually get into one
• Appears to have a nice array of student-run organizations, a bunch of which interest me
• I’m sure there is plenty of ongoing research that I could latch onto

Cons:

• Not sure how much I’d love living in Baltimore; however, I’ve only ever been the one day I interviewed and I am interested in living in a radically new environment

School 2: Midwestern University - IL

Pros:

• Strong clinical training considering no post-doctoral residents (I really love the idea of being able to DO more as a student)
• The cost will be mostly offset if I do HPSP (which I am leaning towards applying for the 3-year program)
• I know of some research areas that are currently being studied at the school that interest me
• The area seems nice and if I get bored, Chicago is not too far away

Cons:

• No post-doctoral residency programs, possibly more difficult to gain advice in working towards OMFS
• IL is quite far from my home in NY, not really a deal-breaker for me, but a bit of a nuisance

School 3: Tufts

Pros:

• I went to BU for my undergrad so I’m well acquainted with living in Boston
• Has a post-doctoral residency program for OMFS
• Facilities are nice

Cons:

• I went to undergrad in Boston already, I’m afraid I’ll be a bit bored living in the same city again (although Boston is nice)
• Very large class size, I realize they have many faculty to even this out, but it still turns the school off for me a bit
• Almost as expensive as Midwestern, yet I’d get less clinical training due to residency programs

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[deleted903013]

You can get into OMFS from any school. I'd go UMD because it's the cheapest.

 

[macsak]

HPSP is not guaranteed...

 

[Morose]

HPSP is not guaranteed...

I never meant to imply that it was, I simply stated that that was a path that I was interested in pursuing. Thanks for your advice as to which school I should go to though.

 

[Morose]

You can get into OMFS from any school. I'd go UMD because it's the cheapest.

Many have told me that if you go to a school that has a residency program for OMFS you're at least likely to get an interview at that program. I think that's a big consideration. Some schools also support students who want to specialize much more than others.

 

[macsak]

I never meant to imply that it was, I simply stated that that was a path that I was interested in pursuing. Thanks for your advice as to which school I should go to though.

cheapest

 

[deleted903013]

Many have told me that if you go to a school that has a residency program for OMFS you're at least likely to get an interview at that program. I think that's a big consideration. Some schools also support students who want to specialize much more than others.

Maybe that will help you get an interview at that one program, but class rank and CBSE will be the main determining factors. Moreover, what happens if you don't like oral surgery? There's nothing wrong with aspiring for OMFS but there's also a chance you'll decide you no longer want to do it.

 

[Denteal]

Also accepted UMB, did you calculate the cost of attendance by any chance?

 

[Morose]

Also accepted UMB, did you calculate the cost of attendance by any chance?

I haven't, but considering UMB is a state school it is considerably cheaper than any private school, even for OOS (since you can petition to be considered for in-state tuition after 12 months with a Maryland state driver's license alongside some community work).

According to the financial aid sheet that was given during the interview day, the average loan debt of a student in the graduating class of 2019 was $245,633

Not sure what the average loan debt for a typical private school is, but I guarantee it's a couple of magnitudes higher than that number.

 

[Morose]

Maybe that will help you get an interview at that one program, but class rank and CBSE will be the main determining factors. Moreover, what happens if you don't like oral surgery? There's nothing wrong with aspiring for OMFS but there's also a chance you'll decide you no longer want to do it.

I think 'getting an interview at that one program' is a pretty big deal considering you only really need to get into one residency program (although interviewing obviously doesn't guarantee acceptance). From what I understand the big three of getting into OMFS are 1.) Class rank, 2.) CBSE score, and 3.) Connections with your OMS residents/faculty. While I understand that you can get into OMFS from any dental school, I personally want to give myself every advantage possible considering how competitive it is.

I work as an assistant in General and I've shadowed lots of OMFS, I find OMFS more interesting for a lot of reasons. I'm willing to keep an open mind considering I haven't actually DONE any general dentistry procedures of my own, but many students have told me that if you're even remotely interested in a specialization that you should ensure that you're building towards that specialization as early as possible once you're in dental school.