Non-CA Dental Schools

[chocobo]

I'm going to be applying to some schools out of california, but I don't know anything
about the schools except for what I see on their websites and what I read in the Admission Requirements book from ADEA.

ave you guys heard or know anything about particular schools? I would like to know how happy the students are at the particular school.

TIA

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[smiledoc2004]

Which out-of-state schools will be applying to? The schools I can give you a little insight into are: PENN, CASE, U. Maryland, & Columbia.

------------------
Your talent is God's gift to you.
What you do with it is your gift back to God.
--Leo Buscaglia

 

[chocobo]

The problem is that I don't know which out of state schools to apply to. I think I'll cover the whole range in terms of GPA/DAT, so that I'll get in somewhere.

I would like to know more especially on Penn, Case, Columbia. But I would also appreciate it if you could tell me about Maryland as well.

Thx smiledoc

 

[Rock]

are you interested in Canadian dental schools

 

[smiledoc2004]

It?s good that you are covering your bases by applying to a wide range of schools, but do not discourage yourself from applying to schools that you might feel are too competitive. Shoot high!
As for the out-of-state schools I interviewed at, PENN impressed me the most. The campus was very nice, and curriculum was exceptional. PENN was my number 2 school. The price is high, but an Ivy League education is hard to pass up. I was not too impressed with CASE, though they do have a great clinical program. Cleveland is not my idea of the best place to live, contrary to the Drew. Columbia was so, so. They are a great school if you wish to specialize, as is PENN. If you were interested in more of a clinical focus to your schooling, PENN or Columbia wouldn?t be the best choice. Cost of living in NY is through the roof, and the dental school is in a relatively rough part of Manhattan. U. Maryland was a kick butt school. The price was right, and they had a good balance of didactic and clinical exposure...and the baseball stadium was right down the street. It was hard to turn them down.
I hope this helps. Good luck.

------------------
Your talent is God's gift to you.
What you do with it is your gift back to God.
--Leo Buscaglia

 

[chocobo]

Rock: I'm not interested in Canadian schools, since I want to practice in California. But thx anyways

Smiledoc: Hehe, thx for the shoot high advice. It's hard because I won't be taking the DAT until August. My first choice will probably be UCLA. I think I'm more interested in a clinical focus, but I feel that I should keep my options open. So why is it that you should go to a school with more of a research focus, if you want to specialize? Do you need to do research to get into post-grad programs? Does the reputation of the dental school matter as well? How was the UPenn curriculum exceptional? I'll look into Maryland. I'm not too thrilled about Columbia being located in a bad part of the neighborhood. Safety is a concern for me.

May I ask what stats, activities you had to get into UCSF? Why did you choose to go there? Any impressions of the school? How many schools did you apply to? Are you planning to practice in CA? Hope you don't mind all the personal questions (You don't need to answer questions you don't want to, of course!). By the way, congrats in getting into UCSF!

Thanks a bunch.

 

[smiledoc2004]

Chocobo: All these questions might be better served over e-mail rather than this forum, but here goes (deep breath). To start off, I think it noteworthy to say that you get out of dental school (and most all we do) what you put in to it. If you go to a school like PENN or UCSF for that matter, and want more clinical exposure, you can get it. The reason I say this is my buddy is going to PENN and he brought up this very point. So go to the school that is a personal fit for you, and the one you will most happy at.
*Regarding your question about research focus and specializing, the coveted residencies such as OMS or Ortho require that you be in the top 3-5 % of your class. With that said, high caliber schools like Columbia, PENN, UCSF, Harvard, etc. are presumably the most rigorous and produce the ?best? students. As with most ?heady? institutions, research in numero uno. I think this were the name comes into play, and schools offering the residency spots look at(producing a very competitive environment). There are many holes in this argument though?UCLA takes many students from Creighton for there post-doc programs (good hands).
*I am not sure of any correlation between research and getting into a specialty program.
*PENN?s curriculum was very progressive and seemed to tackle the advances and changes occurring in dentistry very well. Plus, their instructors are among the best in the nation, no question.
*N.Y. in general is a rather rowdy place. Manhattan is a very affluent part of N.Y., but uptown ads a new dimension.
*If you look at what the average GPA and test scores that UCSF likes, you will find me right there +-. I did have a lot of other things going for me though, such as great letters of recommendation, lots of community involvement, quiet a bit of leadership experience, did some teaching as an undergraduate, research, and good communication skills.
I chose UCSF because 1) it?s a California school, and I plan to practice here, and 2) it?s one of the top schools in the nation.
*My impressions of the school were they were serious, but not too serious, and everyone seemed to enjoy being there?so much so to be drinking beer in lab.

*I applied to 13 schools.
In the future, don?t hesitate to pick my brain for the inside scoops!



------------------
Your talent is God's gift to you.
What you do with it is your gift back to God.
--Leo Buscaglia

 

[chocobo]

Thanks so much smiledoc.
And thank you for your offer. I sure will use it in the months to come!