Questions to Ask Dental Hygienist Colleges<\/strong><\/h3>\nNow that you have decided to become a dental hygienist in Williamsburg VA, you can start the procedure of comparing programs and schools. As we discussed at the start of this article, many potential students start by checking out the cost and the location of the colleges. Maybe they search for some online options as well. Although these are important initial considerations, there are several additional questions that you should ask of the schools you are looking at in order to arrive at an informed decision. Toward that end, we have supplied a list of questions to help you with your due diligence and ultimate selection of the best dental hygienist college for you.<\/p>\n
Is the Dental School Accredited?<\/strong> There are many good reasons why you should only enroll in an accredited dental hygienist college. If you are intending to become certified or licensed, then accreditation is a condition in almost all states. In order to take the National Board Dental Hygiene Exam, your dental program must be accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CDA). Accreditation also helps guarantee that the instruction you get is of the highest quality and comprehensive. Williamsburg VA employers typically prefer or require that new hires are graduates of accredited colleges. And finally, if you are applying for financial aid or a student loan, frequently they are not available for non-accredited programs.<\/p>\nIs Plenty of Practical Training Provided?<\/strong> Practical or clinical training is a vital portion of any dental training program. This is true for the online school options as well. Most dental hygienist colleges have partnerships with regional dental offices and clinics that furnish clinical training for their students. It’s not only imperative that the college you choose provides adequate clinical hours but also provides them in the type of practice that you ultimately want to work in. As an example, if you have an interest in a career in pediatric dentistry, confirm that the program you choose offers clinical rotation in a local Williamsburg VA dental practice that specializes in dental treatment for children.<\/p>\nIs There an Internship Program?<\/strong> Verify if the dental schools you are exploring sponsor an internship program. Internships are undoubtedly the best means to obtain hands-on, practical experience in a real dental practice. They make it easier for students to transition from the theoretical to the practical. They can also help students develop professional relationships in the Williamsburg VA dentistry community. And they look good on resumes too.<\/p>\nIs Job Placement Help Offered?<\/strong> Most students that have graduated from dental hygienist programs require help getting their first job. Ask if the schools you are researching have job assistance programs, and what their job placement rates are. Programs with higher job placement rates probably have excellent reputations within the Williamsburg VA dental profession in addition to large networks of contacts where they can place their students for internships or employment.<\/p>\nAre Classrooms Small?<\/strong> Find out from the schools you are interested in how big on average their classrooms are. The smaller classes usually offer a more intimate environment for learning where students have greater access to the instructors. On the other hand, bigger classes can be impersonal and provide little one-on-one instruction. If practical, find out if you can sit in on a couple of classes at the Williamsburg VA dental hygienist college that you are leaning toward in order to experience first hand the degree of interaction between instructors and students before making a commitment.<\/p>\n <\/strong>What is the Total Expense of the Program?<\/strong> Dental hygiene training can differ in cost depending on the duration of the program and the volume of practical training provided. Other variables, such as the reputations of the schools and whether they are private or public also have an impact. But besides the tuition there are other substantial expenses which can add up. They can include expenses for such things as textbooks and commuting as well as school materials, equipment and supplies. So when comparing the cost of schools, don’t forget to include all of the costs associated with your education. Most schools have financial assistance departments, so make sure to ask what is offered as far as grants, loans and scholarships in the Williamsburg VA area.<\/p>\nAre the Classes Accessible?<\/strong> Before enrolling in a dental hygienist college, you need to verify that the assistant or hygienist program offers classes that fit your schedule. This is especially true if you continue working while acquiring your education and need to attend classes near Williamsburg VA in the evenings or on weekends. And even if you select an online school, you will still be required to schedule your clinical training classes. Also, while addressing your concerns, ask what the make-up protocol is if you should need to miss any classes because of illness, work or family responsibilities.<\/p>\nAttending Dental Hygienist School near Williamsburg VA?<\/h3>\nWilliamsburg, Virginia<\/h3>
Williamsburg was founded in 1632 as Middle Plantation, a fortified settlement on high ground between the James and York rivers. The city served as the capital of the Colony and Commonwealth of Virginia from 1699 to 1780 and was the center of political events in Virginia leading to the American Revolution. The College of William & Mary, established in 1693, is the second-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and the only one of the nine colonial colleges located in the South; its alumni include three U.S. presidents as well as many other important figures in the nation's early history.<\/p>
The city's tourism-based economy is driven by Colonial Williamsburg, the restored Historic Area of the city. Along with nearby Jamestown and Yorktown, Williamsburg forms part of the Historic Triangle, which attracts more than four million tourists each year.[6] Modern Williamsburg is also a college town, inhabited in large part by William & Mary students and staff.<\/p>
Prior to the arrival of the English colonists at Jamestown in the Colony of Virginia in 1607, the area which became Williamsburg was within the territory of the Powhatan Confederacy. By the 1630s, English settlements had grown to dominate the lower (eastern) portion of the Virginia Peninsula, and the Powhatan tribes had abandoned their nearby villages. Between 1630 and 1633, after the war that followed the Indian Massacre of 1622, the English colonists constructed a defensive palisade across the peninsula and a settlement named Middle Plantation as a primary guard station along the palisade.[7]<\/p>
Jamestown was the original capital of Virginia Colony, but was burned down during the events of Bacon's Rebellion in 1676. As soon as Governor William Berkeley regained control, temporary headquarters for the government to function were established about 12 miles (19\u00a0km) away on the high ground at Middle Plantation, while the Statehouse at Jamestown was rebuilt. The members of the House of Burgesses discovered that the 'temporary' location was both safer and more pleasant environmentally than Jamestown, which was humid and plagued with mosquitoes.<\/p><\/div>\n