UMDNJ or Penn

[hpets]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Yes i apologize for starting a thread like this, but i think this combination is tricky!😳

UMDNJ
Cons: Newark, scandals, monstrously high graduation requirements, and professors have teacher's pets (?...i dunno if this one is true, that's what one of the students said:
Pro: instate tuition, close to NYC

PENN
Con: Tuition
Pro: it's friggin Penn!

any helpful input would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Denticized]

Well it all depends;
UPenn has the name and prestige (look at med school rankings, it's the third nationwide). This will help you with specializing or getting a better associate job.

UMDNJ is more cost effective as you said.

Also consider the neighborhoods.

If I ever got into penn I would go in heartbeat just to brag about for a whole lifetime but you should make the decision based on your own personality.

 

[Old School]

...professors have teacher's pets

Make it a pro, become the pet.

seriously, this will occur in any school. People are singled out for special treatment for a number of reasons; ability, personality; good looks (shock!). Don't you watch Tyra?

Choose the school you liked the best. If you have the time and the resources, revisit them both. A second visit (with an offer in hand) can give you a very different perspective.

 

[PickMe]

is it even a question?

hahaha, im biased i guess

 

[RozhonDDS]

you aren't serious with this question are you? first of jersey in general smells like a urinal. PENN all the way!!!

 

[griller]

do you really think penn will get you a better associate position? personally, if i were a dentist looking for a partner, i would get someone from a strong clinically based school over penn anyday.

then again, im not sure how strong penn's clinic is. all i know is that they surely arent as strong as temple. anyone know how early you get into the clinic at penn?

 

[r0entgen]

do you really think penn will get you a better associate position? personally, if i were a dentist looking for a partner, i would get someone from a strong clinically based school over penn anyday.

then again, im not sure how strong penn's clinic is. all i know is that they surely arent as strong as temple. anyone know how early you get into the clinic at penn?

i don't know about that. here at penn, they train us to be a healthcare provider. and that involves diagnoses and such. that's why the strong science background is important. i'm only a first year so i have no idea whether we'll get enough clinical experience. but from what i've heard from dentists and certain professors here, performing the actual dentistry itself is very easy. and if it's easy, i don't imagine we need to devote ALL our efforts to clinic skills. it's more important that we have a strong background in the sciences so we can actually attend to our patients' health, as opposed to just filling a cavity or doing a crown.

 

[Revelde]

IMO, Those schools claimed to be only clinically strong by some people ( wont mention schools' names) produce most likely "oral mechanics" Not real healthcare provider or doctors who can diagnose properly and treat the patients at its own discretion. just my 2 cents. 😎

 

[griller]

you bring up a good point and i think both schools (research based and clinic based) sell their programs accordingly. although, if you spend more time in the clinic you WILL become a better clinician. you can sit in your room and study all you want, but not being exposed to the different problems in real life will get you nowhere. also, performing more procedures will make you a better, faster, more proficient clincian. for anyone to tell you that the mechanics is easy is FULL OF ****. they will tell you this in order to justify your time reading while other students are doing crowns, implants, etc.

overall, both types of programs are excellent. but in no way does an academic school surpass a clinical school. you become a dentist either way, and still graduate clueless so it comes down to whether or not you want a stronger academic program, or stronger clinical program......or, find a program with a balance of the two, which i would have to say would be michigan.

 

[snapple59]

They both have good clinical programs. The people keep bring out Newark as a bad location, but Penn is not exactly in a good neighborhood either. Penn is in West Philadelphia. There have been many rapes, burgulary, homicide cases around the Penn Campus. I just want the people to know that it's not exactly Heaven

 

[rchuloholla]

UMDNJ cuz i'm goin there

 

[Ething]

Ok, for general dentistry i understand....go to the place with the best clinical training. But what if you want to specialize, is it better to go to penn over umdnj or other schools? (excluding the other "academic" schools).

 

[Denticized]

Ok, for general dentistry i understand....go to the place with the best clinical training. But what if you want to specialize, is it better to go to penn over umdnj or other schools? (excluding the other "academic" schools).

Of course it makes a difference which school you go to. As sad as it is the reputation of the school is a big determinant for specializing. Dr. Thibodeau at UConn told me that when considering postdoctoral applicants they look at 1. Letters of recommendation 2. Class ranking and board scores 3. Research and 4. Reputation of the school (now figure the name UPenn)

When I said that the name of the school helps in getting better associate jobs I did not mean that school with lesser reputation produce worse dentists. I was merely pointing out that the reality that people care about names and such.

 

[LIer2010]

I feel like when I'm reading these posts I'm looking at blind people leading other blind people. You haven't had one day as a dental student, and you're talking definitively about how to get into specialty, just because you heard this and that from some people? 🙄

Getting into a competitive specialty, ortho-endo-OMFS, will be EXTREMELY hard, whichever school you go to. Largely, only 2 things matter: grades/class rank and part I board scores. Go to the school that you think you could feel comfortable in, and work your behind off.

 

[hpets]

anyone else have any comments they have heard (i.e. known a UMDNJ student who loves it there...etc)?