How to Pick a School that Vibes with You: Part 1
An Overview
Dental schools are like people. They all have different characteristics which make them unique. Part of finding the right one is about learning what you like and don't. Here are things to consider when choosing a dental school:
- Location, Location, Location
- Learning Styles : PBL vs Classroom
- Religious school versus non religious school
1. LOCATION, LOCATION LOCATION
“I will go to any dental school that accepts me!”
That is the mentality of a predental student. Times are tough and they always will be for an applicant. Every year more and more students are applying to dental school. In 2016 U.S. News and World Report orthodontics and dentistry were ranked the number one and two best jobs.
Here are some things to consider when picking dental schools. First, you have to see yourself attending that school. Yes, we all know getting an acceptance is like winning the lottery. The odds are against you with the increasing number of applicants each year. But, if you are a strong candidate and look like Mother Teresa then you most likely will get a yes. Whatever your choice, you should be prepared to go to that school or else you are wasting your time, energy, and money.
2. Learning Styles : PBL vs Traditional Classroom
Everyone has a different learning style. Personally, I cannot sit still the older I get. Problem Based Learning at USC Dental School was the best type of learning for me. PBL freaks a lot of people out. We were in small groups of eight students and one facilitator that guided our discussions. A mystery story would be presented about a patient that came into the hospital with particular symptoms and background. The group would pose questions, and create learning objectives. Each student took one learning objective home to research as their assignment. Afterwards, students regroup again to present their assignments. Learning was self directed. This was done for all our basic science classes. With PBL we were able to think outside of the box and work with each other towards a common goal.
After spending 4 years at UCLA in a traditional classroom learning environment, PBL was a perfect change. There were still lectures at USC for our pre-clinical courses and hands on lectures.
If you are deciding between a traditional dental program and a PBL program, it all depends on your learning style. PBL is self directed and you must be disciplined. Not everyone can do this.
3. Religious Dental School versus Non Religious Dental School
I met an underclassmen at USC that told me her first pick was Loma Linda University, the Jesuit dental school. I was really surprised her first choice was not USC, the school she was attending. It turns out USC was the only school she got into; she took the leap and went.
Her reasoning for wanting to attend Loma Linda was because she was deeply religious. I am here to tell you that there are Jewish and Christian groups in the dental schools. There are several clubs, and if the club you want to join does not exist, create it. It is dental school, not church. However, there will most likely be someone like you at the school that you can partner up with in your spiritual journey while learning dentistry.