7 this-or-that questions to ask yourself when choosing a dental school

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If you’ve already received an acceptance to dental school, first things first: CONGRATULATIONS! If you haven’t yet, you still have plenty of time to hear back. Remember, December 15, 2023, was the first day of this application cycle that applicants could receive acceptances, but certainly not the last. Regardless of where you’re at, you may be wondering what matters most when deciding on a future dental school. In this article, we list 7 this-or-that questions to ask yourself to help you determine YOUR best dental school fit. Read on!

1. Urban or rural?

Think about where you’d like to spend the next several years of your life! Some people love the energy and vibrancy of a city, while others prefer the tranquility and expansiveness of a more rural setting. Try to envision where you can see yourself living, and be sure to keep in mind factors such as cost of living, need for a car, and proximity to home.

2. Smaller or larger class size?

Again, there are pros and cons here, and you can’t go wrong either way! In a smaller class, faculty may know you more personally, for example, but some people prefer the excitement of having a larger number of classmates (and future colleagues) to get to know and befriend.

3. In-state or out-of-state?

In addition to affecting the state in which you will live, your answer to this question will also likely affect how much you will pay, since in-state schools tend to be (relatively) less expensive than private or out-of-state schools. However, this isn’t always the case, since some schools offer scholarships and generous financial aid. Crunch some numbers to figure out your estimated cost of attendance at any schools you are seriously considering, then go from there.

4. More clinical or more research-focused?

Some schools greatly emphasize clinical and hand skills, getting their students in pre-clinic and clinic as soon as possible. Other schools place particular emphasis on other things, such as research or oral-systemic integration, alongside clinical skills. Though it’s tough to envision how your future career will unfold and how your interests will evolve, think about the kind of dentist you’d like to be (purely clinical? in academia? a specialist?) and where your interests lie!

5. Pass-fail, or does it not matter?

Keep in mind that many dental schools, rather than ranking their students and assigning letter grades, are unranked/pass-fail. Many students see this as a plus, taking off some of the pressure from an already stressful academic experience, but others are more ambivalent towards pass-fail.

6. More focused on producing specialists or general practitioners?

At some dental schools, the majority of students will go on to become general dentists. At others, a good portion of the student body will go on to specialize in any of the recognized dental specialties (for example, periodontics, endodontics, or orthodontics). You may not yet know whether you want to specialize or not, but if you are leaning one way or another, this may factor into your choice of school.

7. Near where you may want to practice one day, or somewhere completely different?

Going to dental school where you may want to practice in the future has its benefits — for example, in dental school, you might form great connections that you can carry on into the future. However, dental school is a relatively short period, so you might relish the chance to live somewhere completely new for the next 4 years or step outside of your comfort zone. Again, you can’t go wrong with either decision, but consider this as you’re deciding on a school.

We hope these this-or-that questions help give you a little more clarity as you decide on a dental school. From Crack the DAT, we wish you the best of luck in your journey!

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