UPenn vs. Buffalo

[khakidockerz]

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I would first like to say thanks to everyone who has posted helpful advice on SDN, although I haven't posted before I have been lurking around for awhile...but I just wanted to get the advice of current students at each school. I should tell you that I am looking to get a great education, not set on specializing but want the opportunity to just in case, and also looking to enjoy myself in d school as much as one can since I am still 21. I am also planning on financing my education through loans.


University at Buffalo: Great education and clinical training, every 3rd and 4th year is guaranteed a chair, felt a family atmosphere while there. However, the facilities not very technologically savvy, and I am not so sure about how much fun it would be to live in Buffalo. I also believe they will not be offering the NBDE part II at the school anymore but I could be mistaken.

UPenn: Great didactic education, great research program, better opportunity to specialize, I really liked how the d school was part of campus, and it is a prestigious school. However, I am not so sure about the clinical part (how easy is it to get a chair/patients), facilities also not very appealing (the dungeon), pretty large class size at about 130.

For UPenn students-is the high price tag worth it?? (UB would be well over 100,000$ cheaper). And for UB students, are you happy with your decision to attend UB, or do you think d school would have been a better experience in a city like philly or boston? Any other general comments about these two schools? Thanks for your input!

 

[DrReo]

I would first like to say thanks to everyone who has posted helpful advice on SDN, although I haven't posted before I have been lurking around for awhile...but I just wanted to get the advice of current students at each school. I should tell you that I am looking to get a great education, not set on specializing but want the opportunity to just in case, and also looking to enjoy myself in d school as much as one can since I am still 21. I am also planning on financing my education through loans.


University at Buffalo: Great education and clinical training, every 3rd and 4th year is guaranteed a chair, felt a family atmosphere while there. However, the facilities not very technologically savvy, and I am not so sure about how much fun it would be to live in Buffalo. I also believe they will not be offering the NBDE part II at the school anymore but I could be mistaken.

UPenn: Great didactic education, great research program, better opportunity to specialize, I really liked how the d school was part of campus, and it is a prestigious school. However, I am not so sure about the clinical part (how easy is it to get a chair/patients), facilities also not very appealing (the dungeon), pretty large class size at about 130.

For UPenn students-is the high price tag worth it?? (UB would be well over 100,000$ cheaper). And for UB students, are you happy with your decision to attend UB, or do you think d school would have been a better experience in a city like philly or boston? Any other general comments about these two schools? Thanks for your input!

You said it yourself. 100,000 dollars plus interest later on in your career can lead to so many more trips. Dental school will be tough. Save money and head to UB. You even get your own chair.

 

[jay47]

You said it yourself. 100,000 dollars plus interest later on in your career can lead to so many more trips. Dental school will be tough. Save money and head to UB. You even get your own chair.

👍👍👍👍😀

 

[Regmata]

NBDE Part II is not taken at the school per se, you take the exam at testing sites. You are thinking of the NERB, which may or may not be offered at UB in the future. They tell every interviewing class that it won't be, yet nearly 75% of students take it. If the students want it, the school will provide it.

As for specializing, you can specialize from any program. Whether you get the opportunity or not is really up to you and how much effort you put forth.

UB is a great school and a well respected program that puts out good practitioners and offers many a chance to specialize. The experience has been good and more importantly...relatively inexpensive.

 

[gryffindor]

For UPenn students-is the high price tag worth it?? (UB would be well over 100,000$ cheaper). And for UB students, are you happy with your decision to attend UB, or do you think d school would have been a better experience in a city like philly or boston? Any other general comments about these two schools? Thanks for your input!

As a UB grad, I got a grueling education in a crappy city but am now savoring the 100K+ saved by living on the other side of the state and am having the "better city experience." I face this same decision a long time ago and chose UB. A decade later I'm so thankful that I did. Instead of writing a large 4 digit check to repay dental school loans from Penn, I spend that money each month on rent instead. NYC rents ain't cheap. I go to sleep at night not worried about where my next loan payment will come from and I don't need to slave away 6 days a week like many of the young dentists around here do to meet their expenses. Choose UB, you won't regret it. Just toss an ice scraper in your car and bring some snow boots and it'll be all good.