UW (IS) vs Utah (OOS)

[teeth.25]

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Hi everyone! I’d really appreciate some advice as I decide between U of Utah (OOS) and UW (in-state) for dental school.

School 1: University of Utah (OOS)​

Pros:

• Early clinical exposure
• Strong public health and community-focused emphasis
• Mission and values feel very aligned with my own
• Excited about living in a new region and exploring a different part of the country
• Overall program feels energizing and motivating to me
• High board pass rates (100%)

Cons:

• Far from family in Washington
• Being away from home for four years feels intimidating
• Worry I might regret the distance from family/support system

School 2: University of Washington (in-state)​

Pros:

• Close to family and strong support system
• In-state tuition
• Long-standing reputation and established program
• Strong research opportunities (even though I’m not very research-oriented)
• Familiar environment since I did my undergrad here
• High board pass rates
• Overall good school

Cons:

• Program felt less exciting to me during the interview
• Familiarity makes it feel a bit underwhelming
• Less emphasis on public health/community compared to Utah (in my opinion)
• Competitiveness between students
• Less clinical experience compared to Utah
• Worry I’ll regret not taking a leap and trying something new

Summary​

Ignoring cost for a moment, I feel more drawn to Utah because of the early clinical exposure, public health focus, and how well the school’s mission aligns with my values. However, being far from family is my biggest hesitation. With UW, I value being close to home and the school’s strong reputation, but I worry I’d second-guess myself for not choosing the option that excites me more. Everyone who I have spoken to has told me to stay at UW and I feel that is pressuring me to choose UW.

For anyone who had to choose between staying close to home vs moving away for dental school, or who has experience with either program, how did you think through that decision? Any insight would really help. Thank you!

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Welcome to the forums.

If you see yourself working in the PNW for most of your career, you pick UW, period. Now, Utah is probably growing population-wise a little more quickly than Washington, and there's also the political and cultural environment that differs. But would I worry that you can't go work in Washington if you trained in Utah? I don't think I would worry about it as much.

 

[JacquesVallee]

Ignoring cost for a moment

Why ignore the elephant in the room?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I think the elephant in the room is (also) what do you mean by "exciting"? What motivates you when things aren't "exciting" in dentistry?

Also, UW overall is pretty good on public health IMO.

https://familymedicine.uw.edu/chws/resources/wohw/

My Journey into Dental Public Health Research - DeRouen Center

The DeRouen Center improves the quality of life by promoting collaboration and inclusion in oral and craniofacial research that impacts global health.

research.dental.uw.edu

 

[teeth.25]

I think the elephant in the room is (also) what do you mean by "exciting"? What motivates you when things aren't "exciting" in dentistry?

Also, UW overall is pretty good on public health IMO.

https://familymedicine.uw.edu/chws/resources/wohw/

My Journey into Dental Public Health Research - DeRouen Center

The DeRouen Center improves the quality of life by promoting collaboration and inclusion in oral and craniofacial research that impacts global health.

research.dental.uw.edu

I think by “exciting” I don’t mean constant novelty or fun. I mean feeling aligned with the program’s mission and how it approaches training. I would say what motivates me long-term isn’t excitement itself but purpose and fit! I don’t think UW lacks public health, but I guess for me it was more about how it’s emphasized. Utah is that states major Medicaid dental provider and even smaller things like making educational videos in Spanish stood out to me because that’s the population I hope to work with. UW has always felt more research-forward, even during my undergrad, which is great, just not where my interests are strongest. For me it’s really about personal fit rather than one being objectively better. I just don’t really know if it’s worth leaving my state school for another state school even though I do feel drawn to Utah.