UoP or UW?

[livinthedream]

I've recently been accepted to both UoP and UW. Both are excellent schools with their own respective pros and cons (tuition costs, location, clinical experience, program length etc). I'm torn between the two so I thought I would post this thread to see what other SDNers think. Thanks for the feedback!

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[cl24uw06]

UW hands down, not only is it a more reputable school but it is around a third the cost. If you have any questions about UW I would be happy to answer them for you. Congrats on the acceptances.

 

[armorshell]

UoP is awesome, but if you have a choice you should probably follow the dollars

 

[angeeeeee]

I was in the same boat...accepted to and loved both schools. Chose UW and don't regret a thing, although I'm sure Pacific would have been awesome too. I chose UW because I went here for undergrad (familiarity), smaller class size, cheaper school costs and cost of living, and my family is about 35 miles away. If you have any questions feel free to email me at [email protected]

 

[KOM]

I didn't apply to either, but I've heard only the best things about UW. It is hands down one of the best schools in the country.

 

[sumluck]

Hey, I was in your exact same predicament on Dec 1. After much deliberation, I chose UW because: I am an in-state resident (the total cost is literally half that of Pacific), the size of the class (56 vs 143), the conversations I had with current and former UW dental students and practicing dentists, a strong emphasis in both clinic and didactics (not too many schools are amongst the best in both categories), the networking opportunities if you are a WA resident leaning towards practicing in WA (UW is very strong, but UoP is also known for their outstanding alumni network), having friends already at the school, family in WA, Seattle, etc...
As for UoP, if I would have decided to attend there I am sure I would have loved almost every second of it. UoP definitely has something about it that just draws you in...and its real, but real expensive. UoP is three years, so if you really want to get out a year earlier, that is a plus.
So are you a WA resident or WICHE recipient? That might make a big difference in your decision. Good luck.

 

[livinthedream]

I am a WICHE participant from Alaska. After thinking about this, I have decided that tuition is not a deciding factor for myself just b/c I know that I will eventually be able to pay it off regardless of which school I choose. I am more interested in the quality of education I will receive and on the school's atmosphere. I have a friend whose father works at UNC who thinks that UoP is the best dental school in the nation. On the other hand, I have been shadowing with a dentist who went to UW and thinks the same of UW. So, I think I will continue to talk with people in the know (as you have done) and go from there. Angeeeeee, can you tell me any more about the atmosphere at UW. I want to believe that everyone is friendly, but my interview experience wasn't as positive at UW as it was at UoP. Thanks again!

 

[ehrehck]

what undergrad school did you go to?
and what was your gpa there?
if you dont mind me asking
im very interested in going to UW or UoP also.

 

[lovechild404]

if money is not a factor, think about...

3yrs vs. 4yrs
sun vs. rain
night-life vs. out-door activities
class size
do you want to specialize?
do you need a car?

 

[erwin99]

Definitely goto UoP. (one more spot for me at UW)

 

[DDBrown]

I'm a non-resident 2nd year student at UW and I definitely saw my fair share of school while applying. I never considered going to UoP, but I know plenty of current students there and people that interviewed there. The vibe that I get from most individuals, they like UoP since you're done in 3 years. I personally think it would be difficult to match the clinical and didatic training UW has without having one or both of them suffering. The dental curriculum isn't an easy stroll through the park. It is rigorous and it's difficult to develop outstanding clinical skills when you don't have time to practice in the pre-clinical lab. I've been told that supposedly UoP gets some of the most clinical hours as compared to other schools (I'm not sure how it compares to UW), but did you also know that they have 3 clinical sessions/day (morning, afternoon & evening). I'd like to know how much sleep these individuals get at night or if they have their own personal assistant that calls patients, fills out their paperwork and gets their unit ready for each patient.

Just some things to consider.

 

[thedudeabides6]

I'm a non-resident 2nd year student at UW and I definitely saw my fair share of school while applying. I never considered going to UoP, but I know plenty of current students there and people that interviewed there. The vibe that I get from most individuals, they like UoP since you're done in 3 years. I personally think it would be difficult to match the clinical and didatic training UW has without having one or both of them suffering. The dental curriculum isn't an easy stroll through the park. It is rigorous and it's difficult to develop outstanding clinical skills when you don't have time to practice in the pre-clinical lab. I've been told that supposedly UoP gets some of the most clinical hours as compared to other schools (I'm not sure how it compares to UW), but did you also know that they have 3 clinical sessions/day (morning, afternoon & evening). I'd like to know how much sleep these individuals get at night or if they have their own personal assistant that calls patients, fills out their paperwork and gets their unit ready for each patient.

Just some things to consider.

Just FYI, every day is not 3 clinical sessions... but rather 2. On Mondays and Thursdays there are evening clinics, but on those days there is only one other time (either morning or afternoon). Then the rest of the days there are just morning and afternoon clinic sessions.

Cheers

 

[livinthedream]

what undergrad school did you go to?
and what was your gpa there?
if you dont mind me asking
im very interested in going to UW or UoP also.

I go to Eastern Washington University and I have very average stats. I think the difference is that I had very nice LORs written (I was told that by my interviewers) and that EWU has an excellent Pre-Med/Pre-Dent Society. Our society as well as some dedicated faculty have worked very hard to establish a good reputation for our school (we are kind of an underdog in WA state). So, stats are important but I think it is important to remember the overall picture. I hope that helps!

 

[erwin99]

I go to Eastern Washington University and I have very average stats. I think the difference is that I had very nice LORs written (I was told that by my interviewers) and that EWU has an excellent Pre-Med/Pre-Dent Society. Our society as well as some dedicated faculty have worked very hard to establish a good reputation for our school (we are kind of an underdog in WA state). So, stats are important but I think it is important to remember the overall picture. I hope that helps!

Hey! I'm from EWU too. still waiting to hear from UW though, interviewed there back in october and 5 other schools, so far no word. Good luck with the decision!

 

[angeeeeee]

if money is not a factor, think about...

3yrs vs. 4yrs
sun vs. rain
night-life vs. out-door activities
class size
do you want to specialize?
do you need a car?

I think that Seattle and San Fran have similar climates, so weather isn't that big of a deal. Yea it rains frequently (but is more of a light rain that doesn't last for the whole day), but summers are warm and pleasant. San Fran on the other hand is often coated in a thick blanket of fog and/or smog.

As for night life, I think both Seattle and San Fran are excellent (although if you have time to have a night life is a different story). I also think you can find outdoor activities close to both cities.

 

[angeeeeee]

Angeeeeee, can you tell me any more about the atmosphere at UW. I want to believe that everyone is friendly, but my interview experience wasn't as positive at UW as it was at UoP. Thanks again!

I love our small class size and everyone for the most part gets along great (within classes and between). Yea we get ranked, but the school does not have a competitive vibe. Everyone is willing to help out anyone that needs it and we all share study materials and tips. Altough I say we aren't competitive, I think that individually we have high standards for ourselves. As for social life, we have socials in the student lounge every few weeks with a keg or two and some goodies, there are intermural sports teams from the school like softball, basketball, soccer, volleyball, and even inner-tube basketball in the pool. There are groups that volunteer, research groups, groups involved in political things, and probably even more that I don't know about... I love it at UW, but that's not to say I wouldn't have loved it at UOP. No disresepct to that school at all, it is also excellent (just not as good of a fit for me as UW is).