Thinkbet.com

As should be the case with any professional field, it should be the individual that dictates how successful they are in their chosen profession, not the specific school they went to. While I firmly believe in individuals paving their own way to success, attending a school that is considered top of the tier in a specific area of study undoubtedly gives certain advantages to those who attend. In this article we will investigate the top 3 dental schools in 2011 as voted by Top Ten Nation and why these rankings should matter to dental patients.

Top 3 Dental Schools

1. University of Maryland at Baltimore, Baltimore College of Dental Surgery – Widely recognized as being the first dental college in the world, BCDS at UMB is considered instrumental in the success of dental education facilities. One of the greatest strengths BCDS has to offer is their innovative curriculum, with courses such as experimental pathology paving the way for next generation dentists. The facilities are excellent, with a $142 million, 12-story building located in downtown Baltimore, odds are you’d be able to find more than a few dentists located in Boston and the surrounding areas that boast of a degree from BCDS.
2. University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry – The standout factor in UoP being the 2nd ranked dental school lies within their being the only dental school in the U.S. that has an accelerated three-year DDS program. It’s important to note that despite the increased curriculum pace, students log above-average clinical education hours. Not much else is known about UoP beyond the family-friendly atmosphere and generous cost of tuition, but it has been consistently ranked in the top 10 for years.
3. Harvard University, School of Dental Medicine- Seems a bit typical, am I right? While no one is surprised at this placement, it does speak volumes about what a schools reputation can do. This being said, a unique aspect to the dental curriculum Harvard offers lies in the placement of pre-doctoral students in classes joined with medical students for a required 2 years of pathophysiology and basic science. This allows dental students the opportunity to have a basic education of clinical medicine, with when dealing with teeth allows more opportunity to identify potential problems beyond the normal realm of a dental students basic knowledge. Another interesting fact is the high level of dental school graduates that enroll in a post-graduate specialization program. Don’t be surprised if your cosmetic dentist has education from this highly accredited university. You also can’t forget the tremendous amount of knowledge that can be found in the resources at Harvard, both in the academic materials and from the minds of the brilliant professors.

An individual is the one who ultimately determines how successful they are in their chosen field, but with the right resources their path to success can be made a lot smoother.