UPenn vs. UMDNJ

[hellokittydds]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I know I definitely want to specialize....pros/cons to each school?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!

 

[sweetpea2]

Thats easy - Penn by like a thousand times

 

[NyCzPeter]

Thats easy - UMDNJ by like infinity times. beat that

I can't comment on the quality of the programs since I didn't apply for upenn but with all things being equal(which it really is since a dentist is a dentist no matter where you go), quarter of a Million Dollars or the word upenn on your diploma which many people will probably confuse for penn state. The choice is yours

 

[Waitlisted2009]

.

 

[dr bojangles]

I know I definitely want to specialize....pros/cons to each school?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!

umdnj.
there are plenty of people both at nj and penn that try to specialize, but fail or don't get what they want for some reason or another. at least at nj your debt won't crush you as bad (unless you got penn dean scholarship!)

 

[nydds25]

Got into both...............

If you are one of the people who base everything off of money... then go to UMDNJ.

The experience you'll have living in Univeristy City in a thriving graduate community compared to the ****ty and boring neighborhood around UMDNJ are opposite ends of the spectrum. I couldn't imagine spenidng 4 years there just as I could not spend 4 years at Stony Brook. Step outside Penn dental and you are surrounded with life, restuarants, cinemea de lux, hip bowling alley, farmers market, park, etc.

Not to mention more people from Penn.... a lot more... specialize every year.

 

[hellokittydds]

yeah! thank you so much. Yes I was accepted to both - no Dean's Scholarship from UPenn. I visited both and I loved both of the schools. All of the professors and staff at UMDNJ were incredibly nice, fun, and approachable. The clinic...facilities...were some of the best I saw during my dental school visits.
UPenn - is UPenn and I don't want to be silly and go just because of the name. All of the people I met at UPenn seemed very enthusiastic about the school. I don't know how I feel about their upcoming renovation of the main clinic...I feel as though there will always be construction going on while I am there
Ahh 😕

Haha I'm still so unsure...So most of you who say UMDNJ is just because it's less expensive?

 

[bri0216]

please correct me if i'm wrong, but i have a friend who is a D1 at umdnj, and i'm pretty sure he told me they take boards the winter of 2nd year. now, if you want to specialize, i'm not sure if that time frame allows you enough study time to really do well on the first part of boards, which contribute so much to being accepted into a specialization. i don't know how upenn works, but in my eyes i would maybe take when the schools take boards into account if you want to specialize. but who even knows if when you take the boards really makes a difference. i am just stating one factor that might be important to you and how you think it may or may not affect your score.

a huge plus for umdnj, i work for 2 dentists who graduated from there in the early 90's. they are fantastic, incredibly bright dentists. they highly recommend the education and training you would get at umdnj.

so take that for whatever its worth. either way, both schools will provide you with a great education! let us know what you decide!

 

[dr bojangles]

if you are absolutely bent on specialization, go to penn. just by straight recruitment numbers, more upenn grads place and/or place in the programs they ranked vs. grads at umdnj. so, statistically, if you go to penn, you'll have a greater chance of specializing in what you want.
good luck.

 

[NyCzPeter]

if you are absolutely bent on specialization, go to penn. just by straight recruitment numbers, more upenn grads place and/or place in the programs they ranked vs. grads at umdnj. so, statistically, if you go to penn, you'll have a greater chance of specializing in what you want.
good luck.

Sure he has a greater chance statistically but how much does it really increase by? 10% at umdnj to what 20% at upenn? Still have to bust your @$$ regardless. Specializing should not be a part of your plans at all at this point because you will most likely end up disappointed. It should be more of a happy priveledge rather than part of any plan.

 

[Atu14]

Sure he has a greater chance statistically but how much does it really increase by? 10% at umdnj to what 20% at upenn? Still have to bust your @$$ regardless. Specializing should not be a part of your plans at all at this point because you will most likely end up disappointed. It should be more of a happy priveledge rather than part of any plan.

Did you decide to be a dentist on May 14th 2008?
If your answer is no and with increasing competition, you should not have planned of applying to dental schools in your freshman/sophomore year. At that time you should have thought of only having your Bachelors degree.
At least the OP has some idea of specializing whereas you were confused between law and dentistry.
Looks like the OP is more focused than you.
There is no harm in planning and everyone cannot be as pessimistic as you are.

 

[NyCzPeter]

Did you decide to be a dentist on May 14th 2008?

lol actually, I did decide about may 08... seriously

The chance of being a dentist is vastly higher and vastly easier than trying to specialize in say endo, omf or ortho within dentistry. Don't know much about perio or pros but I don't think they would be any different. Hence the pessimism isn't uncalled for. Besides, I wouldn't call it pessimism seeing as I may like to specialize myself, but a better term would be mental prep for whats most likely to happen.

 

[hellokittydds]

any more insight? 😕

im still struggling with the decision....
does anyone know when upenn takes the first part of their boards?

 

[Mazz]

any more insight? 😕

im still struggling with the decision....
does anyone know when upenn takes the first part of their boards?

Go to penn. It will be easier for your kids to get in if they have legacy status.

 

[straightwire]

any more insight? 😕

im still struggling with the decision....
does anyone know when upenn takes the first part of their boards?

I am a Penn grad, Class of 2001. If there isn't any changes since I graduated from Penn, then Penn students take part I board end of second year. But that is not strictly enforced, I had plenty of classmates postponed part I of the board until winter of 3rd year thinking they can have more time to study. I am not sure that is a good strategy, but you can see Penn will give you a lot of freedom there. Any more recent Penn grad can let me know if things are the same these days?