University of Utah D1 AMA

[O Cabra]

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Hey guys! I’m a D1 finishing up my first year this semester at the U. Feel free to ask me any questions about dental school in general, D1 year, Utah specifically or any other questions you have!


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[@armydentalstudent]

What do you like/dislike about the school?

 

[O Cabra]

The school is really good about getting you into the lab and into the clinic as early as possible. Our first week of the first semester they had us in the lab practicing class I preparations. We also started clinic halfway through the second semester but it was interrupted by COVID. One thing I dislike about the school is they are a little too laid back on certain things, like dress code and attendance. I think as a professional school they should uphold some of the students to professional standards, but a lot of the D2s will attend class in workout clothes although the schools policy is scrubs or business casual. But then again, not a huge deal.


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[wannagiveup]

are you gunning for ortho?

 

[AppalachianDentalBoy]

Can you talk about your experience being married/a father while in school?

 

[O Cabra]

are you gunning for ortho?

Haha no. I have no interest in ortho


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[Gustavo dos Santos]

What do your breaks between semesters look like?

What would you say is the overall culture of the school (a ton of gunners? People keeping to themselves? Collaborative?)

Any issues with getting patients considering salt lake/Utah county are some of the most saturated areas for dentists in the US?

Did you feel your D1 curriculum was lacking in any way? Do other years complain about certain things?

I’ve seen people talk about 100% specialty placement rate, is that still the case?

Is it traditional grading/ranking?

Do you know how many students specialized this year and which areas they were going into?

 

[O Cabra]

Can you talk about your experience being married/a father while in school?

Yeah so its been a bit of a transition but honestly I thought it was going to be worse. I definitely have to plan out my week and manage my time but I still feel as though I have plenty of family time. We actually just had our second child in April and being online for school was actually really nice for that because I didn't have to worry about missing any classes or anything. School would probably be easier if I were single, but my wife is very supportive and watches our kids while I'm at school or need to study. Most of my studying is done on the weekends with some sprinkled in throughout weeknights. I try to spend at least a couple of hours each night to have dinner and hang out with my family, but if I have a quiz/exam that week, it might be a little less time. I would just say to anyone worried about having a family in dental school, its definitely doable as long as you and your partner understand what you are getting into and set realistic expectations for time management, finances, etc.

 

[O Cabra]

What do your breaks between semesters look like?

What would you say is the overall culture of the school (a ton of gunners? People keeping to themselves? Collaborative?)

Any issues with getting patients considering salt lake/Utah county are some of the most saturated areas for dentists in the US?

Did you feel your D1 curriculum was lacking in any way? Do other years complain about certain things?

I’ve seen people talk about 100% specialty placement rate, is that still the case?

Is it traditional grading/ranking?

Do you know how many students specialized this year and which areas they were going into?

So we usually only have 1-2 weeks off between each semester with Christmas being 3 weeks your first year because you aren't in the clinic yet.

The culture of the school is very collaborative. Professors and students alike. The upperclassmen are very helpful in telling us what each instructor is like and tips for succeeding in their classes. Each class is only 50 students, and my class has gotten to know each other very well. Everyone is friendly and willing to help out others. During undergraduate I was a TA for anatomy, so during our anatomy course, I went on a Saturday and set up a mock exam for my classmates to practice and get a feel for the time limit and how the exam would be. Other students have done similar things to help out and make sure everyone succeeds.

So as of right now we are just assisting in the clinic so we don't have patients yet, but I've talked to some D3 and D4 students and they have said that they have plenty of patients. The school has been working with the state as well to help get Medicaid patients eligible for dental care from the school (as of right now I think only disability Medicaid includes dental in Utah)

I thought the D1 curriculum was fine, some classes were kind of busy work but for the most part the professors were good about focusing on the important stuff. The only complaints I have heard are about the university's family leave policy, but they're in the process of changing that. In terms of curriculum though I haven't really heard any complaints.

I'm not sure if the specialty rate has changed, but I do think its probably close to 100%. Some of the D4s matched into ortho, OMFS, and peds that i know of. One of the D4s matched into the OMFS residency at Mayo Clinic which is supposedly one of the best in the nation.

The grading is traditional A/B/C but the school doesn't rank us (or if they do its not made known to the students)

 

[Gustavo dos Santos]

So we usually only have 1-2 weeks off between each semester with Christmas being 3 weeks your first year because you aren't in the clinic yet.

The culture of the school is very collaborative. Professors and students alike. The upperclassmen are very helpful in telling us what each instructor is like and tips for succeeding in their classes. Each class is only 50 students, and my class has gotten to know each other very well. Everyone is friendly and willing to help out others. During undergraduate I was a TA for anatomy, so during our anatomy course, I went on a Saturday and set up a mock exam for my classmates to practice and get a feel for the time limit and how the exam would be. Other students have done similar things to help out and make sure everyone succeeds.

So as of right now we are just assisting in the clinic so we don't have patients yet, but I've talked to some D3 and D4 students and they have said that they have plenty of patients. The school has been working with the state as well to help get Medicaid patients eligible for dental care from the school (as of right now I think only disability Medicaid includes dental in Utah)

I thought the D1 curriculum was fine, some classes were kind of busy work but for the most part the professors were good about focusing on the important stuff. The only complaints I have heard are about the university's family leave policy, but they're in the process of changing that. In terms of curriculum though I haven't really heard any complaints.

I'm not sure if the specialty rate has changed, but I do think its probably close to 100%. Some of the D4s matched into ortho, OMFS, and peds that i know of. One of the D4s matched into the OMFS residency at Mayo Clinic which is supposedly one of the best in the nation.

The grading is traditional A/B/C but the school doesn't rank us (or if they do its not made known to the students)

Thank you for the thorough response! It’s hard to find this type of information anywhere else and I really appreciate it.

 

[wannagiveup]

Haha no. I have no interest in ortho


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lol spoken like a true ortho gunner rising D2... no offense

 

[O Cabra]

lol spoken like a true ortho gunner rising D2... no offense

Haha omfs all the way


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