What to Ask Dental Hygienist Schools<\/strong><\/h3>\nNow that you have decided to become a dental hygienist in Dothan AL, you can start the process of comparing programs and schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, many students begin by looking at the location and the cost of the schools. Maybe they look for several online alternatives also. Even though these may be important initial factors to consider, there are a few additional questions that you need to address to the schools you are reviewing in order to make an informed decision. Toward that end, we have provided a list of questions to assist you with your evaluation and ultimate selection of the ideal dental hygienist program for you.<\/p>\n
Is the Dental College Accredited?<\/strong> There are a number of important reasons why you should only choose an accredited dental hygienist program. If you are going to become certified or licensed, then accreditation is a condition in virtually all states. To qualify to take the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination, your dental program must be accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CDA). Accreditation also helps guarantee that the training you receive is comprehensive and of the highest quality. Dothan AL employers typically desire or require that job applicants are graduates of accredited schools. And last, if you are requesting a student loan or financial aid, often they are not provided for non-accredited colleges.<\/p>\nIs Enough Clinical Training Included?<\/strong> Practical or clinical training is a vital portion of every dental training program. This is true for the online school options as well. A number of dental hygienist schools have associations with area dental offices and clinics that furnish clinical training for their students. It’s not only essential that the program you choose offers sufficient clinical hours but also provides them in the kind of practice that you subsequently want to work in. For example, if you have an interest in a career in pediatric dentistry, confirm that the school you select offers clinical rotation in a local Dothan AL dental practice that focuses on dental treatment for children.<\/p>\nAre Internships Available?<\/strong> Ask if the dental programs you are looking at sponsor an internship program. Internships are probably the ideal means to get hands-on, clinical experience in a professional dental practice. They make it easier for students to transition from the theoretical to the practical. They can also help students form working relationships in the professional dental community. And they look good on resumes too.<\/p>\nIs Job Placement Help Offered?<\/strong> Most graduating students of dental hygienist colleges need assistance getting their first job. Check if the schools you are looking at have job placement programs, and what their job placement rates are. Programs with high job placement rates are likely to have good reputations within the Dothan AL dental community as well as extensive networks of contacts where they can position their students for employment or internships.<\/p>\nAre the Classrooms Small?<\/strong> Find out from the colleges you are evaluating how big on average their classes are. The smaller classes usually provide a more intimate environment for training where students have greater access to the teachers. Conversely, larger classes can be impersonal and offer little individualized instruction. If feasible, find out if you can attend a couple of classes at the Dothan AL dental hygienist school that you are most interested in in order to witness first hand the degree of interaction between students and instructors before making a commitment.<\/p>\n <\/strong>What is the Entire Cost of the Program?<\/strong> Dental hygiene programs can fluctuate in cost based on the duration of the program and the volume of clinical training provided. Other variables, for instance the reputations of the colleges and if they are public or private also have an impact. But in addition to 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 colleges, remember to include all of the expenses related to your education. The majority of colleges have financial aid departments, so be sure to ask what is offered as far as grants, loans and scholarships in the Dothan AL area.<\/p>\nAre the Classes Accessible?<\/strong> Before enrolling in a dental hygienist college, you need to make sure that the hygienist or assistant program offers classes that suit your schedule. This is especially true if you continue working while receiving your education and need to go to classes near Dothan AL in the evenings or on weekends. And even if you enroll in an online school, you will still be required to schedule your clinical training classes. Also, while addressing your concerns, ask what the make-up procedure is if you should have to miss any classes due to illness, work or family emergencies.<\/p>\nAttending Dental Hygienist School near Dothan AL?<\/h3>\nDothan, Alabama<\/h3>
Dothan \/\u02c8do\u028a\u03b8\u0259n\/ is a city in Dale, Henry, and Houston counties in the U.S. state of Alabama. It is the largest city and county seat of Houston County, with a population of 65,496 at the 2010 census.[2] It is located in the state's southeastern corner, approximately 20 miles (32\u00a0km) west of the Georgia state line and 16 miles (26\u00a0km) north of Florida. Its name derives from Genesis 37:17: \"let us go to Dothan.\"\n<\/p>
Dothan is the principal city of the Dothan, Alabama metropolitan area, which encompasses all of Geneva, Henry, and Houston counties; the small portion that lies in Dale County is part of the Ozark Micropolitan Statistical Area. The combined population for the entire Dothan metropolitan area in 2010 was 145,639.[4] The city serves as the main transportation and commercial hub for a significant part of southeastern Alabama, southwest Georgia, and nearby portions of the Florida Panhandle. Since approximately one-fourth of the U.S. peanut crop is produced nearby, with much of it being processed in the city, Dothan is sometimes referred to as \"The Peanut Capital of the World\". Dothan also hosts the annual National Peanut Festival at the dedicated \"Peanut Festival Fairgrounds\".[5]<\/p>
The area that is now Dothan was inhabited for thousands of years by successive cultures of indigenous peoples. In historic times it was occupied by the Alabama and Creek Native American tribes who were hunters and gatherers in the vast forests of pine that covered this region. These tribes had developed complex cultures, and often used to meet and camp for trading near a large spring at the crossroads of two trails.\n<\/p>
Between 1763 and 1783, the region that is now Dothan was part of the colony of British West Florida.[6] European-American settlers moving through the area during the late 18th and early 19th centuries discovered the Indian spring, naming it \"Poplar Head\". Most felt that the sandy soil common to this region would be unsuitable for farming, so they moved on. A crude stockade was constructed on the Barber Plantation, where settlers could take refuge whenever they felt threatened. This fort disappeared by the 1840s, after the end of the Indian Wars in Alabama and the removal of most members of the Five Civilized Tribes to Indian Territory west of the Mississippi River.[citation needed] Some Indians stayed in the region, becoming state and U.S. citizens by giving up their tribal membership.\n<\/p><\/div>\n