USC Problem based learning

[toothdds]

Hello,

Are there any current USC students out there that can comment on PBL? Is it how you learn all of your studies? Or is it in addition to your regular lectures?

Thank you!

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[Teflondon95]

so all your didactic subjects are taught ONLY by PBL (micro, histology, immunology, etc).
All the handiwork you do in lab and pre clinical is actually taught by a professor in a lecture environment.

yea it sucks. You're on your own for the most part when it comes to learning all the subject material and then taking exams... PBL is just something we do to get the credit... lol but what can we do.

 

[toothdds]

so all your didactic subjects are taught ONLY by PBL (micro, histology, immunology, etc).
All the handiwork you do in lab and pre clinical is actually taught by a professor in a lecture environment.

yea it sucks. You're on your own for the most part when it comes to learning all the subject material and then taking exams... PBL is just something we do to get the credit... lol but what can we do.

Thank you so much for responding! What do you mean by "get the credit?" How do you like PBL? Is it okay? Do you feel you still learn the subjects well? Are exams then based on PBL? Are there study guides? Did it take a while to get used to PBL? Is PBL on top of the handiwork and pre-clinical stuff, so do you feel it takes away time from your schedule that you could be studying? And also how are grades given for PBL and handiwork and pre-clinical? Sorry for so many questions I was just recently accepted and am super excited but a little nervous

 

[Teflondon95]

what i mean by credit is that like its a part/precent of your grade. you need to show up to certain amount of hours a week of PBL to get that portion of points... i don't like PBL at USC. no one does. it doesn't help in any way. you have to study all on your own once you go home. there is study guides, but its not official, as in professors don't just hand them out. They are study guides from previous years that the students pass around. I know it sounds super sketch, but thats what we do here lol. Sometimes the professors or the proctor of the PBL session will hint what the "hot topics" are, and then u can go home and study those stuff. but there is no slides, powerpoint, lecture materials, notes. NOTHING. you are on your owwwwwn. WHICH sucks given how much we are paying. and yes PBL is on top of the handiwork and pre-clinical stuff. it defiantly does take away from our time studying but i mean its heavy in 1st year than slowly dies out.

IS USc the only school you got into? are u cali resident?

 

[toothdds]

what i mean by credit is that like its a part/precent of your grade. you need to show up to certain amount of hours a week of PBL to get that portion of points... i don't like PBL at USC. no one does. it doesn't help in any way. you have to study all on your own once you go home. there is study guides, but its not official, as in professors don't just hand them out. They are study guides from previous years that the students pass around. I know it sounds super sketch, but thats what we do here lol. Sometimes the professors or the proctor of the PBL session will hint what the "hot topics" are, and then u can go home and study those stuff. but there is no slides, powerpoint, lecture materials, notes. NOTHING. you are on your owwwwwn. WHICH sucks given how much we are paying. and yes PBL is on top of the handiwork and pre-clinical stuff. it defiantly does take away from our time studying but i mean its heavy in 1st year than slowly dies out.

IS USc the only school you got into? are u cali resident?

Ok thank you! And USC and Case Western were the schools I got into. I am a cali resident. Was USC the only school you got into? Why did you choose it?

 

[Teflondon95]

Ok thank you! And USC and Case Western were the schools I got into. I am a cali resident. Was USC the only school you got into? Why did you choose it?

only school i got in lol

 

[toothdds]

only school i got in lol

Ok, lol. Would you suggest going there? I just feel it is such a prestigious program if you want to live and stay in Cali. Are you a Cali resident?

 

[Teflondon95]

Ok, lol. Would you suggest going there? I just feel it is such a prestigious program if you want to live and stay in Cali. Are you a Cali resident?

yup im a cali resident. live about 15 minutes from campus. it used to be prestigious. but honestly its lost its class and students are noticing. we have to wait so long for someone to check our work. supplies are so old and dusty. some people graduate by BSing all 4 years. go wherever you feel comfortable. but i would recommend the cheapest, and somewhere your going to get the most hands on training possible.

 

[WolfsBane]

@jacbbc go to the cheaper school. Its very simple. The more you pay now, and USC may be the most expensive dental school around. That and the fact that a student at USC openly says they dont like the curriculum should tell you to go to Case. I know you don't want to leave Cali, but in this case it makes sense.

 

[toothdds]

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[toothdds]

yup im a cali resident. live about 15 minutes from campus. it used to be prestigious. but honestly its lost its class and students are noticing. we have to wait so long for someone to check our work. supplies are so old and dusty. some people graduate by BSing all 4 years. go wherever you feel comfortable. but i would recommend the cheapest, and somewhere your going to get the most hands on training possible.

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[Likkriue]

So USC pays their didactic professors to do diddly squat? Or they don't pay them at all and they could just use their undergrad professors to pretend to be dental professors to save costs on professors and slap on a nice fancy title called "PBL" and then charge you 120k a year to attend.

 

[toothdds]

Could any other USC dental students answer my questions as well? Just to get a second opinion too? You could agree or disagree with the above conversation, but I would appreciate any feedback Thank you so much!

 

[csulapredental]

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[toothdds]

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[toothdds]

Hello everyone,

So I started this post a few months ago when I was deciding between USC and another program. I was trying to get feedback on SDN about USC. But, I must tell you everything mentioned above is untrue. I did my homework by contacting current students via social media and also contacting USC admissions counselors and asked them to get me in touch with current students. I asked them many questions regarding PBL and how much they liked the program, etc. I received so much positive feedback and great responses. Please if you are considering USC or even if you are deciding between X school vs Y school, do your homework before making a decision. The best advice I could give you is to reach out to CURRENT students whether it be on social media sites or through the admissions of your school you are considering. These students are actually in the program now and know the truth and can really provide you with the best answers to all of your questions and concerns.

I hope this helps!

 

[ProspectivePostPreDent]

Hello everyone,

So I started this post a few months ago when I was deciding between USC and another program. I was trying to get feedback on SDN about USC. But, I must tell you everything mentioned above is untrue. I did my homework by contacting current students via social media and also contacting USC admissions counselors and asked them to get me in touch with current students. I asked them many questions regarding PBL and how much they liked the program, etc. I received so much positive feedback and great responses. Please if you are considering USC or even if you are deciding between X school vs Y school, do your homework before making a decision. The best advice I could give you is to reach out to CURRENT students whether it be on social media sites or through the admissions of your school you are considering. These students are actually in the program now and know the truth and can really provide you with the best answers to all of your questions and concerns.

I hope this helps!

It's worth noting that the admissions counselors are going to put you in contact with student ambassadors, whose job is to be positive about the school. That's not to say that they're lying, but I was sure to (additionally) contact students off of the school sanctioned "list" when I was choosing as well.

Regardless, some of the students must be having a good time at USC. I'm sure you can find happy and miserable people anywhere.

Also worth noting that case is pbl as well, iirc.

And if we're being totally honest, we all know where you're going to go. California kids to California schools are like bugs to the zapper - we've even seen them fret about moving one state away. Lol.

Just don't foolishly set up a practice in socal, too, or all of the hand wringing about "is the dental degree even worth it anymore" may actually come true for you.

 

[craniocrazyOS]

I'm a 1st year student at USC Dent. Honestly, PBL was the worst decision for my educational career. It's a complete and utter joke. I have a master's degree, did a post-bacc program, and excelled in all my educational endeavors. Nothing beats an expert telling you what you need to know. Most of your GPA relies on PBL, but the material tested is so random that your grade is more a matter of luck than an actual understanding of the material. I'm preparing to take the CBSE next year and I cover material we cover for that class alongside the cases. Meaning that I have a huge body of knowledge when I walk in to take the exams and you end up guessing on at least half the questions cuz they're worded like **** or the person doesn't actually understand the material. I guess it's what the students get when a biochemist is trying to write exam questions about immunology. In clinical terms, the school is fine, though it seems so concentrated on the artistic and esthetic aspect of dentistry that it seems to have forgotten that dental care is needed for overall personal health and not merely beauty.

If I were you, I'd accept an offer at any other school besides USC. I turned down some good school to go here and now I regret doing so. People are happy here because if you want to be a general dentist, you don't have to do ****. My buddies often work on the weekends, don't study for the exams and get Bs. It's really hard to get a C here and really hard to get an A, and neither are reflective of mental acuity or manual dexterity. Had I really understood the system here, I would have gone to somewhere is **** Indiana if I had to just to stay away from here. It's not worth the 600 k. It's just not. If it's the only school you get accepted to, wait and apply the following year, and don't re-apply to USC.