USN or USC

[Dentalguy1]

I was just accepted at USN.. I was also recently accepted at USC. Now I need to make a tough decision. Both schools are about equally expensive although living will be cheaper in Utah. USN and USC have both been on top of my lists and now that I have to decide I need some help!! Please

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[lmaozedong1]

Personally I'd go with USC just b/c it has been around longer. I'm pretty sure they do PBL, so if you'd like that then it's for you.

 

[spearmint]

You need to give us more info about yourself if you want better feedback. Where are you from? What is most important to you in choosing a school?

I would not choose a school based on reputation alone. USC is a good school, but it's not for everyone. You should seriously consider if PBL is for you. If you're going to pay close to $500K, you should make sure you're getting the most out of your education.

I'm not familiar with USN, but it seems like they are modeling it after WesternU in CA. They both seem to emphasize interprofessional/interdisciplinary learning. I think this is a very innovative concept and would expose dental students to a wholistic approach to caring for their patients. I've heard good things from students at WesternU about this type of curriculum, but it may or may not be for you. Only you would know. Also, the facilities are brand-spanking new. So you will be using new state-of-the art sim lab, clinic, everything.

Consider where you would like to live and potentially practice after graduating. L.A. is a busy city with lots of things to do. Good weather. But the cost of living is also quite expensive. Gas here is breaking $4/gal. Traffic is HORRIBLE. The market here is not very good for new graduates. I don't know anything about Utah, except it's probably less expensive to live there.

 

[Osity]

USC definitely has the reputation, but you have to ask yourself if that reputation+PVL+$4/gallonn for gas+nasty traffic is worth $500k. That said, it seems that they have recently starting changing their curriculum and things are looking better.

USN is in a great location, right near the freeway, and in a good area. There should be more than enough patients to go around since it's the first dental school in Utah. The COL in Utah is relatively low, especially compared to California. A major downside is that USN is not yet accredited. They will almost certainly be accredited, but the timing is a big question. If school starts before they are accredited, then you will be required to take out private loans, which will likely have a higher interest rate and require a cosigner or some type of collateral.

All in all, if I was in your position, I would be going to USN. They seem to be patterning their curriculum off of Western and Midwestern as far as integrating systems and concepts, which I think is awesome. Additionally, you can be there during the initial stages, which can be good and bad; good that you will be able to help form things, bad because you will experience the school's growing pains.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[bababooya]

USC definitely has the reputation, but you have to ask yourself if that reputation+PVL+$4/gallonn for gas+nasty traffic is worth $500k. That said, it seems that they have recently starting changing their curriculum and things are looking better.

USN is in a great location, right near the freeway, and in a good area. There should be more than enough patients to go around since it's the first dental school in Utah. The COL in Utah is relatively low, especially compared to California. A major downside is that USN is not yet accredited. They will almost certainly be accredited, but the timing is a big question. If school starts before they are accredited, then you will be required to take out private loans, which will likely have a higher interest rate and require a cosigner or some type of collateral.

All in all, if I was in your position, I would be going to USN. They seem to be patterning their curriculum off of Western and Midwestern as far as integrating systems and concepts, which I think is awesome. Additionally, you can be there during the initial stages, which can be good and bad; good that you will be able to help form things, bad because you will experience the school's growing pains.

Good luck with your decision!

Someone at the USN interview asked what if they dont get initial accreditation this summer before the fall semester starts, they said in that case they will just push back the start date to Jan 2012 and fix whatever problem CODA reported. So looks like a new dental school cant start classes until it has obtained accreditation status, therefore, you dont have to worry about not receiving federal loans and taking out private loans.