Inevitable: UWO VS. U of T

[silverd]

Hey everyone, I'm making this thread hopefully to gain some insight into why applicants choose Western over Toronto or vice versa.

 

I assume both are great schools, but are there strengths to one or the other?

 

For specializing, do people have better chances coming out of one of the schools?

 

Hopefully we can get some conversation going about them!

[rla_z]

For specializing I know UT offers more specialty programs than UWO, but since a UWO student can apply for a specialty at UT and vice versa, I'm pretty sure it won't matter that much.

 

Personally I'd choose Toronto because it's a nicer city and has a bigger class.

[Fraises]

i'm guessing you have a choice between the two schools? if i had the option, i would go to U of T immediately since my first thought is that most of my friends and family are here in toronto. but i'm offered a waitlist spot only at one school (uwo)

 

i did my undergrad at u of t as well and there's absolutely no lack of fun here haha walk a few minutes to hang out with your classmates after class at a bar, lounge, ice cream shop,..bubbletea? i love this stuff! hahah or go to the Eaton centre mall or...china town, korea town, whatever-else town and i always walk over to the cinema near campus to watch my movies where there's a big Indigo... there's a lot of housing by campus too so i'd sleep over at my friends' apartments - good times! funny thing is i used to complain about being stuck in the same city all my life, but i'm suddenly realizing that i'm gonna really miss the convenience of having so much diversity of options so nearby...(if i even get off the waitlist at uwo and go there ) there's just way too much to see!! after 22 years i still haven't seen all of toronto

my sister just started her undergrad at uwo and it kinda seems to me that uwo is more of a 'campus'-oriented place, which can also be good! where ppl like to stay on campus to have fun, since you often have to bus or cab it out of campus, and there was residence building semi-formals...i dunno much about uwo but hopefully a uwo student could post here to talk more about their undergrad experience!

 

best bet would be to speak with some of the dental students already in the respective schools i guess. although they would probably all say that their school is the best lol maybe ask what the best and worst part of their school is??

[Synlar]

There's only 2 schools in Ontario, so one's not gonna be lacking behind the other.

Western's revamping their curriculum, to probably add more hands-on time, and have renovated the classes/labs recently... I like how it's connected to the medical building, so dental students and med students can collaborate (dentists are doctors! surgeons actually! lol)

As for UofT, I prefer the city, but then again, once you're in dentistry, how much time would you really have to go out of campus? That being said, Western's campus is a lot more tight-knit compared to UofT lol, so the life on campus is like you're really part of a community. I think UofT realized how crappy it's dentistry building is, so they're planning to copy Western by rebuilding it next to the MedSci building, but that won't be for another many years.

Personally I would've chosen Western, but surprisingly I didn't get in... I think they focused more heavily on ppl with degrees, meaning you'll be with more mature ppl if you're accepted? lol. And the whole atmosphere during the interview seemed way more friendly/welcome at Western vs UofT... like come on, they had a free lunch and let parents come in too.

[Fraises]

i had a suitemate in first year UofT dents and she went out with her friends after classes often...she grew up in another city so she was having a blast exploring the different areas of toronto and i recommend her places to go

 

i think it all depends on your mentality...if you're thinking 'i only have to pass' then you'll have lots of free time but if you're constantly trying to get the highest marks i guess you won't have much time for going out no matter what city you go to? the thing is, in toronto, the campus buildings are kinda just built into the city...so you're kind of like "out of campus" in 1min. hehe

 

but true, synlar, i do like the uwo facilities cuz they're newer....some parts are still old too though

and do the med and dent students at uwo actually collaborate?? as in academically collaborate? cuz they're in closer proximity? that would be interesting to find out

i know that at UofT, there's definitely events/parties for kids from the med/dent/nursing/pharmacy buildings...all pretty close to each other.

and the profs certainly walk the few extra minutes down university avenue (completely lined with hospitals) between med and dent buildings to teach classes...like my anatomy prof i had this year

[colos]

For the collaboration between med/dent students at western...someone I know who is in dental at western said a lot of the collaboration was the med students making fun of how the dental students had so much work to do lol. But seriously, the amount of collaboration is as much as you want to make it be...life outside of the class is what makes it fun after all.

If you want to talk to med students at western, just go and do it since they got the time apparently =P.

[Synlar]

lol the dentistry building at UofT is separate from the whole campus, it's like 10 min away from med sci or gerstein library.

[silverd]

Yeah it's definitely a tough decision.

I guess my main concern is that if I choose Western over Toronto I might be limiting or closing some doors with respect to the potential to specialize after.

I like that Western is so much less expensive to rent, but I don't want to miss out on a good time either...

I don't know how I am going to determine whether or not UofT students are better off for specializing than Western students...

[brooksp2]

lol the dentistry building at UofT is separate from the whole campus, it's like 10 min away from med sci or gerstein library.

 

its more like 5 mins to med sci, i work in the UofT dental building, and although it is separate from the main campus it makes the clinic easier for patients to find and get to. It also has its own library which is pretty decent.

[freebird]

Yeah it's definitely a tough decision.

I guess my main concern is that if I choose Western over Toronto I might be limiting or closing some doors with respect to the potential to specialize after.

I like that Western is so much less expensive to rent, but I don't want to miss out on a good time either...

I don't know how I am going to determine whether or not UofT students are better off for specializing than Western students...

You won't close any doors, you're not limited to specialties in your own school.

 

As for the comparison in general, and I've said this before, but you're posing this question to pre-dents before classes have been filled, i.e. people who have a stake in the outcome...you are not going to get an unbiased answer, period. (Well, unless they are already dental students). If you're looking for that, ask current students at both schools, or better yet, alumni.

[silverd]

Yeah, I know that a student is not limited to the specialties at their school, however I do not know whether or not the students at UofT for instance are at an advantage in getting into specialties at any school based on their experience with the specialties.

 

I want to make sure that if I choose on school or the other my options ar as open as the other choice... now I need to find out how to get an unbiased answer about this one...

[Kittyp]

Yeah, I know that a student is not limited to the specialties at their school, however I do not know whether or not the students at UofT for instance are at an advantage in getting into specialties at any school based on their experience with the specialties.

 

I want to make sure that if I choose on school or the other my options ar as open as the other choice... now I need to find out how to get an unbiased answer about this one...

 

Don't worry about the specialties and put stress on learning more about General dentistry right now. I am sure if you do well in DDS and you are interested in any specific field you will be definitely able to find a spot for yourself. Its not only U of T or any other Canadian school only. Lots of people go to USA for Graduate education. I was checking few websites of US Endodontics programs (right now I think I am interested in that) and there were lots of students from UBC, UAlberta, UWO etc. And its my personal view that you can learn more at a DDS program where there are few residents as more work comes to you. Similarly, I would like to choose a program for residency where there is no dental school. Afterall, in a professional school you need more work to learn more. No doubt, you can make contacts during DDS and increase your chances for acceptance at UT but you won't close your doors even if you come to UWO. You always have opportunity to do externships and build contacts with any program you are interested in.

[dentalgal3123]

for those who've been admitted to both schools, how'd u make your final decision?

[T00thFairy]

i don't know about you, but I think that clinic experience is really important to me. UWO just sent out their preliminary course outlines, and it appears that in first year alone, there are over 100 clinic hours. Granted this is just doing simple things like molds and radiography, but at least this way, you get to start building a rapport with the patients you will be seeing for the next 4 years. UofT, conversely, doesn't get you to meet with patients until the end of 2nd year (to the best of my understanding).

 

I'm not saying that this is DEFINITELY the way to choose. Maybe you'd feel more comfortable learning more before you met with patients. but for me, the whole reason why I'm doing dental school is to gain as much experience as I can doing dentistry, and UWO seems to offer that.

[Phm]

I really thought I was going to accept UWO (so I could stay in the London area) up until a week before the deposit was due, but changed my mind last minute and ended up choosing UofT and getting a house in Toronto. Although it's more expensive to live in the city, I wanted to go to the school with more international recognition, and mainly I just felt I would fit in better at UofT than Western because I'm an older student (28) and UofT tends to prefer mature students. The vibe at UWO on the interview day was kind of fluffy, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, just not what I expected. For the faculty/staff, Trish (UWO) is the nicest person ever (she wrote to wish me luck wherever I was going in life after I declined her offer) but we would never see her after the admissions process was over. The 2 faculty members that interviewed me for UofT were also really warm and friendly, and they'll be my profs at some point. Comparing the dental buildings, yes, UofT is ugly and horribly close to the bus station, but I really loved all the natural light from the huge windows and high ceilings in the clinic. Although UWO has new equipment, the drop ceiling and fluorescent lighting in their clinic would suck the life out of me after spending hours in my little cubicle.

[dentalgal3123]

thank you for the quick replies

i have no idea what to do

[silverd]

It's definitely a tough decision! I know for sure that both have a great program, I have done the research! Ideally, in my opinion at this point, if Western was as recognized as UofT, and had all of the specialties, this discussion would not exist! Western has a newer clinic, a building designed specifically for the program, relaxed and encouraging feel, early clinic experience, the new curriculum that seems to be a culmination of research, experience, and good intent, and solid program... UofT you will notice is well known (largely in part to its research and its respective contributions0, and the specialties, and those are its main strengths in comparison... but both are strong strong programs!

 

The beauty in all of this is that either one will give you a good education, and either one will prepare you well enough for practice or specializing - Ontario is fortunate! I think it comes down to, as Phm said, where you fit best! What school do you see yourself enjoying more? What city is more in tune with what you are into? Even what building did you prefer?

 

Good luck with the decision! I know how you're feeling!

[dentalgal3123]

It's definitely a tough decision! I know for sure that both have a great program, I have done the research! Ideally, in my opinion at this point, if Western was as recognized as UofT, and had all of the specialties, this discussion would not exist! Western has a newer clinic, a building designed specifically for the program, relax and encouraging feel, early clinic experience, the new curriculum that seems to be a culmination of research, experience, and good intent, and a great overall program... UofT you will notice had the reputation, and the specialties, and those are its main strengths in comparison...

 

The beauty in all of this is that either one will give you a good education, and either one will prepare you well enough for practice or specializing, Ontario is fortunate! I think it comes down to as Phm said, where you fit best! What school do you see yourself enjoying more? What city is more in tune with what you are into? Even what building did you prefer?

 

Good luck with the decision! I know how you're feeling!

 

Hi, thanks for the reply. May I ask which school you chose and why?

[silverd]

Yeah for sure... I chose Western... but not for any major reasons!

 

For me I was really torn and had no preference and nothing swaying me one way or the other for quite awhile... but then I learned about the new curriculum! I had heard arguments that the existing curriculum at Western was good and focused a lot on clinic... and I had heard that Toronto was good but would teach a lot of theoretical dentistry that didn't apply in practice...

 

When I heard that Western was bettering their curriculum further... and making it more concurrent between subjects and topics throughout the year.. as well as starting students in clinic in second term first year in a Team setting with lower and upper years mixed... I thought it sounded really good!

 

I like that I'll be in the first year of this new curriculum and trust that the experience of the Schulich school will ensure it's a success!

 

But again, I thought long and hard and found it very difficult to decide, and it came down to me thinking that Western would be new and exciting and an experience!

 

Also... I asked many people... current dental students... applicants... and dentists themselves... and found that everyone is bias! I don't blame them, however I did find a dentist who is fairly young and graduated within the last ten years or so who said that he went to UofT and he told me to go to Western!! He said that while UofT is a good school, he was not as prepared for clinic coming out as Western students who he worked with, and felt that Western was more focused on practical development. He confirmed the rumours for me.

 

This is not to say that UofT dentists are incompetent whatsoever, like I have said before... Ontario is very fortunate to have both of these schools and it is like picking between two luxury cars... both are top of the line, only slightly different, and both are great choices!!

[dentalgal3123]

I'm leaning towards Western lol I'll let you know in a few short days :|

 

 

Yeah for sure... I chose Western... but not for any major reasons!

 

For me I was really torn and had no preference and nothing swaying me one way or the other for quite awhile... but then I learned about the new curriculum! I had heard arguments that the existing curriculum at Western was good and focused a lot on clinic... and I had heard that Toronto was good but would teach a lot of theoretical dentistry that didn't apply in practice...

 

When I heard that Western was bettering their curriculum further... and making it more concurrent between subjects and topics throughout the year.. as well as starting students in clinic in second term first year in a Team setting with lower and upper years mixed... I thought it sounded really good!

 

I like that I'll be in the first year of this new curriculum and trust that the experience of the Schulich school will ensure it's a success!

 

But again, I thought long and hard and found it very difficult to decide, and it came down to me thinking that Western would be new and exciting and an experience!

 

Also... I asked many people... current dental students... applicants... and dentists themselves... and found that everyone is bias! I don't blame them, however I did find a dentist who is fairly young and graduated within the last ten years or so who said that he went to UofT and he told me to go to Western!! He said that while UofT is a good school, he was not as prepared for clinic coming out as Western students who he worked with, and felt that Western was more focused on practical development. He confirmed the rumours for me.

 

This is not to say that UofT dentists are incompetent whatsoever, like I have said before... Ontario is very fortunate to have both of these schools and it is like picking between two luxury cars... both are top of the line, only slightly different, and both are great choices!!

[Synlar]

I'm leaning towards Western lol I'll let you know in a few short days :|

I wish I were in your position right now lol.

My brother's friend finished his first yr at UBC dentistry, and was over back here (Toronto) for the summer. My brother told him how I've applied for dentistry, and he said the best schools in Canada are UBC, Dalhousie, and UWO (I'm surprised he didn't name McGill). Even med school wise... McGill and UWO are ranked higher than UofT. I think UofT's recognition comes from the mass of research papers published per year, so research wise UofT's definitely on top of its game. But I know when I'm a dentist, I wouldn't want to be writing research papers and talking about molecules... I'd wanna be exercising the hands on skills that being a dentist requires.

[silverd]

It's tough because there is so much Bias with these rankings everyone talks about... I have heard so many different things...

 

I'm surprised though to hear UofT not be at the top, I have always heard that they were... maybe an Ontario bias? For sure Toronto's strength in research influences their ranks.

 

There's no doubt though that UWO and Toronto are two of the best in Canada! Best of luck deciding!

[Contach]

There's no doubt though that UWO and Toronto are two of the best in Canada!

 

Every Ontarionian thinks Ontario is the best province in the world. Yes, home-province bias is probably a good explanation.

[Contach]

I wish I were in your position right now lol.

My brother's friend finished his first yr at UBC dentistry, and was over back here (Toronto) for the summer. My brother told him how I've applied for dentistry, and he said the best schools in Canada are UBC, Dalhousie, and UWO (I'm surprised he didn't name McGill). Even med school wise... McGill and UWO are ranked higher than UofT. I think UofT's recognition comes from the mass of research papers published per year, so research wise UofT's definitely on top of its game. But I know when I'm a dentist, I wouldn't want to be writing research papers and talking about molecules... I'd wanna be exercising the hands on skills that being a dentist requires.

 

You twisted this to make it sound like research has no bearing on your clinical expertise... Not all research is about "molecules," ever heard of clinical research? what about new techniques or ways of doing procedures? Wouldn't you want to learn this from the person who is an expert in it (ie. the man/woman who wrote the paper and did the research)?

 

However, if I had the choice, I'd probably pick UWO over UofT because I've heard good things about the work-play balance at UWO, and not-so-good things about UofT in this regard. Besides, your chances of specializing marginally increases by going to UofT, it's very hard to specialize anywhere in Canada.

[CanadaDent]

Contach, have you decided what dental school you're going to?