Subjects to Cover With Dental Hygienist Colleges<\/strong><\/h3>\nNow that you have decided to become a dental hygienist in Meridian MS, you can start the procedure of comparing schools and programs. As we discussed at the start of this article, a number of students start by looking at the cost and the location of the colleges. Perhaps they look for some online options as well. Even though these are relevant initial points to consider, there are a few additional questions that you need to ask of the colleges you are comparing in order to reach an informed decision. To start that process, we have supplied a list of questions to help you with your due diligence and final selection of the right dental hygienist program for you.<\/p>\n
Is the Dental College Accredited?<\/strong> There are many important reasons why you should only choose an accredited dental hygienist college. If you are going to become licensed or certified, then accreditation is a requirement 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 ensure that the instruction you receive is comprehensive and of the highest quality. Meridian MS employers typically desire or require that job applicants are graduates of accredited colleges. And finally, if you are applying for financial aid or a student loan, frequently they are not offered for non-accredited programs.<\/p>\nIs Sufficient Practical Training Provided?<\/strong> Practical or clinical training is a vital portion of every dental training program. This holds true for the online school options also. Many dental hygienist programs have partnerships with regional dental offices and clinics that provide clinical training for their students. It’s not only important that the school you choose offers adequate clinical hours but also provides them in the kind of practice that you ultimately want to work in. For example, if you are interested in a career in pediatric dentistry, confirm that the program you choose offers clinical rotation in a local Meridian MS dental practice that focuses on dental services for children.<\/p>\nAre Internships Available?<\/strong> Ask if the dental schools you are evaluating have internship programs. Internships are probably the best way to receive hands-on, practical experience in a real dental practice. They help students to transition from the theoretical to the practical. They can also help students build professional relationships in the Meridian MS dentistry community. And they are attractive on resumes too.<\/p>\nIs Job Placement Support Offered?<\/strong> Most students that have graduated from dental hygienist colleges need help obtaining their first job. Find out if the colleges you are researching have job assistance programs, and what their job placement rates are. Schools with higher job placement rates probably have excellent reputations within the Meridian MS dental community as well as broad networks of contacts where they can refer their students for employment or internships.<\/p>\nAre Classes Small?<\/strong> Find out from the schools you are interested in how large typically their classrooms are. The smaller classes usually offer a more intimate environment for training where students have increased access to the instructors. On the other hand, larger classes often are impersonal and provide little individualized instruction. If practical, ask if you can sit in on a couple of classes at the Meridian MS dental hygienist school that you are leaning toward in order to experience first hand the degree of interaction between students and instructors before enrolling.<\/p>\n <\/strong>What is the Entire Expense of the Program?<\/strong> Dental hygiene programs can differ in cost depending on the duration of the program and the amount of practical training provided. Other variables, for example the reputations of the schools and if they are public or private also come into play. But along with 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 equipment, materials and supplies. So when comparing the cost of colleges, remember to add all of the expenses associated with your education. The majority of schools have financial aid offices, so be sure to find out what is available as far as grants, loans and scholarships in the Meridian MS area.<\/p>\nAre the Classes Accessible?<\/strong> Before selecting a dental hygienist school, you need to make sure that the assistant or hygienist program provides classes that accommodate your schedule. This is especially true if you continue working while acquiring your education and have to attend classes near Meridian MS at nights or on weekends. And even if you select an online school, you will still need to schedule your practical training classes. Also, while making your inquiries, ask what the make-up policy is if you should have to miss any classes because of work, illness or family responsibilities.<\/p>\nAttending Dental Hygienist School near Meridian MS?<\/h3>\nMeridian, Mississippi<\/h3>
Meridian is the sixth largest city in the state of Mississippi, United States.[2] It is the county seat of Lauderdale County and the principal city of the Meridian, Mississippi Micropolitan Statistical Area. Along major highways, the city is 93\u00a0mi (150\u00a0km) east of Jackson, Mississippi; 154\u00a0mi (248\u00a0km) southwest of Birmingham, Alabama; 202\u00a0mi (325\u00a0km) northeast of New Orleans, Louisiana; and 231\u00a0mi (372\u00a0km) southeast of Memphis, Tennessee.<\/p>
Established in 1860, at the junction of the Mobile and Ohio Railroad and Southern Railway of Mississippi, Meridian built an economy based on the railways and goods transported on them, and it became a strategic trading center. During the American Civil War, General William Tecumseh Sherman burned much of the city to the ground in the Battle of Meridian (February 1864). Rebuilt after the war, the city entered a \"Golden Age\". It became the largest city in Mississippi between 1890 and 1930, and a leading center for manufacturing in the South, with 44 trains arriving and departing daily. Union Station, built in 1906, is now a multi-modal center, with access to the Meridian Transit System, Greyhound Buses, and Trailways, averaging 242,360 passengers per year. Although the economy slowed with the decline of the railroad industry, the city has diversified, with healthcare, military, and manufacturing employing the most people in 2010. The population within the city limits, according to 2008 census estimates, is 38,232, but a population of 232,900 in a 45-mile (72\u00a0km) radius and 526,500 in a 65-mile (105\u00a0km) radius, of which 104,600 and 234,200 people respectively are in the labor force, feeds the economy of the city.<\/p>
The area is served by two military facilities, Naval Air Station Meridian and Key Field, which employ over 4,000 people. NAS Meridian is home to the Regional Counter-Drug Training Academy (RCTA) and the first local Department of Homeland Security in the state. Key Field is named after brothers Fred and Al Key, who set a world endurance flight record in 1935. The field is now home to the 186th Air Refueling Wing of the Air National Guard and a support facility for the 185th Aviation Brigade of the Army National Guard. Rush Foundation Hospital is the largest non-military employer in the region, employing 2,610 people. Among the city's many arts organizations and historic buildings are the Riley Center, the Meridian Museum of Art, Meridian Little Theatre, and the Meridian Symphony Orchestra. Meridian was home to two Carnegie libraries, one for whites and one for African Americans. The Carnegie Branch Library, now demolished, was one of a number of Carnegie libraries built for blacks in the Southern United States during the segregation era.<\/p>
The city has been selected as the future location of the Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Center (MAEC). Jimmie Rodgers, the \"Father of Country Music\", was born in Meridian. Highland Park houses a museum which displays memorabilia of his life and career, as well as railroad equipment from the steam-engine era. The park is also home to the Highland Park Dentzel Carousel, a National Historic Landmark. It is the world's only two-row stationary Dentzel menagerie in existence.<\/p><\/div>\n