UCSF vs UB Dental?

[confuseddent]

I know its pretty early in the cycle, but I just got interviews at both UCSF and UB. I know interviews do not mean acceptances but I'm beginning to think about which school would be a better fit. I am interested in research and both schools are strong in that aspect. Personally, I know UCSF is known nationally as a pretty reputable school - Buffalo, though, I'm not too sure how strong of a name the school holds. Does dental school name matter? I dont know anyone that attends either school so any opinions, positive or negative, would be helpful, thanks!

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[Dr.CinnamonRoll]

I went to ub as undergrad, and you'll like it; diverse groups of ppl, things to do, etc. UB dental is known for letting students change state residencies after 1 year, meaning youll be able to save a LOT of money, on top of buffalo being a very affordable place.

Cali schools... im not too sure about, but at least youll have fun.

If debt were on your mind (as it should be) i would lean towards buffalo. You'll be savings alot

 

[Steeezy]

Congrats on the interviews! Two excellent schools and I know people who are happy at both. I think you should re-read the websites along with school discussions on SDN. Ultimately, I think you'll get a pretty good grasp of what the schools are about during your interview days.

 

[Trigeminal08]

where do you want to practice after d school? Do you want letter grades or pass/no pass? Do you prefer east coast or west coast?

 

[Life of Pablo]

You can get california residency pretty easily as well. UCSF is going to be A LOT more expensive because of the cost of living, but it's also a really, really good school. Dental school name doesn't really matter too much though. Choose whichever one you like more during the interview and makes the most economical sense.

 

[C10H15N]

Don't get distracted. The best school is the cheapest school.

 

[Dr.CinnamonRoll]

Don't get distracted. The best school is the cheapest school.

Exactly. In 15 years, school name name wont even matter to any of your patients (how many people know where their dentist went to school?), but at 450k, debt is a language spoken by everyone... a concern that might hold you back for many decades

 

[Dr.CinnamonRoll]

Unless ucsf has a program/aspect about it's dental school that makes it priceless, look at the pricetag

 

[FeralisExtremum]

Are you interested in specializing, doing research after completing dental school, or pursuing a career in academics? If so, I'd attend UCSF (which I would say has a stronger research reputation than UB).

If you want to be a general dentist, go with the cheaper school.

 

[periopocket]

UB with 1 year OOS is right around 300k including everything. Personally, I would go to UCSF - pass fail curriculum is huge, UB will nickel and dime you for every 1 credit class to establish a rank, it's very stressful.


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[confuseddent]

Thanks for all your feedback guys! I know I definitely want to specialize after graduating dental school. Based on my research, both schools have pretty good stats for their grads going onto specializations. Is one really better than the other? And does UCSF have a stronger research department than Buffalo?

 

[periopocket]

Thanks for all your feedback guys! I know I definitely want to specialize after graduating dental school. Based on my research, both schools have pretty good stats for their grads going onto specializations. Is one really better than the other? And does UCSF have a stronger research department than Buffalo?

I would say UCSF is stronger for research and specialization. The pass fail will really aid you in specialization.

 

[free99]

What will be your total cost of attendance for both schools? I was in the exact same boat as you, acceptances at UB and UCSF and chose UB based solely on price. It was slated to be about an 80-90k difference after 4 years, probably more with interest accumulation. My education at Buffalo has been good, but as @periopocket said, rank is stressful and you have to work your tail off to stay towards the top. That said UCSF is not 100% pass fail either, I think they have pass fail honors in some classes, but I don't know the details nor how that affects one's ability to distinguish themselves to a specialty. Research opportunities at Buffalo are strong and plentiful, if you want that it's here. But ultimately I would make this decision based on cost - it's the only factor right now that you can bee 100% sure on. (By that I mean, you may change your mind about specializing or research, but the cost difference is set in stone)

 

[Big Time Hoosier]

But ultimately I would make this decision based on cost - it's the only factor right now that you can bee 100% sure on.

THIS!

Big Hoss