PRE-DENTAL HYGIENE ADVISEMENT WORKSHEET - OUHSC 2004-2005

University of Central Oklahoma

Prepared by: Dr. Anne L. Ewing Assistant Professor/Health Professions Advisor Department of Biology 200C Howell Hall (405) 974-5733

aewing2@ucok.edu

OU REQUIREMENTS UCO Equivalent Course at Another Grade Hours CORE AREA 1: Symbolic and Oral Communication Institution

ENGL 1113 Prin. of English Comp. I ENG 1113 __________________ ________ ________ ENGL 1213 Prin. of English Comp. II ENG 1213 __________________ ________ ________ COMM 1113 Principles of Communication or COMM 1113 __________________ ________ ________ COMM 2613 Public Speaking Foreign Lang. [] H.S. (2 yrs) or [] College (2 courses) _______________ __________________ ________ ________

PSY 2003 Understanding Statistics or STAT 3103 ** __________________ ________ ________ COMM 2513 Introduction to Statistics or PSY 2753

CORE AREA 2: Natural Sciences CHEM 1315 General Chemistry with Lab CHEM 1103+1112** __________________ ________ ________ MBIO 2815 Intro to Microbiology with Lab BIO 2314** __________________ ________ ________ ZOO 2255 Human Anatomy BIO 2504 __________________ ________ ________ ZOO 2124 Human Physiology BIO 2604 __________________ ________ ________

>HSS 2823 Introduction to Nutrition or NTRN 1513 __________________ ________ ________ >NS 1823 Elementary Nutrition

CORE AREA 3: Social Sciences PSC 1113 Government of the U.S. PSY 1113 Elements of Psychology SOC 1113 Intro to Sociology

POL 1113 __________________ ________ ________ PSY 2703 __________________ ________ ________ SOC 2103 __________________ ________ ________

CORE AREA 4: Humanities

HIST 1483 U.S. History 1492-1865 or HIST 1483 or 1493 __________________ ________ ________ HIST 1493 U.S. History 1865-Present *Understanding Artistic Forms (3 hours) _______________ __________________ ________ ________ *Western Civilization & Culture (3 hours) _______________ __________________ ________ ________ *Non-Western Culture (3 hours) _______________ __________________ ________ ________ ** At UCO, prerequisites for the courses above will include MATH 1513; and BIO 1114 , 1214, or 1404 ELECTIVES: Make up the balance needed to equal 60 hours. Students must take at least one upper division General Education course

KEY: *See advisor for list or use the OU Prerequisite Finder http://www.ah.ouhsc.edu/prereqs/

NOTE: This document is an unofficial evaluation of credentials based upon available information and/or documentation provided by the potential applicant. The potential applicant must contact the department of interest to secure formal approval of the evaluation.

PRE-DENTAL HYGIENE

The dental hygienist is a licensed member of the oral health care team responsible for providing preventive measures in the treatment of dental and oral disease. The oral health services include oral examination and charting, removal of hard and soft deposits from teeth, application of fluoride therapy and sealants, and exposing and processing oral radiographs. The dental hygienist is also responsible for educating patients in techniques needed to prevent dental caries, periodontal disease and other oral conditions. These services are usually rendered in the private dental office, but dental hygienists can be found in numerous other settings: nursing homes and long-term care facilities, hospitals, corporate health facilities, school systems, research centers, state and federal agencies and public health clinics. Also, they can be employed as educators and/or researchers in dental hygiene and dental school programs where they are responsible for teaching courses and clinics, providing continuing education seminars, conducting clinical research or collecting and analyzing scientific data.

Career Opportunities: The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics has projected that employment in the profession of dental hygiene will grow much faster than the average for all occupations through the end of the decade. Dental Hygiene should continue to be in the top 10 growth disciplines in the health care professions through at least the year 2005. There are still several areas of the United States that are currently reporting shortages of dental hygienists. Although there are opportunities for dental hygiene practice in other practice settings, the majority of dental hygienists are employed within general dental practices. About 70% of general dentists employ a dental hygienist, with many dentists employing more than one, which contributes to excellent employment opportunities. The dental hygiene field has a great deal of stability; the average length of employment for a hygienist working in the same practice is 5.5 years. Although there is variation depending upon where a hygienist chooses to practice, the current average national wage is $24-$30 per hour. There is considerable freedom for hygienists to select their number of work days and hours; therefore, annual salaries for part-time practitioners vary.

Application Requirements: Admission to the Dental Hygiene Program is competitive. Selection is based on the applicant’s postsecondary academic record, life experiences and the potential for success in a baccalaureate program of study in dental hygiene. Oklahoma residents are given preference, but well-qualified non-residents are also considered for admission. New students are admitted for the fall semester only. To be considered for admission, students must meet the following requirements:

Submit a completed University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center application with application fee, a Dental Hygiene Supplemental Application Form, official transcripts from all colleges or universities attended or currently enrolled, two (2) letters of recommendation from individuals familiar with applicant’s potential for success, such as college science instructor and recent employer. All application materials must be submitted by NOVEMBER 1 of the year before that in which admission is sought (example: November 1, 2005 deadline for fall 2006 admission).
Be in good standing with the college or university last attended.
Have successfully completed or will have completed prior to entry into the program the courses listed on this form. Have a total minimum of sixty (60) semester hours of coursework form any accredited college or university. Course numbers and titles are those of the University of Oklahoma. Any exceptions or substitutions must be approved by the program chair and/or college dean. It is the responsiblity of the student to submit official transcripts for courses taken after the application deadline.
Have a minimum grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale with a grade of C or better on all specifically required courses.
If English is the student’s second language, a national standardized TOEFL examination is required. A minimum score of 550 is required.
Interviews are conducted on an individual basis. Selected individuals will be notified and arrangements made for personal interview. Interview does not indicate acceptance into the program. All expenses incurred in the interview process will be the responsibility of the applicant.
Fall transcript required with application.

A recently admitted class had the following academic averages: Number of hours completed: 90; GPA: 3.4; Foundational GPA: 3.6. Applicants are urged to investigate dental hygiene as a career prior to application in such ways as observation or working with a dental hygienist during a typical day and investigating advantages and disadvantages of the discipline

Contents of this publication are subject to revision without notice. The provisions of this publication do not constitute a contract, expressed or implied between any applicant, student, or faculty member of the Dental Hygiene Program.

For more information about Dental Hygienists and Dental Hygiene programs: http://www.adha.org/

For further information, contact: Ms. Patricia Nunn, University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry, Department of Dental Hygiene, P. O. Box 26901 Oklahoma City, OK 73190; telephone (405) 271-2359. To apply, OU College of Dentistry, Dental Hygiene: http://dentistry.ouhsc.edu/intranet-Web/oucod/dhprog.html

Revised 10/04