Pros Cons UBC Dental School

[sbesbesbe]

Hi there SDN,

 

I'm just curious to what you guys think about UBC Dental School.

I am a BC resident, so this is where I'll most likely go, if I get accepted of course.

What do you guys think about the first 2 years with BOTH dental/medical students together? Only really have 2 years of clinical exposure, cost, PBL, etc.

I shadowed a dentist and she told me that some UBC graduates are getting fired because they don't know what they are doing due to the short amount of time they had clinically.

Do you guys mind sharing what you think about some of the pros and cons of UBC dental school?

If you were accepted to both UBC and American private schools, where would you go? (considering relatively similar cost)

 

Thanks!

[coolestdentist]

cheaper than America schools!

[zeroNINE]

UBC is only cheaper than some American schools, but the 50k tuition/year is ridiculous. UWO has a 43k tuition and UofT ~32k. I think UBC might be among the most expensive/year not to mention the 10k deposit. So first year for non-BC resident is about 50k tuition + 10k deposit + 15k living expenses.

 

Having classes with medical students is great, much more networking and in-depth study of the human body, among other things. But does that make sense? Dentistry is a specialized field of medicine, so it would be hard to justify learning so much about the rest of the body if you will eventually only care/work with the mouth area 95% of the time.

 

After graduating from dental school, you will most likely be working in a clinic so being exposed early to a variety of patient cases is crucial. I'm surprised UBC students are getting fired, after all they did pass their licensing exam. I'm guessing the dentist you talked to works in BC as well, and most BC graduates would be working BC so the number of graduates being fired will most likely be BC graduates...

 

Anyway, I think PBL is great most of the time, but shouldn't be the main method of teaching students. There needs to be some sort of direction and lectures, I think, should be the main focus. I would rather be presented with what to look for by my professor than having to come up with that list on my own. But people like to learn in different ways.

 

It really depends on the American school and cost would be the main factor for me.

 

Good luck with your selection.

[powerpenguin]

UWO is, over 4 years, 39, 39, 29, 26 (Approximately 33.5k a year)

[MCATwannabe]

I just glanced at the UBC costs pdf.

Holy moly. What are the random costs like Patient Innovation fee and Clinic Fee?

 

I think UWO is 43.5K, 42.5K, 33.5K, 33.4K for years 1-4 respectively.

[zeroNINE]

Yeah it's 43.5k for the 2011-2012 entering class. We'll see what it'll be for this year. Maybe we'll find out later in the summer.

 

Anyway, the point is that UBC is expensive as hell. UWO first year could be approximated as 43k tuition + 13k living expenses + 1k deposit - luxuries you don't really need (e.g. entertainment). The deposit really does people in at UBC.

 

UWO Fees & Expenses (National): http://www.schulich.uwo.ca/dentistry/dds/files/Unfiled/Estimated_Budget_National_11-12.pdf

 

My above post was referring to first year tuitions between UBC, UWO, and UofT.

[MCATwannabe]

Yeah it's 43.5k for the 2011-2012 entering class. We'll see what it'll be for this year. Maybe we'll find out later in the summer.

 

Anyway, the point is that UBC is expensive as hell. UWO first year could be approximated as 43k tuition + 13k living expenses + 1k deposit - luxuries you don't really need (e.g. entertainment). The deposit really does people in at UBC.

 

UWO Fees & Expenses (National): http://www.schulich.uwo.ca/dentistry/dds/files/Unfiled/Estimated_Budget_National_11-12.pdf

 

My above post was referring to first year tuitions between UBC, UWO, and UofT.

 

1 K deposit is applied to the tuition for UWO (deducted from).

[sbesbesbe]

UBC is only cheaper than some American schools, but the 50k tuition/year is ridiculous. UWO has a 43k tuition and UofT ~32k. I think UBC might be among the most expensive/year not to mention the 10k deposit. So first year for non-BC resident is about 50k tuition + 10k deposit + 15k living expenses.

 

Having classes with medical students is great, much more networking and in-depth study of the human body, among other things. But does that make sense? Dentistry is a specialized field of medicine, so it would be hard to justify learning so much about the rest of the body if you will eventually only care/work with the mouth area 95% of the time.

 

After graduating from dental school, you will most likely be working in a clinic so being exposed early to a variety of patient cases is crucial. I'm surprised UBC students are getting fired, after all they did pass their licensing exam. I'm guessing the dentist you talked to works in BC as well, and most BC graduates would be working BC so the number of graduates being fired will most likely be BC graduates...

 

Anyway, I think PBL is great most of the time, but shouldn't be the main method of teaching students. There needs to be some sort of direction and lectures, I think, should be the main focus. I would rather be presented with what to look for by my professor than having to come up with that list on my own. But people like to learn in different ways.

 

It really depends on the American school and cost would be the main factor for me.

 

Good luck with your selection.

 

Thanks for your response. This is very much what I think.

But as a Canadian resident and a BC resident, I don't really have a lot of options in terms of Canadian dental schools...

UBC's tuition is ridiculous...

[UBCStudent128]

UBC's 10k deposit is also deducted from the tuition

 

Accepted applicants are required to submit a deposit of $10,700 within two weeks of notification of acceptance by the faculty. This deposit is non-refundable and will be applied toward first term clinic fees of the session for which the student has been accepted.

source: http://www.dentistry.ubc.ca/Education/DMD/FinancialInformation.asp

 

Expensive as hell nonetheless..

Only thing holding me back from applying to UBC dental..

But I always assumed other Canadian schools were MUCH cheaper than UBC, but looks like UWO isn't all that cheap either. ~38k/year ?

[Sdent]

UBC is only cheaper than some American schools, but the 50k tuition/year is ridiculous. UWO has a 43k tuition and UofT ~32k. I think UBC might be among the most expensive/year not to mention the 10k deposit. So first year for non-BC resident is about 50k tuition + 10k deposit + 15k living expenses.

 

Having classes with medical students is great, much more networking and in-depth study of the human body, among other things. But does that make sense? Dentistry is a specialized field of medicine, so it would be hard to justify learning so much about the rest of the body if you will eventually only care/work with the mouth area 95% of the time.

 

After graduating from dental school, you will most likely be working in a clinic so being exposed early to a variety of patient cases is crucial. I'm surprised UBC students are getting fired, after all they did pass their licensing exam. I'm guessing the dentist you talked to works in BC as well, and most BC graduates would be working BC so the number of graduates being fired will most likely be BC graduates...

 

Anyway, I think PBL is great most of the time, but shouldn't be the main method of teaching students. There needs to be some sort of direction and lectures, I think, should be the main focus. I would rather be presented with what to look for by my professor than having to come up with that list on my own. But people like to learn in different ways.

 

It really depends on the American school and cost would be the main factor for me.

 

Good luck with your selection.

 

 

if u get into another canadian school then go... but for some of us as BC residents UBC might be our only choice..

 

it is expensive... i am sure WE ALL KNOW THAT.. but again it is what it is.. am I scared of paying back all the money... YES!!! but I am very thankful for where I am and how I got here...

 

So again.. if u get into multiple dental schools then I guess UBC might not be the best option financial wise.. if you dont then just absorb the amount you have to pay and move on

 

PS: 10K is taken away from ur tution in year 1.. so dont give invalid info

[cleanup]

Yes, UBC is expensive, but it's still a smart financial decision; ie. it's more than worth it. The earning potential you gain with your degree is worth a LOT. Some folks will go to cheaper schools, some will go to expensive schools; in the end, we're all going to be fine. Go where you WANT to go. Cost is always a factor, but it is only one of many.

[zeroNINE]

Sorry for the post misrepresenting the 50k fees and 11k deposit.

 

I don't know about you guys, but I made the UWO deposit (1k) out of my own bank account. I'm still looking into LOCs. So assuming my situation is similar to those that got into UBC, finding 11k to make the deposit to UBC is still ridiculous. Even if you apply that to your tuition, imagine the stress that students have to go through if they don't have the funds to make the deposit on time. Maybe there's some leniency if you explain your situation to the faculty, I don't know.

 

Fees for class of 2016, have fun: http://www.dentistry.ubc.ca/Education/DMD/DMD-ProjectedFees.pdf

 

How much does it cost to live near UBC?

[MCATwannabe]

Edited. 10 chars.

[cleanup]

With those Prices at UBC, I hope some Professors have Nobel Prizes... Ok I'm exaggerating, but come on. McGill and UBC both offer DMDs. Except McGill costs 8k, 27K, 11K, and 8K in years one to four respectively, while the same costs are 53.5K, 53.7K, 52.1K, and 54.3K for UBC respectively.

This is just nonsense.

 

You're kidding me, right?

 

I don't think you quite understand how professional education works. Do you honestly think it only costs $10k a year to train and educate a licensed healthcare professional? It costs tens of thousands of dollars. The price of private U.S. schools (~$60-70k a year) is more in line with the real cost of training us. The only reason state schools and Canadian schools are any cheaper is because tuition and fees are heavily subsidized by the provincial and federal governments. You're still paying for it with your tax dollars, as are the rest of your fellow citizens. Even at $50k a year, the students at UBC are profiting from the tax dollars paid by their friends, families and strangers alike.

 

Anyone who thinks UBC is "unreasonable" just because Quebec has exceptionally high education subsidies (and, mind you, a very very large provincial deficit) clearly doesn't understand basic economics or tax policy.

 

Now I'm not saying $50k a year is cheaper than $10k a year, because it clearly isn't. What I'm saying is, it's brash and misguided to assume that UBC is milking its students or is being greedy; they aren't. It's a combination of a multitude of factors, mostly having to do with economic and education policy; do not blame the school. To be completely realistic, $50k a year for a professional degree that essentially guarantees you an exceptionally well-paying job and a coveted position in society for the rest of your life is a bargain. $10k a year even more so.

 

Some people have a really wayward perception of money.

[MCATwannabe]

You're kidding me, right?

 

I don't think you quite understand how professional education works. Do you honestly think it only costs $10k a year to train and educate a licensed healthcare professional? It costs tens of thousands of dollars. The price of private U.S. schools (~$60-70k a year) is more in line with the real cost of training us. The only reason state schools and Canadian schools are any cheaper is because tuition and fees are heavily subsidized by the provincial and federal governments. You're still paying for it with your tax dollars, as are the rest of your fellow citizens. Even at $50k a year, the students at UBC are profiting from the tax dollars paid by their friends, families and strangers alike.

 

Anyone who thinks UBC is "unreasonable" just because Quebec has exceptionally high education subsidies (and, mind you, a very very large provincial deficit) clearly doesn't understand basic economics or tax policy.

 

Now I'm not saying $50k a year is cheaper than $10k a year, because it clearly isn't. What I'm saying is, it's brash and misguided to assume that UBC is milking its students or is being greedy; they aren't. It's a combination of a multitude of factors, mostly having to do with economic and education policy; do not blame the school. To be completely realistic, $50k a year for a professional degree that essentially guarantees you an exceptionally well-paying job and a coveted position in society for the rest of your life is a bargain. $10k a year even more so.

 

Some people have a really wayward perception of money.

 

I understand that governments subsidize. But t is a reason to mandate students pay 10.7K deposit? Frankly speaking even if we say the tuition is high because government doesn't subsidize as much, then why make students pay 10.7x the deposit fee of any other dental school?

I want to know how much an average medical student pays at UBC. Now that would be interesting to compare.

[iwishiwasa]

I understand that governments subsidize. But t is a reason to mandate students pay 10.7K deposit? Frankly speaking even if we say the tuition is high because government doesn't subsidize as much, then why make students pay 10.7x the deposit fee of any other dental school?

I want to know how much an average medical student pays at UBC. Now that would be interesting to compare.

 

Who cares what the deposit is? You do know that the amount you pay towards the deposit is deducted from the amount of tuition you have to pay right?

 

How would comparing med/dent be interesting? Last time I checked they were different programs. While you're at it, compare the tuition of nursing, podiatry, pharmacy as well.

[zeroNINE]

I understand that governments subsidize. But t is a reason to mandate students pay 10.7K deposit? Frankly speaking even if we say the tuition is high because government doesn't subsidize as much, then why make students pay 10.7x the deposit fee of any other dental school?

I want to know how much an average medical student pays at UBC. Now that would be interesting to compare.

 

http://med.ubc.ca/students-learners/md-undergraduate-resources-support/financial-assistance-information/cost-of-an-md-student/

[Sdent]

to make the deposit you apply for LOC, then you get approved in 24hrs and you make the deposit

you have more than enough time to check out all the banks so u wont be stressed for time

 

 

 

 

Sorry for the post misrepresenting the 50k fees and 11k deposit.

 

I don't know about you guys, but I made the UWO deposit (1k) out of my own bank account. I'm still looking into LOCs. So assuming my situation is similar to those that got into UBC, finding 11k to make the deposit to UBC is still ridiculous. Even if you apply that to your tuition, imagine the stress that students have to go through if they don't have the funds to make the deposit on time. Maybe there's some leniency if you explain your situation to the faculty, I don't know.

 

Fees for class of 2016, have fun: http://www.dentistry.ubc.ca/Education/DMD/DMD-ProjectedFees.pdf

 

How much does it cost to live near UBC?

[Sdent]

you simply cannot compare McGill or any Quebec school with other schools outside that province... how quebec education works is completely different... dont you watch the news and see how the students are protesting of an education tuition increase from 1500$ to 3000$ per year??? when we paid atleast 5000$ for our undergrad per year

 

McGill is a very cheap school and it is very good too. I hope you get in

 

With those Prices at UBC, I hope some Professors have Nobel Prizes... Ok I'm exaggerating, but come on. McGill and UBC both offer DMDs. Except McGill costs 8k, 27K, 11K, and 8K in years one to four respectively, while the same costs are 53.5K, 53.7K, 52.1K, and 54.3K for UBC respectively.

This is just nonsense.

[Sdent]

10.7 K is to make sure people just dont apply for dentistry as a backup school... most pre-meds like to do that and that 10.7K is stopping them to do so

 

I find it VERY REASONABLE and a good thing!! it extremely improves the chances of students who want to study dentistry only

 

if you dont have the 10.7 and want to attend UBC you simply take your admission letter to a bank and get a LOC in 24hrs

DONE!

 

 

I understand that governments subsidize. But t is a reason to mandate students pay 10.7K deposit? Frankly speaking even if we say the tuition is high because government doesn't subsidize as much, then why make students pay 10.7x the deposit fee of any other dental school?

I want to know how much an average medical student pays at UBC. Now that would be interesting to compare.

[charlottehartley]

Thank you for sharing this! UBC was one of my top choices for dental school but we moved to New York.

[MCATwannabe]

you simply cannot compare McGill or any Quebec school with other schools outside that province... how quebec education works is completely different... dont you watch the news and see how the students are protesting of an education tuition increase from 1500$ to 3000$ per year??? when we paid atleast 5000$ for our undergrad per year

 

McGill is a very cheap school and it is very good too. I hope you get in

 

I already got in, I'm not going to McGill at all. Maybe for residency if I get in.

 

thought you couldn't apply to LOC before enrolling and to enrol you need 10.7K , that's why I said 10.7 K is huge.

[cleanup]

I already got in, I'm not going to McGill at all. Maybe for residency if I get in.

 

thought you couldn't apply to LOC before enrolling and to enrol you need 10.7K , that's why I said 10.7 K is huge.

 

You can get an LOC as soon as you have the acceptance letter. If people aren't comfortable with the $10k deposit, they shouldn't have applied in the first place. If they need an LOC to pay for school, they can essentially get the $10k back; the initial investment is the applicant's issue. Realising $10k is a large amount after the fact is a rather dumb thing to do, TBH.

[MCATwannabe]

You can get an LOC as soon as you have the acceptance letter. If people aren't comfortable with the $10k deposit, they shouldn't have applied in the first place. If they need an LOC to pay for school, they can essentially get the $10k back; the initial investment is the applicant's issue. Realising $10k is a large amount after the fact is a rather dumb thing to do, TBH.

 

10.7K is to make sure accepted applicants don't go to other dental schools afterward. Period.

[MaVerick01]

10.7K is to make sure accepted applicants don't go to other dental schools afterward. Period.

 

Not completely true, but still partially. UBC does it's interviews before any of the other Canadian dental schools, and because UBC is the most expensive school in the country, they've had issues in the past with of people getting accepted to UBC and other schools and choosing the school with the lower tuition (which isn't unintelligent by any stretch of the imagination). UBC wants to make sure that the people they accept want to go there, so they use a large deposit to discourage those that may be on the fence about it. It isn't a game of greed, all the forfeited deposits get put into a pool and given to the student body in the form of bursaries.

 

For you're reference, the med students at UBC pay a lot less than us, but it is because they have hospitals built by tax dollars to go to. UBC doesn't need to build them a clinic to practice in, which is not the case for dental students.