USC vs. ASDOH?

[toothhornet88]

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Where would you go if those are the only schools you were interviewed at and were accepted to both? and if you can please give reasons to your answer. Thank you very much.

 

[Hope45]

Where would you go if those are the only schools you were interviewed at and were accepted to both? and if you can please give reasons to your answer. Thank you very much.

Go to the cheaper school. ASDOH is a great school and will prepare you well as a dentist.

 

[jeffity]

ASDOH for cost, clinical, curriculum.

Not to say USC isn't good for clinic. ASDOH is just monster clinical. And nothing against PBL. Just the modular approach and 1st-year boards are big I think.

 

[Kentuckylover]

I didn't attend ASDOH interview because I had multiple acceptances, but I heard it's a great school. I personally decided to go to USC because money wasn't an issue(HPSP) and wanted to have fun in LA while becoming a dentist.

Board is now pass/fail, so you would be fine where ever you go as long as you study hard. The main question is ...can you handle PBL? I know it doesn't work for everyone. If you know you are not comfortable working in groups, then go to ASDOH.

Good luck! 🙂

 

[wired202808]

Cheaper school all the way. I dont like ASDOH for its low stats and the type of students that they admit, but I wouldn't overspend to go to USC.

 

[UltimateHombre]

Between cost of living and tuition, you will probably end up saving around 120K+ by going to ASDOH.

However, i think ASDOH just has many better things going for it. Modular program, dual MPH option, super happy students, off site rotations, and clinically awesome. I volunteer at a rotation site and on any given day, the D4s will do 5-10 extractions, a couple crown preps, and a few fillings. They see like 6-8 patients a day. Also, i just attended the predental sim clinic at ASDOH and Dr. Dillenberg said they matched 14/14 for pedo this year. Really impressive school all around.

Can't say much for USC, just know about the price tag.

 

[UltimateHombre]

Cheaper school all the way. I dont like ASDOH for its low stats and the type of students that they admit, but I wouldn't overspend to go to USC.

You don't like non-traditional or community minded students? Tell me what "type" of students you think they admit?

 

[r2thekesh]

What's closer to home? Would you rather have the ocean nearby or do you like desert environment? City or suburbs? Separate from undergrad campus or undergrad campus? Can you handle 120 degree heat? Do you want to be traveling for almost half your 4th year? Do you like PBL? Do you like your school to pretty much shut down at 5pm (ASDOH's dental buildings do, library stays open till like 10pm).
Btw USC's football team is going to be pretty good next year.

 

[wired202808]

You don't like non-traditional or community minded students? Tell me what "type" of students you think they admit?

I have nothing against non-trads (i'm a non-trad myself) I just don't like how 800 hours of volunteering = admission. Esp when the stats are ridiculously low. That's my opinion, I dunno if the school is good or not. I just found it silly that they reject applicants with high stats and basically give a hand out to lower quality applicants. Again its my personal bias, I'm not from the West Coast so I wouldn't attend the school either way.

 

[UltimateHombre]

I have nothing against non-trads (i'm a non-trad myself) I just don't like how 800 hours of volunteering = admission. Esp when the stats are ridiculously low. That's my opinion, I dunno if the school is good or not. I just found it silly that they reject applicants with high stats and basically give a hand out to lower quality applicants. Again its my personal bias, I'm not from the West Coast so I wouldn't attend the school either way.

I think that ASDOH's definition of a quality applicant is just different than yours.

They understand that there is much more to an applicant than just the numbers. They are looking to produce clinicians that are public health oriented, clinicians who will be leaders in the community. They are looking for people who have a proven track record with volunteering, not just massive hours, but people who have been volunteering consistently for years. They find this to be a genuine trait and more indicative of the kind of person they are looking for in a clinician.

And there academics are not "ridiculously low" with an average oGPA of 3.45, sGPA of 3.5, and DAT of 18.5, i think they do just fine. Their students have a good board pass rate and usually graduate with extensive clinical expertise.

I just think it is pretty offensive to say that students with a 18/19 DAT and a 3.5 GPA, with 800 hours of community service are some how "lower quality" applicants. Would they magically be a "higher quality" applicant with a 20 on the DAT. Would that change the kind of person they are? Would that change the kind of dentist they will become?

I have lots of friends that attend there, some had 18's and some had 21's, but they are all very good people and will make excellent dentists. So the fact that you are calling them all "low quality", i think is bull****. Especially when you know nothing about the students or whether it's "a good school or not".

 

[Timpson]

Between cost of living and tuition, you will probably end up saving around 120K+ by going to ASDOH.

However, i think ASDOH just has many better things going for it. Modular program, dual MPH option, super happy students, off site rotations, and clinically awesome. I volunteer at a rotation site and on any given day, the D4s will do 5-10 extractions, a couple crown preps, and a few fillings. They see like 6-8 patients a day. Also, i just attended the predental sim clinic at ASDOH and Dr. Dillenberg said they matched 14/14 for pedo this year. Really impressive school all around.

Can't say much for USC, just know about the price tag.

The cost difference is not this great. Both schools are very expensive.

 

[UltimateHombre]

The cost difference is not this great. Both schools are very expensive.

Just a rough estimate...

USC = 80K a year (tuition & fees) - 320K
http://dentistry.usc.edu/programs/dds/cost-of-attendance/

ASDOH = 60K a year (tuition & fees) - 240K
http://www.atsu.edu/financial_aid/ASDOHtuitionbudgets.htm

Give or take saving another 5-10K a year in living expenses in AZ vs LA. I thought 100-120K was reasonable savings.

 

[wired202808]

I think that ASDOH's definition of a quality applicant is just different than yours.

They understand that there is much more to an applicant than just the numbers. They are looking to produce clinicians that are public health oriented, clinicians who will be leaders in the community. They are looking for people who have a proven track record with volunteering, not just massive hours, but people who have been volunteering consistently for years. They find this to be a genuine trait and more indicative of the kind of person they are looking for in a clinician.

And there academics are not "ridiculously low" with an average oGPA of 3.45, sGPA of 3.5, and DAT of 18.5, i think they do just fine. Their students have a good board pass rate and usually graduate with extensive clinical expertise.

I just think it is pretty offensive to say that students with a 18/19 DAT and a 3.5 GPA, with 800 hours of community service are some how "lower quality" applicants. Would they magically be a "higher quality" applicant with a 20 on the DAT. Would that change the kind of person they are? Would that change the kind of dentist they will become?

I have lots of friends that attend there, some had 18's and some had 21's, but they are all very good people and will make excellent dentists. So the fact that you are calling them all "low quality", i think is bull****. Especially when you know nothing about the students or whether it's "a good school or not".

Their average stats aren't as high as you made them out to be, they're quite low actually. Based http://www.atsu.edu/asdoh/pdfs/fact_sheet.pdf they're average oGPA is a 3.35 and their avg sGPA is a 3.22 with an 18.2 average DAT. Meanwhile they reported the following numbers to the ADEA 2011 guidebook: they had an average DAT of 17.9, oGPA of 3.31 and sGPA of 3.16. So I don't know which numbers to believe because the two figures for 2011 aren't the same.

Given the fact that these are averages, 25% of the class has stats are the below these. 😱 So that means there are students with bottom 3.0 GPAs and DAT scores way below 18 that were admitted. Really? That's pretty crazy if you ask me, the 2011 averages for all schools were: 19.17 DAT, 3.55 oGPA and 3.48 sGPA vs. ASDOH's 17.9 DAT, oGPA of 3.31 and sGPA of 3.16. I just dont understand how 800 hours of volunteering takes more precedence over solid grades. And yes grades are meant for judging applicants, in fact thats the sole purpose of hard factors like GPA and DAT. If everyone went to a school that accepted you based on 800 hours of shadowing the profession would be in the dumps. This is true for every medical profession and is the reason that each year its progressively harder to get into medical school, dental school, etc.

I'm only using real world averages and examples to indicate that the caliber of students at that school is below average as compared to other schools. I'm just surprised how their model is viable when statistically they were at the bottom 6% as compared to all other schools based on stats. Again all I'm saying is that most schools do not follow their approach and require a lot more rigor to get into. If all schools had 3.35 average GPAs and 18 on the DATs then things would be different.

I'd really like to know why ASDOH feels a student with a 3.22 oGPA can be successful meanwhile 50 other schools don't feel that way and wouldn't accept such an applicant. PS I dont define low quality or lower caliber applicants, thats not my job. Schools do that on their own when they accept or reject applicants. And since a 3.3 and 3.2 is below average as based on the stats then thats simply that.

 

[fujindesu]

Given the fact that these are averages, 25% of the class has stats are the below these. 😱 So that means there are students with bottom 3.0 GPAs and DAT scores way below 18 that were admitted. Really? .

They don't report variance or standard deviation w/ those datas. If you assume normal distribution then you have 50% of the people w/ stats lower than the mean.

can anyone provide any insight to USC clinical experience? all the students ambassadors at my interview are D1 and D2's, and most of the sdn posters defending sc are also D1 and D2's.

 

[disney]

I have nothing against non-trads (i'm a non-trad myself) I just don't like how 800 hours of volunteering = admission. Esp when the stats are ridiculously low. That's my opinion, I dunno if the school is good or not. I just found it silly that they reject applicants with high stats and basically give a hand out to lower quality applicants. Again its my personal bias, I'm not from the West Coast so I wouldn't attend the school either way.

I got accepted to ASDOH with 140 hours of volunteer. I do have research, work, and of course, good stats.

 

[wired202808]

They don't report variance or standard deviation w/ those datas. If you assume normal distribution then you have 50% of the people w/ stats lower than the mean.

can anyone provide any insight to USC clinical experience? all the students ambassadors at my interview are D1 and D2's, and most of the sdn posters defending sc are also D1 and D2's.

I don't think they do anything other than take the average of the each factor (gpa and dat). Therefore its save to assume that average = 50% and 25% are above and 25% are below the mean.

 

[wired202808]

I got accepted to ASDOH with 140 hours of volunteer. I do have research, work, and of course, good stats.

right but most people admitted to asdoh aren't in the same boat as you, just saying.

 

[Seamonkey Doc]

They don't report variance or standard deviation w/ those datas. If you assume normal distribution then you have 50% of the people w/ stats lower than the mean.

can anyone provide any insight to USC clinical experience? all the students ambassadors at my interview are D1 and D2's, and most of the sdn posters defending sc are also D1 and D2's.

I was thinking the same thing.

Even if ASDOH takes applicants with lower stats, I wouldn't automatically rule them out as an incompetent school. They have created capable dentists successfully in the past and can still give you a good education.

OP: If the cost difference doesn't bother you that much, choose the school you felt more comfortable with while you were there and were interacting with people.

 

[wired202808]

I was thinking the same thing.

Even if ASDOH takes applicants with lower stats, I wouldn't automatically rule them out as an incompetent school. They have created capable dentists successfully in the past and can still give you a good education.

OP: If the cost difference doesn't bother you that much, choose the school you felt more comfortable with while you were there and were interacting with people.

I never said its an incompetent school. I'm just wondering why 94% of the other dental schools dont follow such a philosophy. That's all.

 

[indigenoustw]

I never said its an incompetent school. I'm just wondering why 94% of the other dental schools dont follow such a philosophy. That's all.

It's new, and obviously every school has its own philosophy. Not following doesn't mean it's bad or anything, they just don't follow. If I order chicken McNuggets, am I rejecting all other items on the menu? Nah, I just feel like it. I'm hungry hence the analogy.

In case you guys are interested, google "The Arizona Model - A new paradigm for dental schools". The article explores the model and of course its pros, cons, and the results.

 

[dantemac]

I don't understand why people knock ASDOH for its lower stats entry. Look at the skills upon EXIT. And while you're at it, consider the lower debt upon finish 😉

 

[Seamonkey Doc]

I don't understand why people knock ASDOH for its lower stats entry. Look at the skills upon EXIT. And while you're at it, consider the lower debt upon finish 😉

Yep

They've produced good dentists, that's what matters. If your stats were good enough for you, you shouldn't be worried over your colleagues' stats.

 

[dantemac]

They produce great dentists and they've only been open 10 years. Also, Western U is modeling themselves off of ASDOH. Clearly they are doing something right.

 

[disney]

I had a chance to work with a newly graduated dentist from ASDOH. He has great clinical skills, and works as fast as any experienced dentists.

Back to the topic: USC vs ASDOH, I would pick ASDOH.

 

[UltimateHombre]

I'd really like to know why ASDOH feels a student with a 3.22 oGPA can be successful meanwhile 50 other schools don't feel that way and wouldn't accept such an applicant. PS I dont define low quality or lower caliber applicants, thats not my job. Schools do that on their own when they accept or reject applicants. And since a 3.3 and 3.2 is below average as based on the stats then thats simply that.

I stand corrected on the stats, i was using predents.com, with the assumption it was up to date with the ADEA.

ASDOH feels that way, because they have been doing this for 10 years and it has worked just fine. Again, ASDOH defines quality and caliber differently than most schools, but it doesn't mean it is inferior by any means. Their board pass rate is around 98-99%, all their grads graduate with a certificate in public health (30% with an MPH), and most of their grads have over 300 extractions and 50-100 crowns upon graduation. And judging on their match rate of around 40% i think that other programs think highly of them as well.

To be honest, i think their philosophy is brilliant. They base their admission criteria on the qualities they think make a great clinician: community involvement, leadership, work experience, communication skills, etc. You don't need to be an amazing scholar to be a great clinician, you just need to pass dental school classes and pass the boards.

I think that the article above summarized ASDOH's philosophy best "The administration realized that it is not difficult to teach otherwise intelligent people to become dentists; however, it is difficult to instill a heart for serving the needs of others." -The Arizona Model: A New Paradigm for Dental Schools

Their philosophy must be accurate too, it seems there is a movement to try and measure these qualities for future admission into specilty programs with the boards going pass/fail.

http://www.ets.org/Media/Products/PPI/flashTour/ETSPPI.html

 

[dantemac]

I stand corrected on the stats, i was using predents.com, with the assumption it was up to date with the ADEA.

ASDOH feels that way, because they have been doing this for 10 years and it has worked just fine. Again, ASDOH defines quality and caliber differently than most schools, but it doesn't mean it is inferior by any means. Their board pass rate is around 98-99%, all their grads graduate with a certificate in public health (30% with an MPH), and most of their grads have over 300 extractions and 50-100 crowns upon graduation. And judging on their match rate of around 40% i think that other programs think highly of them as well.

To be honest, i think their philosophy is brilliant. They base their admission criteria on the qualities they think make a great clinician: community involvement, leadership, work experience, communication skills, etc. You don't need to be an amazing scholar to be a great clinician, you just need to pass dental school classes and pass the boards.

I think that the article above summarized ASDOH's philosophy best "The administration realized that it is not difficult to teach otherwise intelligent people to become dentists; however, it is difficult to instill a heart for serving the needs of others." -The Arizona Model: A New Paradigm for Dental Schools

Their philosophy must be accurate too, it seems there is a movement to try and measure these qualities for future admission into specilty programs with the boards going pass/fail.

http://www.ets.org/Media/Products/PPI/flashTour/ETSPPI.html

Isn't that neat. I should have gone there, damn it.

 

[white fang]

Cheaper school all the way. I dont like ASDOH for its low stats and the type of students that they admit, but I wouldn't overspend to go to USC.

Are you real?

 

[wired202808]

I don't understand why people knock ASDOH for its lower stats entry. Look at the skills upon EXIT. And while you're at it, consider the lower debt upon finish 😉

I dont make up the admissions stats and I dont reject or accept applicants. I was just wondering why ASDOH will take applicants that other schools wouldn't touch with a 10 ft pole.

 

[wired202808]

I stand corrected on the stats, i was using predents.com, with the assumption it was up to date with the ADEA.

ASDOH feels that way, because they have been doing this for 10 years and it has worked just fine. Again, ASDOH defines quality and caliber differently than most schools, but it doesn't mean it is inferior by any means. Their board pass rate is around 98-99%, all their grads graduate with a certificate in public health (30% with an MPH), and most of their grads have over 300 extractions and 50-100 crowns upon graduation. And judging on their match rate of around 40% i think that other programs think highly of them as well.

To be honest, i think their philosophy is brilliant. They base their admission criteria on the qualities they think make a great clinician: community involvement, leadership, work experience, communication skills, etc. You don't need to be an amazing scholar to be a great clinician, you just need to pass dental school classes and pass the boards.

I think that the article above summarized ASDOH's philosophy best "The administration realized that it is not difficult to teach otherwise intelligent people to become dentists; however, it is difficult to instill a heart for serving the needs of others." -The Arizona Model: A New Paradigm for Dental Schools

Their philosophy must be accurate too, it seems there is a movement to try and measure these qualities for future admission into specilty programs with the boards going pass/fail.

http://www.ets.org/Media/Products/PPI/flashTour/ETSPPI.html

How do you find out the match rate for each school? Is there a list?

 

[lemoncurry]

ASDOH is huge on community service, and if your app doesn't show a background in this, you're screwed, IMO. This is the #1 reason why I think the statistics might be lower for ASDOH; because they are looking more toward those with lots of hours of volunteer/community service that will fit their mission.

I personally would not go to USC. I would accept ASDOH in a heartbeat.

 

[UltimateHombre]

How do you find out the match rate for each school? Is there a list?

A master list would be nice. The article i quoted earlier quotes the match rates as: 07 - 19%, 08 - 32%, 09 - 30%. And between talking to the dean and students this year telling me who matched, i know that 14 matched pedo, 4 ortho, 6 prosth, 4 perio.... and these are just the students i know of, works out to about 37%.

The article also states that the percent of students that went into public health were: 07 - 53%, 08 -32%, 09 - 32%. So i guess this is somewhat indicative of their mission.

 

[disney]

I dont make up the admissions stats and I dont reject or accept applicants. I was just wondering why ASDOH will take applicants that other schools wouldn't touch with a 10 ft pole.

All of your statements sound pretty offensive. Hope you did better than that in your interview(s). Good luck.

 

[Seamonkey Doc]

I stand corrected on the stats, i was using predents.com, with the assumption it was up to date with the ADEA.

ASDOH feels that way, because they have been doing this for 10 years and it has worked just fine. Again, ASDOH defines quality and caliber differently than most schools, but it doesn't mean it is inferior by any means. Their board pass rate is around 98-99%, all their grads graduate with a certificate in public health (30% with an MPH), and most of their grads have over 300 extractions and 50-100 crowns upon graduation. And judging on their match rate of around 40% i think that other programs think highly of them as well.

To be honest, i think their philosophy is brilliant. They base their admission criteria on the qualities they think make a great clinician: community involvement, leadership, work experience, communication skills, etc. You don't need to be an amazing scholar to be a great clinician, you just need to pass dental school classes and pass the boards.

I think that the article above summarized ASDOH's philosophy best "The administration realized that it is not difficult to teach otherwise intelligent people to become dentists; however, it is difficult to instill a heart for serving the needs of others." -The Arizona Model: A New Paradigm for Dental Schools

Their philosophy must be accurate too, it seems there is a movement to try and measure these qualities for future admission into specilty programs with the boards going pass/fail.

http://www.ets.org/Media/Products/PPI/flashTour/ETSPPI.html

👍
Almost anyone with the numbers can apply and land an interview at the very least. But a passion to serve (and a history of that) is very telling

 

[wired202808]

All of your statements sound pretty offensive. Hope you did better than that in your interview(s). Good luck.

I don't make up the admissions stats, dont hate on me. And don't worry about how I did. I landed acceptances just where I wanted to 😉

 

[omnipoDent]

I don't make up the admissions stats, dont hate on me. And don't worry about how I did. I landed acceptances just where I wanted to 😉

He's not "hating" on you. You're insulting their school, a usual thing for you while you pretend to be some 'expert' on everything, talking how ASDOH accepts applicants that other schools "wouldn't touch with a 10 ft pool."👎

What's this great school you're attending? Perhaps it's just easier for you to throw mud at other schools because they most likely all wanted nothing to do with you.🙂

 

[rainman1646]

Cheaper school all the way. I dont like ASDOH for its low stats and the type of students that they admit, but I wouldn't overspend to go to USC.

I was lucky enough to be accepted to ASDOH, however I had 6 other offers on the table. My GPA was 3.9, and DAT score was 22. I spent a considerable amount of time trying to understand why ASDOH has somewhat of a different philosophy and slightly lower than average DAT/GPA stats. Believe me, they want intelligent, competent, hard working students that will become highly successful dentists. And they understand that not everyone will end up in public health. However, they are definitely looking for people who understand their philosophy, believe in it, and have demonstrated it through community service and other activities.

With this being said, there are a LOT of great applicants that do not make it into ASDOH every year. I have 3 very close friends that would have been perfect for ASDOH. This year the Dean said there were over 3600 applicants, which made it one of the highest applicant per seat ratio among all dental schools. I know a lot of people are frustrated not to be accepted, but I'm sure the selection committee has a very difficult task trying to find the best applicants to meet ASDOH's philosophy. I'm sure there are many many others they would like to give offers to, just like every other school.

In regards to the volunteer hours, they look for a lot, but people get in based on their complete application, not just if they got in 800+ hours. There are people who get in with less, and there are people like my friends who do not get in with more. I can tell you that the "type of students" at ASDOH are genuine. They are honest, hard working, caring professionals that will make great dentists and leaders in the public or private sector.

I accepted ASDOH's offer because of several factors, which include philosophy, strong clinical experience, high % of students accepted into specialty programs, high % that pass boards, location, cost, and family friendly environment. I am very excited to get started this year. I hope this post was helpful to the OP.

 

[Seamonkey Doc]

He's not "hating" on you. You're insulting their school, a usual thing for you while you pretend to be some 'expert' on everything, talking how ASDOH accepts applicants that other schools "wouldn't touch with a 10 ft pool."👎

What's this great school you're attending? Funny, you have been asked repeatedly and haven't even been willing to say because you're a coward. I guess it's just easier for you to throw mud at other schools because they most likely all wanted nothing to do with you.🙂

I agree with the first part of your post.

Remember when wired said something like "people who 'overpay' for school are foolish" in another thread? And people were upset due to his rude way of disagreeing? "Coward" is going to be in the same category because name calling is not cool.

I'm not siding with anyone. I would hate to see more useless bickering

 

[Seamonkey Doc]

I was lucky enough to be accepted to ASDOH, however I had 6 other offers on the table. My GPA was 3.9, and DAT score was 22. I spent a considerable amount of time trying to understand why ASDOH has somewhat of a different philosophy and slightly lower than average DAT/GPA stats. Believe me, they want intelligent, competent, hard working students that will become highly successful dentists. And they understand that not everyone will end up in public health. However, they are definitely looking for people who understand their philosophy, believe in it, and have demonstrated it through community service and other activities.

With this being said, there are a LOT of great applicants that do not make it into ASDOH every year. I have 3 very close friends that would have been perfect for ASDOH. This year the Dean said there were over 3600 applicants, which made it one of the highest applicant per seat ratio among all dental schools. I know a lot of people are frustrated not to be accepted, but I'm sure the selection committee has a very difficult task trying to find the best applicants to meet ASDOH's philosophy. I'm sure there are many many others they would like to give offers to, just like every other school.

In regards to the volunteer hours, they look for a lot, but people get in based on their complete application, not just if they got in 800+ hours. There are people who get in with less, and there are people like my friends who do not get in with more. I can tell you that the "type of students" at ASDOH are genuine. They are honest, hard working, caring professionals that will make great dentists and leaders in the public or private sector.

I accepted ASDOH's offer because of several factors, which include philosophy, strong clinical experience, high % of students accepted into specialty programs, high % that pass boards, location, cost, and family friendly environment. I am very excited to get started this year. I hope this post was helpful to the OP.

👍👍

Seems like ASDOH is doing fine....

 

[omnipoDent]

I agree with the first part of your post.

Remember when wired said something like "people who 'overpay' for school are foolish" in another thread? And people were upset due to his rude way of disagreeing? "Coward" is going to be in the same category because name calling is not cool.

I'm not siding with anyone. I would hate to see more useless bickering

Very good point.👍 Corrected.

 

[lemoncurry]

more on topic and less personal jabs

 

[wired202808]

interesting stuff here.

 

[iralex801]

ASDOH is one of those schools who look for genuine people who are not just trying to make the big bucks and actually looking for people who will make a positive impact on society. If you get in there, it probably means you're a saint. Maybe not the smartest person or the most skillful dentist. But you definitely genuinely care about your community.

 

[Dent6777]

ASDOH is focused on accepting well rounded students. They are accepting students that have gone through the same courses and tests all other applicants have, all while participating in volunteer and community events as well. Rather than locking themselves in a library focusing on achieving the best grade in the class, they are balancing school with additional activities. Leadership roles, community involvement, and volunteer activities establish good social skills, something that is entirely necessary in keeping your patients happy. Beyond building interpersonal skills, these experiences also teach applicants how to accomplish things working together as a group, business concepts, and exposure to diversity. If I had to choose between a clinically skilled dentist lacking in social skills due to spending too much time in the books in undergrad, or a clinically skilled dentist that also has social and emotional intelligence, I would undoubtedly choose the provider that connects with me on a personal level in addition to our patient-provider relationship. ASDOH's students clearly aren't struggling once in the program, which is indicated by their high board pass rate. In my opinion, the ASDOH students have the best of both worlds … they've gotten their social and/or work experiences as well as their academic education. Obviously, I'm a big fan of the school and its philosophies. J

 

[04151976]

I have nothing against non-trads (i'm a non-trad myself) I just don't like how 800 hours of volunteering = admission. Esp when the stats are ridiculously low. That's my opinion, I dunno if the school is good or not. I just found it silly that they reject applicants with high stats and basically give a hand out to lower quality applicants. Again its my personal bias, I'm not from the West Coast so I wouldn't attend the school either way.

Granted ASDOH may take "non-traditional" students, I believe they put more emphasis on community service solely based on how their unique program is geared towards public health. However, because an applicant (like myself) may have extensive community service hours, does not in any way correlate to having low statistics or being sup par to any other candidate applying to dental school. I had high cumulative and science GPAs, DAT scores over 20, and extensive leadership and extra-curricular activities on my application. I was accepted into 6 other dental schools, with two academic scholarships to Boston University and Tufts University; therefore I do not consider myself a bottom-barrel candidate and feel that the generalization made of ASDOH students is significantly inaccurate.

 

[dantemac]

Granted ASDOH may take "non-traditional" students, I believe they put more emphasis on community service solely based on how their unique program is geared towards public health. However, because an applicant (like myself) may have extensive community service hours, does not in any way correlate to having low statistics or being sup par to any other candidate applying to dental school. I had high cumulative and science GPAs, DAT scores over 20, and extensive leadership and extra-curricular activities on my application. I was accepted into 6 other dental schools, with two academic scholarships to Boston University and Tufts University; therefore I do not consider myself a bottom-barrel candidate and feel that the generalization made of ASDOH students is significantly inaccurate.

I agree. I had 7 acceptances and I thought ASDOH was the best program I saw. However, for personal reasons (not wanting to move across the country) I chose Penn, which is under an hour from home. I will be kicking myself when it snows / when I want to leave the building on rotation but can't.

 

[Tirekicker]

Between cost of living and tuition, you will probably end up saving around 120K+ by going to ASDOH.

However, i think ASDOH just has many better things going for it. Modular program, dual MPH option, super happy students, off site rotations, and clinically awesome. I volunteer at a rotation site and on any given day, the D4s will do 5-10 extractions, a couple crown preps, and a few fillings. They see like 6-8 patients a day. Also, i just attended the predental sim clinic at ASDOH and Dr. Dillenberg said they matched 14/14 for pedo this year. Really impressive school all around.

Can't say much for USC, just know about the price tag.

👍

That's an easy choice: ASDOH all the way!

ASDOH is an excellent school that produces amazing clinicians. I volunteer at a community health center dental clinic here in Alaska that is run by an awesome ASDOH grad. Since I've been there, we have had a couple of ASDOH D4's there for six week rotations working their own operatories, seeing 10+ patients a day, and they do great. At ASDOH, after taking part I of the boards during their first summer the rest is mostly all clinical, with the last year spent rotating through different clinics around the country. ASDOH grads are clinical monsters! 😎

ASDOH is looks for people who have demonstrated throughout their lives that they care about those around them. I don't understand why some people resent this. So what if someone's grades have suffered somewhat, because they don't eat, drink, and sleep school. Life is a lot more than academics. Successful dentistry is a lot more than numbers. Obviously, ASDOH produce good dentists (board pass rates, match rates, clinical experience). Haters gonna hate.

Happy St. Patty's Day!