Columbia, Penn, UCLA and debt

[charcot bouchard]

I was fortunate enough to be admitted to all 3 of these schools yesterday. They are among my top choices for where I should attend school. I know I am a ways away from making this decision, but I am quite sure I want to specialize, possibly in OMFS.

UCLA is substantially cheaper and that is weighing heavily on my mind, so I wanted to ask others regarding Columbia and Penn and how they rationalized the debt of attending those schools. I am from Utah and dental professionals here can be quite pessimistic about your earning potential, but when I was back east visiting CDM and Penn, the students all seemed to believe their incomes would be large enough that the debt wouldn't be a huge burden. Was I just talking to the misinformed? Which of these schools would be best?

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[FeralisExtremum]

I think all three of those schools have a pretty solid reputation for specializing.

 

[charcot bouchard]

I think all three of those schools have a pretty solid reputation for specializing.

True. How concerned are you about the debt incurred from attending Columbia? Are you classmates generally concerned about it?

 

[FeralisExtremum]

True. How concerned are you about the debt incurred from attending Columbia? Are you classmates generally concerned about it?

Debt wasn't an issue for me, so it's hard for me to comment on that topic with much perspective, but I personally believe if one specializes (especially something like OMS where the average salary is higher than general dentists') then paying back even the considerable debt of dental school shouldn't be an issue no matter where you go. I don't think most of my class seems too concerned about the debt, but I think it's important to ask around and get some feedback from people who are responsible for paying back the debt themselves.

 

[ProspectivePostPreDent]

I'm in a similar position, except my "UCLA" offer is UConn.

I'm not sure what I'm gonna do, either.

My instinct is to lean toward UCLA/UConn (I work for a hugely competitive residency, and they like UCLA/UConn grads just as much as ivies) for the value.

However, the students at UConn, while happy, seem to be more overwhelmed by their schedule than at other places, which is something to consider for me (family reasons).

People love to talk about how there aren't any dental school rankings, but I know which schools the institution I work for will and won't consider for interviews (a certain percentage are a guaranteed no, so obviously there's a subjective hierarchy).

If UCLA makes sense for your life, then I would lean that way, because residencies will definitely not dock points on your application whatsoever, and + money, + weather.

 

[surfline]

UCLA! (cheapest)

If you have any doubts, just plug in each schools CoA in a repayment calculator

 

[stitcherator]

Im in a similar position, except my UCLA is UCSF. Anyone hear about UCSF's specialization rates?

 

[charcot bouchard]

Debt wasn't an issue for me, so it's hard for me to comment on that topic with much perspective, but I personally believe if one specializes (especially something like OMS where the average salary is higher than general dentists') then paying back even the considerable debt of dental school shouldn't be an issue no matter where you go. I don't think most of my class seems too concerned about the debt, but I think it's important to ask around and get some feedback from people who are responsible for paying back the debt themselves.

Oh ok, yeah I will check with the other students I know at Columbia then. I appreciate your feedback.

 

[Life of Pablo]

@Big Time Hoosier

 

[aj30]

I was fortunate enough to be admitted to all 3 of these schools yesterday. They are among my top choices for where I should attend school. I know I am a ways away from making this decision, but I am quite sure I want to specialize, possibly in OMFS.

UCLA is substantially cheaper and that is weighing heavily on my mind, so I wanted to ask others regarding Columbia and Penn and how they rationalized the debt of attending those schools. I am from Utah and dental professionals here can be quite pessimistic about your earning potential, but when I was back east visiting CDM and Penn, the students all seemed to believe their incomes would be large enough that the debt wouldn't be a huge burden. Was I just talking to the misinformed? Which of these schools would be best?

I wouldn't rely on the opinions of students one way or another. It's a very subjective metric (whether or not they BELIEVE their debts will be a burden to them). Most of them don't have real life experience paying back 1/10 of the debt they'll be in after dental school. You need to talk to recent graduates who went to school at prices similar to what you'll be paying and find out what they think. Most of those that I've spoken to have scoffed at the idea of going to an expensive Ivy League schools instead of a cheaper (and often clinically stronger) school that's half the price. Though specialization does play a role, all the schools you've mentioned are known for having high specialization rates. So, if one is significantly cheaper than the other, you have your answer.

 

[2TH MVR]

You can specialize from any school. All about class rank. Correct me if I'm wrong, but even at an IVY or well-known dental college ... you still need to outgun your classmates. Right? Just because you attend one of these schools doesn't magically give you the golden ticket to a specialty res.

Plenty of students attended public schools. ME. Plenty of students attended in-state local colleges. ME. Plenty of students attended a traditional, inexpensive state university. ME. Plenty of students were accepted to specialty programs. ME.

Seriously. I wasn't the most gifted student (well my wife says I'm pretty gifted ). But I managed.