Ok I'll do my best.
We don't have any strict requirements before graduation, but you are expected to do the following:
- 20-25 crowns
- 1 bridge
- 6 arches of dentures
- 6 arches of removable partial dentures
- 4 root canals
- Restore 2 implants
- You will spend 2 months in the oral surgery rotation, where you will pull dozens of teeth
- They don't keep track of how many fillings you do because you will do hundreds
- As D4s, if you qualify for the program, you can place implants
Like I said, these aren't strict requirements. You will generally have the opportunity to do more of each. If you are specializing, they will be a little more relaxed on you depending on your speciality.
There is NEVER a shortage of patients. If you don't have a patient scheduled or they cancel, you can do urgent care (at least 10 patients a day). If you don't do urgent care, you can screen new patients for comprehensive care. If you don't want to do that, you can go to one of the specialty clinics and observe procedures. If you don't do that, you can take a nap or get breakfast.
We have some flexibility with our schedules. You are in charge of your own schedule and making sure you get everything done that you need to.
Some people love having all the specialties at UIC, some people hate it. I personally love it. I have never had a case taken from me to go to post-grad, and honestly, most of the cases that do go to post-grad need to be there. You are not qualified to do a full mouth reconstruction or a maxillary molar endo with calcified canals as a dental student. You would have to change your diaper several times if you attempted that. I also like being able to observe specialties that I am interested in. You can talk with residents, attendings, do "externships" at your own school, etc. And, what people probably care least about but is the most important, the patient can get the best treatment from the person that is most qualified to do it.
Faculty to student ratio in clinics is something like 4:1. In clinic there are always 2-3 restorative dentists, 1-2 prosthodontists, 2 periodontists, and 1-2 endodontists. This obviously fluctuates, but it generally holds true. Oral surgery has it's own clinic, but attendings/residents can be reached easily.
NOW, for the part that is more relevant to your immediate future:
First 2 years: They suck just like any other dental school. Long hours spent in SGL/lectures/anatomy lab. Learning how to do wax-ups and the basics of dentistry. You are using a hand-piece your first semester and drilling plastic teeth. Lots of people have reservations about SGL, but it just takes getting used to. Look at it this way: you will either spend 4 hours discussing a case with your classmates, or you will spend 4 hours sitting in a lecture and you are on Facebook the whole time. SGL makes you do a little more work, but makes you study a little less when the exam come around (because you have already spent time trying to understand it). You will still have lectures. Plenty of them. SGL is just a different dynamic of the teaching process at UIC.
I think the pass rate for part 1 has been 100% for the past 2-3 years. If not 100%, it's 99%.
You will have to deal with all the BS and busy work that comes with any dental school. Sometimes I questioned my decision of going to UIC (especially D2 year, but that's more because D2 year just sucks). I would go to UIC again if I had to redo it. Met tons of great people and learned a ton from great faculty. You also live in Chicago, which is an amazing city. Every weekend there is a festival (lollapalooza, air and water show, etc. etc. etc.), sports event (cubs, sox, blackhawks, bulls, bears), or whatever. You wouldn't regret living here, except maybe in February when it's freezing and there's a foot of snow on the ground.
Hope it helps. Good luck
