Dental school acceptances have begun. So congrats to those of you who have been accepted already. I know how exciting it is because I was so stoked last year around this time when I also got my first acceptance and it was the best feeling ever. And for those who haven’t heard back yet or had interviews, don’t worry.
Interviews and acceptances go through the winter and spring and so my best advice for you would just to be patient, trust the process, keep doing you. It takes a while for admissions to figure things out because there are a lot of factors that they have to take into consideration. If it’s meant to be, you’ll get into dental school eventually when the time’s right.
If you are lucky enough to happen, offered multiple acceptances from different schools, now it’s time to narrow it down to choose which program is the best fit for you.
I got accepted into three schools last year and I had the hardest time deciding which school I wanted to go to. Like it was literally 50/50 between UDaB which is my state school and UPenn, which was my reach school. And yeah, it took a long time for me to decide.
There are a lot of things to think about when choosing a dental school and here are the main factors that I took into consideration when I was choosing mine.
Cost of Tuition
The first thing is the cost. You are going to be in a lot of debt no matter which dental school you go to, but the less debt the better. I think that the trend is that in-state schools tend to be cheaper unless you get like private scholarships or scholarships for private schools. Cost is a big factor because tuition is already expensive in dental school.
And then on top of that, you have grab loan interest rates and so you’ll probably end up with like somewhere between 300,000 to half a million in debt by the time you get out of school. And so definitely something to consider financially.
Location
The next thing you’ll want to consider is the location of the dental school. You’re going to be living there for the next four years of your life and so you want to make sure you can see yourself living there and liking the weather and liking the atmosphere, like whether it’s the city or more suburban and maybe you want to stay close to your family and friends or maybe you want to completely move to a new city and move to the other side of the country. It is a really good opportunity to do that because you’re going to be in a completely new place for the next four years of your life and then after that, you kind of have to settle down, um, wherever you’re going to practice.
And so dental school is definitely a good opportunity to explore a new city in a new area of the country.
Class size
Class size is also something that I took into consideration. Do you want to have a larger class size or a smaller class size? Smaller class sizes I’d say would be around 50 students and larger class sizes would be 100+ students.
School culture/diversity
Another one is school culture and diversity. Think back to your interviews at these different schools and do you remember the vibe that you got from the students and the faculty? Did you like the vibe that you got at the school? Can you see yourself being there and fitting in?
Something really important for me is the class culture and so I wanted to make sure that I was going to be going to a school that emphasized working together and supporting students rather than being competitive.
I also wanted to be surrounded by people, diverse and life experiences and cultural backgrounds.
Faculty: student ratio
For me, I wanted to make sure that the faculty to student ratio was high because I wanted to make sure that I would have the opportunity to have direct relationships with my professors and have access to them when I needed help.
Community outreach
Another one is community outreach opportunities. This one is really important for me because part of the reason that I want to become a dentist is because of the aspect of community service. And so when I was looking at the dental schools and comparing them, I was looking at what kinds of programs and extracurriculars they offer for students to get involved in the community and to volunteer their time and helping those underserved.
Curriculum
A big one is a curriculum. Every us dental school has a different curriculum and it’s up to you to compare those and see which one you like best.
Some questions about the curriculum would be are the classes more lecture-based and the didactic or are they more pure based learning? Is the grading system pass-fail or is it letter grades? When you get to clinics, do you have to find your own patients or are they provided? Do you have the opportunity to use new technology like a cad cam course or is the school more on the traditional side? Is there an opportunity for interdisciplinary training like classes with medical students or pharmacy students?
Research Opportunities
If you’re interested in doing research while in dental school, then I would definitely make sure to check what types of research opportunities are available for dental students at those schools.
A general dentist or specialize
Lastly, I want to make sure to compare the schools and how they prepare their dentists, whether that be better for general practice dentistry or specializing. If you think that you just want to be a general dentist, then I’d say choose the school that allows you to have the most clinical experience, which means you get to see the most patients.
You get to do a variety of cases and usually, that ends up being your state school. If you think that you want to specialize, and I would say choose the school that has a high specialty rate for its grads.
Now that you’ve taken into consideration all of those factors, I would say make pros and cons lists. I made so many pros and cons list last year and it ultimately helps me decide why I wanted to go to UdaB.
Here’s what it came down to for me. I got in-state tuition because I’m a Washington resident. I grew up in Seattle and went to Udab for my undergrad and I loved my experience there. I also did research at the UduB dental school while I was in undergrad and during my gap year, so I had already built relationships with the dental school faculty. I appreciated that UdaB put a heavy emphasis on teaching preventative dentistry.
Also, they offer a lot of community-based outreach programs. There’s even a class offered every single quarter called health and homelessness where we learn about how dentistry impacts the homeless and underserved and I’m currently taking it and love it and all of the outreach opportunities that we’ve been given so far.
I also knew some folks from undergrad and met some awesome people at my interview that I was super excited to be classmates with.
Lastly, I’m pretty sure that I want to practice in Seattle once I graduate, so I wanted to stay local and build the relationships here with the dentists.
Best Dental Schools in the U.S. in 2023
Harvard University
Harvard University often ranks as one of the top universities in both the country and the world, and this prestigious Ivy League school is also home to one of the nation’s top dental schools. The Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) is not located on the university’s historic main campus in Cambridge, but a few miles away in Boston’s Longwood Medical Area. HSDM students study alongside Harvard medical students for part of their coursework, and they also gain hands-on experience at the Harvard Dental Center, which sees over 25,000 patients annually.
New York University
New York University’s large College of Dentistry graduates roughly 350 DDS students every year. Students take courses in a range of biomedical, behavioral, and clinical areas. Extensive clinical practice is a hallmark of the program, and NYU takes pride in diversity of its patient pool. Students gain real-world experience in all four years of their education, and they work closely with their group practice directors and faculty.
NYU’s dental school is the largest in the country, and nearly 10% of all dentists in the United States were educated there. The school receives about 300,000 patient visits annually, so the breadth and depth of opportunities is hard to match.
University of Alabama at Birmingham
The University of Alabama is perhaps best known for its impressive NCAA Division I athletic programs on the Tuscaloosa campus, but the Birmingham campus is home to one of the nation’s best dental schools. The UAB School of Dentistry graduates about 70 DMD students annually. Students can take advantage of the school’s connections with the UAB Health System for a range of research and clinical experiences. UAB offers eight areas of dental specialization: clinical and community sciences, endodontics, general practice, oral and maxillofacial surgery, orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, periodontology, and restorative sciences.
UCLA
The UCLA School of Dentistry graduates over 100 DDS students a year, and the school also takes pride in the number of graduates who go on to postgraduate training or to earn advanced degrees in oral biology. UCLA dental students begin direct patient care in their second year of the program. Clinical experiences include rotations to a range of specialty and community clinics. UCLA’s urban location guarantees that dentistry students have access to a wide range of hands-on experiences working with a diverse group of patients.
University of California San Francisco
UCSF is the only school in the University of California system that has no undergraduate programs. This has allowed the campus to specialize and excel in health fields. The medical school is one of the best in the nation, as is the UCSF School of Dentistry. The school graduates over 100 DDS students annually, and UCSF takes pride in the research opportunities and clinical experiences available to its students. The school’s Dental Center sees over 120,000 patient visits each year. The School of Dentistry also wins high marks for research, and it has been ranked the #1 dental school in the country based on funding from the National Institutes of Health.
FAQ
Is it hard to get in dental school?
Is NYU a good dental school?
What GPA do dental schools look at?
How much does a dentist make right out of school?
What is harder to get into medical school or dental school?
Which is easier MCAT or DAT?
Is a 3.6 GPA good for dental school?
Is it worth being a dentist?
Conclusion
Remember that all dental schools are great and unique in their own way. It’s just up to you to decide which dental school is the best fit for you. All of the dentists that I’ve worked with so far have told me over and over again that dental school is just laying the foundation and the very basics of what you need to know, and every single dental school is going to do that for you.
And then once you get out and start practicing on your own, that’s when you actually start doing the real learning. And so keep that in mind if that helps release some of the pressure of choosing which school to go to.
Those are all of the things that I took into consideration when I was choosing which dental school I wanted to go to.
Consider the cost and availability of financial aid
Financial aid is a crucial resource for many students who want to have a higher education but may not have the financial means to do so. The cost of education can be daunting, but financial aid helps ease the burden for thousands of students each year. There are many forms of financial aid available, including grants, scholarships, loans, and work-study programs. These resources can help cover the cost of tuition, textbooks, and other educational expenses.
It is important to note that financial aid is not always readily available or easy to obtain. Many scholarships have stiff competition, and grants may have specific eligibility requirements that not all students may meet. Additionally, many students may struggle to navigate the complex and often confusing application processes for financial aid. Even when students do receive financial aid, it may not cover the entire cost of their education, and they may still have to take out loans or find alternative ways to pay for their schooling.
Ultimately, the cost and availability of financial aid can play a significant role in whether or not a student is able to pursue higher education. It is important for students to invest time and energy into researching and applying for financial aid opportunities, as they can make a significant difference in financing their education. Despite the challenges of obtaining financial aid, it is important for students to remain persistent and take advantage of every opportunity available to them.
Consider the cost and availability of financial aid
Financial aid is a crucial resource for many students who want to have a higher education but may not have the financial means to do so. The cost of education can be daunting, but financial aid helps ease the burden for thousands of students each year. There are many forms of financial aid available, including grants, scholarships, loans, and work-study programs. These resources can help cover the cost of tuition, textbooks, and other educational expenses.
It is important to note that financial aid is not always readily available or easy to obtain. Many scholarships have stiff competition, and grants may have specific eligibility requirements that not all students may meet. Additionally, many students may struggle to navigate the complex and often confusing application processes for financial aid. Even when students do receive financial aid, it may not cover the entire cost of their education, and they may still have to take out loans or find alternative ways to pay for their schooling.
Ultimately, the cost and availability of financial aid can play a significant role in whether or not a student is able to pursue higher education. It is important for students to invest time and energy into researching and applying for financial aid opportunities, as they can make a significant difference in financing their education. Despite the challenges of obtaining financial aid, it is important for students to remain persistent and take advantage of every opportunity available to them.
How time consuming is Dental School?
How much time do you spend in school a day?, a week?
How much time do you spend studying?
Depends on how much you need to study. It’s about 12 hours a day when you factor in classes, clinical rotations and study time. Can’t work!
Dental School requirement?
Please, if you have a bachelor degree, let’s say in Information Technology, will the dental school accept you and waive your required college science classes like bio, chem, … so you start directly with the dental program?
Yes. You do not need a specific major to get into dental school although one in the biological sciences will make it easier for you when in dental school. As long as you have a bachelor’s degree and good grades you have about as much chance of getting in as anyone else.
Debora, how going to dental school outside my state affect where I could work in the future?
Hey Susan! That is such a good question. Since this would require a longer answer, I’m actually going to make a new post to answer your question. I’ll comment when it is ready :).