UNLV vs Nebraska

[jswizdent]

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If you got into one of these two schools which one would you pick. They both have pro and cons I wanted to see what people think.

Nebraska:
pros: high board scores on part 1 and 2
cons: small class size lots of competition

UNLV:
pros: lots of different cases, its las vegas
Cons: new school with changing curriculum, not as high of board scores

I just mentioned a few that I have noticed I want to see what everyone thinks.

 

[ChilliCheeseDog]

If you got into one of these two schools which one would you pick. They both have pro and cons I wanted to see what people think.

Nebraska:
pros: high board scores on part 1 and 2
cons: small class size lots of competition

UNLV:
pros: lots of different cases, its las vegas
Cons: new school with changing curriculum, not as high of board scores

I just mentioned a few that I have noticed I want to see what everyone thinks.

I dont really see how high board scores is really a pro..unless of course you are considering specializing, otherwise just pass and ur straight....I would think about which school has the best clinical exposure and training.

 

[GatorDDS]

honestly after talking to some 4th years and some faculty at different schools, board scores aren't really a deciding factor for me in decisions even if i plan to specialize. They put it this way,

each school is giving the same curriculum more or less. It is up to YOU as the student to how much you work and study for the boards and material. Everyone uses the same kaplan and same prep book for the boards. Of course harvards board scores are gonna be higher than school x or school y....because they admit generally "brighter" students with high DAT scores and High GPAs already.

did that make sense?

anyways thats what 4th years and some faculty have been telling me. Decide on location and if you are comfortable in that environment

 

[jswizdent]

I have not counted out specializing, but I would like to keep my options open its just that Nebraska has a reputation of scoring well (see the link).
http://www.unmc.edu/dentistry/students/students.htm
Although UNLV is large city to draw a lot of clinical experience, so it makes it a tuff decision.

 

[DMDreaming]

I had a great experience when visiting Nebraska. All of the staff is very friendly and helpful. I visited on a day they were busy with a community outreach and a ton of professors still excused themselves from what they were doing to introduce themselves to me. Not only that, but they actually paid attention to me and weren't distracted by everything going on around them.
I don't think this was a one time incident. One student I met at a restaurant later that day shared a story with me about her classmate that really impressed me. It seems the classmate had a baby near finals time of her junior year but due to lack of family support was not going to be able to finish the semester. She had resigned herself to repeating the entire junior year. The faculty and staff, however, set up a schedule where they each came and cared for the newborn not just so she could take her finals but so she could study for them and get a good night's sleep on nights prior to exams. To me, that said students aren't a number or just a means to pay the bills but are really cared about.
I don't know how this compares to UNLV but thought you the info on Nebraska might help. Good luck!

 

[jswizdent]

bump

 

[lemoncurry]

jswiz, you're from nebraska originally, right? (I remember you from creighton interview.) Does your proximity to family play a role in your decision at all? Even if I did apply to UNLV, I would personally choose nebraska. I like the fact that it is smaller, plus the faculty were very friendly and I liked what I saw of the city in the week I was there.

 

[BKtomodachi]

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[pornhusker]

Small class size does not equal more competition. Rather, small class size equals you can't fall through the cracks. I interviewed at Nebraska and it's great! I was dead set on going to Creighton because it's in my hometown but Nebraska impressed me so much I have reconsidered. Assuming all students are of roughly equal caliber (which isn't a stretch for dental acceptees), the fact that Nebraska is consistantly in the top 5 in board scores is not by chance. It's a product of a small class size that allows the "lesser" students to get the help they need.

 

[armorshell]

Assuming all students are of roughly equal caliber (which isn't a stretch for dental acceptees), the fact that Nebraska is consistantly in the top 5 in board scores is not by chance. It's a product of a small class size that allows the "lesser" students to get the help they need.

Actually, that's a huge stretch for dental acceptees. All the schools with consistently high performance on the boards are the same schools with the highest academic admissions criteria. There's no school you can go to which will magically make you do better on the boards, they all present the same material.

 

[jswizdent]

lemoncurry, yes I am originally from omaha. My family still lives their but they will probably move in my first year or second year of dental school to az.

 

[jswizdent]

so what do you guys think of UNLV not much feedback???😕