current USC students/grads please PM me

[osushi gurl]

I posted this same question in the pre-dent forum.

I got an email acceptance last week and I'm stuck in a tough decision!! I have my sights set on Temple in Philadelphia (solid program, great clinical school) but since I'm from SoCal, USC is very tempting. I'm not sure I'll be good in a PBL curriculum. I still don't have a clear idea of what the PBL curriculum is. So microbio, biochem, etc is molded into the case studies with no lecture?? How are the exam formats? What do you guys think about tuition/loans? I guess tuition doesn't matter if you are happy where you are. A student told me that their clinic portion is always changing. I'm just worried because when i was interviewing at the school, couple of students were whispering "don't do it, don't come here". I just want to make the best decision!

Thanks.

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[TheDentist2008]

Hey osushi girl i was in the same predicament as u are. Im from so cal and interviewed Feb 23rd at USC - I heard the same exact comments from the dental students in the elevators saying "DOnt go here, go some where else its not worth it" !!!! I was very dissapointed 2 say the least about USC and that whole PBL garbage (for almost 80 g's a year - good luck !!!). How the heck r u gonna study 4 anatomy? biochem ? Im not much of a research person so if u like spending time doing research and "studying" within a group u should go there. As 4 me I need 2 study by myself and memorize my stuff and when test day rolls around just spit it out

I interviewed at Temple and actually liked their school, cost and the old school teaching method. At least Temples own students werent telling me not 2 go there !!!

Class of 2008
U. of Pitt !!!

 

[vietho26]

I interviewed at Temple and actually liked their school, cost and the old school teaching method. At least Temples own students werent telling me not 2 go there !!!

Class of 2008
U. of Pitt !!!

Then why did you decide on U. Pitt and turned down Temple??

 

[organic]

I posted this same question in the pre-dent forum.

I got an email acceptance last week and I'm stuck in a tough decision!! I have my sights set on Temple in Philadelphia (solid program, great clinical school) but since I'm from SoCal, USC is very tempting. I'm not sure I'll be good in a PBL curriculum. I still don't have a clear idea of what the PBL curriculum is. So microbio, biochem, etc is molded into the case studies with no lecture?? How are the exam formats? What do you guys think about tuition/loans? I guess tuition doesn't matter if you are happy where you are. A student told me that their clinic portion is always changing. I'm just worried because when i was interviewing at the school, couple of students were whispering "don't do it, don't come here". I just want to make the best decision!

Thanks.

Hey
PBL style of learning requires very self- motivating students to learn by themselves. I think it is great ideology, but when it comes to most students, they very often just do not learn a thing.

My friend is a Dentist in London, he graduated from the No.1 PBL- based learning dentalschool in UK, he told me he didn't learn a thing and felt it was not such a great system. I also heard from other working dentists who claimed that recent graduates from USC weren't as good as pre-PBL students.

I personally do not know anything about USC program, and have no intention to denigrate the school. Here are just what I heard from people, can be true or false

 

[vietho26]

"didn't learn a thing"

Hmmm...one thing I learned when getting evaluations from ego head filled residents on a rotation is that the more extreme a statement the more subjective and non objective the person is. Meaning a good evaluation is probably true either the resident liked you and/or you really performed well, a very bad extreme evaluation means you actually did fine but the resident hated ur guts for some personal reason, and a mediocre average evaluation is actually the WORST cause you were average indeed and the resident didn't want to or couldn't find anything good to say about you.

So I am just wondering how one can go through three years to four years of dental school and not learn a single thing. Of course I agree PBL is not for everyone and only the motivated students would seem to do well. But I could see students who hate PBL and are not motivated could easily prefer lectures since it is easier to sit and listen and have things spoon fed to them. People are vey different in many ways.

I have yet to see what d-school is life but I can share this one experience.
The first two years of med school was brutal learning all the stuff and material and having exams every 2 weeks continuously. I thought I knew I knew my stuff even after passing and doing slightly above average on the medical boards STEP 1 BUT I really didn't know jack until I came to hospital rotations where no has time to lecture stuff to you. 3am in the morning my resident would teach me things by showing it to me and telling me to mimic him/her on the spot and that's when my knowledge of medicine came full circle and I finally learned something. Before that it was all memorizing and then forgetting it and now cause I did the procedure and had at many times research it myself before scrubbing in the OR I will remember it forever.Then again I was very motivated in med school without drinking the mountains of coffee that my friends had to so PBL is most likely a good fit for me. Best of luck with ur decision.

 

[TheDentist2008]

Then why did you decide on U. Pitt and turned down Temple??

I went to Pitt because my brother is a 4th year student over there and the benefit that i can get from him outweighs any other school that i was accepted to(USC, Temple, Case, etc)

 

[grettlin2]

...I also heard from other working dentists who claimed that recent graduates from USC weren't as good as pre-PBL students. ..

Organic. Does USC send their students to work with practice dentists during the school? If I do not remember wrong, Class of 2004 is the first pure PBL graduates, and their average Part I score is 87 which is ranking top 10 of the country. As I heard from the 3rd year student, 5 students (class 2004) have been accepted to Ortho, and other speciality programs.
I was accepted to Temple, Pitt, and others, too. However, based on the evidence of Part I score, it convinces me PBL works. Also, if you notice the future trend of National Board Exam, case study plays a big role.
Of course, the shortage of USC is their tuition. However, it is a trade off question between future debt and good education for me.