University of Pacific (UOP), San Francisco — Attraction in San Francisco

Pretty facility but the way this place is run is abysmal. UOP seems to operate from the philosophy that the patients have endless time to come for unlimited visits just to get basic and established dental procedures done. And prices aren’t really radically better than established dentists.

Their system is designed to run you ragged. This is unrelated to the student dentists, though if they are teaching this bureaucracy to them then god help their future patients. You have to go all the way there, park and come to their clinic and wait. For every simple thing, they have no way to just get logistics done on the phone.

First you have to schedule a visit a month away and come in just to talk with someone who will assign a dentist.

Then, you will hear from that student dentists maybe 2-4 weeks later, by phone. At that point you schedule your first visit with the student dentist, that’ll be another month away.

You come to THAT visit, and they just meet you and look over your teeth a bit. At that point you have to schedule ANOTHER appointment 4-6 weeks later when you will finally get a cleaning done.

If you have anything else going on, like an implant to do, well, that’s another “consult.” Then there are x-ray appointments. Then there are “3D xray appointments. Then if they mess anything else up, that’s yet ANOTHER appointment. And then there are other consults, castings, etc. and nearly ALL of them require you going all the way there for each separate step! That’s 3 separate visits just to get the radiology done, if you’re counting along.

Of course, this is a school so suddenly there will be summer break, so add another month or two delay. Semester starts up and you are thinking “what else can delay this now?” And you’ll not be disappointed- more individual visits for consults, etc.

Coming up on a year after your tooth was pulled your student dentist has the plan all approved, you have a price and they are ready to schedule surgery and get going.

BUT WAIT! Now the student can’t even schedule the surgery until you pay! And, of course, a huge chunk of money usually is spread out. But can the cashier just arrange to take a portion on your charge card each month? OF COURSE NOT! You need to sign a contract for that! And, the only contract they have is a 12-month one. AND HERE IS THE KICKER- YOU HAVE TO GO ALL THE WAY BACK DOWN THERE YET AGSIN JUST TO SIGN THE STUPID PAYMENT PLAN IN FRONT OF THEM! No DocuSign, no fax, no mail. The DMV runs circles around this place, it’s a wonder how anything ever gets accomplished there…

So the student dentist is dead in the water until the cashier gives their blessing. The patient might as well pitch a tent on their sidewalk for a year in order to be constantly available at a moment’s notice to see them in person.

Whatever clown crew administers this school seems woefully unable to understand the situation many of their patients are in. In fact it’s extremely insulting and patronizing to be treated this way. Nearly any dentist or other provider of a service would gladly arrange a payment plan over the phone (or on during one of the 25 prior visits), send the contract and get whatever wet ink necessary, take the money and get the service proceeding. UOP on the other hand seems to treat their patients with bureaucratic disdain. The chutzpah of not even being able/willing to arrange and provide a contract without taking yet another 4-hour chunk (and yet another $20 in transportation and parking) out of a person’s life just to put a pen on paper in front of their uncaring eyes.

It’s incredibly demeaning and disrespectful of their patients, and has to be mistraining the poor students who might think this is the way to run a dentistry office. The fact that this is a school that’s been around so long and clings to such absurd processes just confounds me. I’ve met some pretty good doctors here and am mostly happy with my student, but UOP apparently has no clue how to run this place in a respectful way toward their target...

The University of Pacific’s San Francisco campus is a standout for its professional and graduate programs, particularly the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry. The facilities are modern and well-equipped, offering students hands-on clinical experience in a supportive environment. Located in the heart of the city, the campus is easily accessible and surrounded by vibrant cultural and dining options. The staff and faculty are dedicated to student success, making it an excellent choice for those pursuing advanced education in dentistry and other fields.

In addition to its academic strengths, the campus fosters a strong sense of community through mentorship programs, student organizations, and outreach initiatives that connect learners with real-world impact. The Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, in particular, emphasizes patient-centered care and ethical practice, preparing students not only with technical skills but also with a deep understanding of service and professionalism. The integration of academic rigor with compassionate training makes the University of the Pacific’s San Francisco campus a well-rounded environment for aspiring healthcare...

I highly recommend staying away from this dentistry school unless you are truly desperate. When I say I'll make a long story short, I mean that literally. I went in to the emergency for an abscess in June. They said the tooth couldn't be saved so extracted it. Unfortunately, they just wrenched it out even though the roots were very wide (they didn't review the X-rays close enough.) the upshot was that they ended up breaking a lot of the bone around the tooth, which then slowly sliced its way through my gums over the course of the next 2 months causing me a great deal of pain. I had to go in 3 more times just for that. Meanwhile, I was trying to get an appointment for other work. It took 3 more months just to schedule a full X-ray, which was slow and painful. X-rays should not be painful! Now, 3 more months later, I still haven't heard back from UoP on scheduling even a preliminary visit. That's 8 months just waiting to get started on fixing problems they helped created! People there are nice, but in my opinion, over booked and under trained. In hindsight, I would have been a lot better off waiting to get into a private...