How does UOP manage to squeeze an entire DDS degree into 3 years?
Is any part of one's dental education compromised as a result?
What advantages/disadvantages does UOP's 3-year program have?
I ask because one of my pre-health advisors is highly skeptical about UOP's program. In his opinion (one which i greatly respect), he feels that there must be something lacking for UOP to squeeze everything into a 3-year program. I've looked at the curriculum, and it looks solid.
Idealistically, though, 3 years would be sweet.
I'd really appreciate any thoughts.
I am a D1 at UoP and can provide some input. However, recent graduates or upperclassmen may be able to provide more comprehensive insight.
UoP gets it done in three years in several ways. We go year round with only eight weeks off a year. If you've seen the curriculum, you see that we go full days, everyday. A lot of the work is done on our own time with many evenings and Saturdays spent in the simlab finishing lab projects. We start in the simlab the first week of school.
UoP would not be accredited if it provided a compromised education. I have no point of reference if some class material is covered in less depth than at other schools. I feel that it has been comprehensive so far.
Advantages:
-You are done in three years and have an extra year of earning potential.
-UoP has a great reputation for producing dentists that have a high level of clinical competence.
-The humanistic approach is practiced as advertised. I love being treated as a colleague and not as dirt. We are treated well and the administration listens to us when we have problems.
-Happy students. We get along well and help each other out, a lot.
-San Francisco is a great place to live, learn, and have fun.
-no shortage of patients. There is a 2 month waiting list for new patients.
Disadvantages:
-UoP is
really expensive.
-Be prepared to work hard, put in long hours, and feel overwhelmed often.
-Some say if you want to specialize, then UoP is not the place to attend. I don't believe this. If you want to specialize, you will, regardless of where you attend school.
I hope this helps. I know I am biased, but I would not be attending Pacific if I thought I was getting a subpar education. I think the numbers speak for themselves: last year there were ~3200 applicants for ~140 spots, average DAT scores are 21/21/20 (AA/TS/PAT), average GPA is 3.37 overall and 3.3 science. GPA is lower than some schools, but the overall application is taken into account when selecting students.
Good luck!
