DENTAL HYGIENE SCHOOL

Dental Hygiene Program Admissions Process

MedQuest College provides equal admissions opportunity to all applicants. Application for admission to MedQuest College is open to all persons without regards to race, religion, national origin, sex, or handicap. In order to be eligible for acceptance into the program there are multiple components that will be evaluated. Please review the following admissions eligibility requirements:

1. Recommendation Letters

The purpose of obtaining recommendation letters on perspective students is to help gain insight on how a friend, co-worker, or management staff perceives them.

• Two (2) recommendation letters:
  • The recommendation letters cannot be from a family member.
  • One recommendation letter can be a personal reference. One recommendation letter must be a professional reference.The professional reference must be on company letterhead or from a company/professional email account.
  • Letters must be signed, dated, and contain contact information for the person providing the recommendation.

2. Transcripts

Reviewing transcripts is a very important admissions process. The program assesses grades in all the courses. The grades in the science and math courses are heavily scrutinized because these courses are the foundation for Dental Hygiene. The prospective student’s course of study and prescribed high school program is also indicative of the applicant’s readiness for the program. Questions related to transcripts from previous learning institutions may be asked during the interview process.

• The Dental Hygiene Program requires a high school or GED transcript
• If a student received at least an associate degree from another post-secondary institution, the student must provide official transcripts from each institution where a degree was conferred.
  • Students transferring credits from other schools are required to earn at least 75% of the credits required for completion of a program through instruction at MedQuest College. To have any credits received at a previous institution be considered for transfer, the applicant must submit an official transcript within 30 days of beginning first (1^st) term classes. Syllabi and course outlines, though not required, are helpful in the determination process. An unofficial transcript may be used only for evaluation purposes. An official transcript must be sent directly to MedQuest College by the previous school for previous credit within 30 days of beginning first (1^st) term classes for Program Chair review. For credit from another institution to be considered for acceptance by MedQuest College, a minimum grade of “C” must be achieved. For Dental Hygiene students, the course being reviewed for transfer of credit must be completed within the last five (5) years. MedQuest College will only accept previous credit form another institution accredited by an agency recognized by the Secretary of Education or the Council for Higher Accreditation (CHEA). A determination will be made by MedQuest College as to the number of credits which can be transferred as credit towards the program requirements. This determination will be made in view of the course material previously taken and the length of time since the training was received. The final determination will be approved by the Program Director.

3. Observation Hours

The purpose of the observation hours is to allow the applicant to witness first-hand the role of a dental hygienist and what the career title encompasses. Dental Hygienists are faced with ethical and moral decisions regarding their patients. Applicants need to be aware of the physical demands of being a dental hygienist and the aspect of caring for patients and their individual dental needs. The observation hours also measure the commitment of the prospective student. MedQuest College collects data on how important learning about being a dental hygienist is to the applicant by looking at punctuality, attendance, attitude, and desire to observe. Questions based on the applicant’s experiences at the facility will be part of the interview process. Applicants are required to complete a minimum of 16 contact hours observing a dental hygienist under the supervision of a dentist. Applicants are encouraged to complete more than the minimum number of hours.

• These hours may be completed at a dentist office, specialty office, or FQHC that has a dental clinic.
• Applications are strongly encouraged to seek out multiple observation locations to gain exposure to different dental office settings.
• It is the applicant’s responsibility to have the supervising dental hygienist or dentist complete the Observation Form and have it returned to their admissions advisor.

4. Personal Statement

Your personal statement is a one-page essay (not to exceed 4,500 characters, including spaces, numbers, letters, etc.) that gives MedQuest a clear picture of who you are and, most importantly, why you want to pursue a career in dental hygiene.

Although there is no set of rules mandating what a strong personal statement should include, here are a few tips to help you successfully craft a winning personal statement:

• Explain a defining moment that helped steer you toward a career in dental hygiene. Consider using that moment as the focal point of your essay.
• Be colorful, positive, imaginative, and personal when discussing why you are a good candidate for MedQuest. Ask yourself—in a pile of 100 applications, would I enjoy reading my statement? Be sure to convey your passion for dentistry in your statement.
• Be yourself.  Do not use jargon, clichés, or big phrases that you would not use in daily conversation. Remember, we want to know about the real you.
• Be original and thoughtful; discuss how you would contribute to the profession and patient care, all of which will help you stand out from other applicants.
• Tell your story—make sure the essay is your story, not someone else’s.
• Recruit a friend. Ask a friend, relative, or faculty advisor to read your essay and provide constructive criticism. Ask them to think about whether the essay is a good representation of your character, and what they know of your ideals and aspirations.
• Give yourself time to organize your thoughts and write well, making edits as necessary. Do not forget to proofread, proofread, proofread!

5. Academic Assessment

Students are given an assessment of academic skills, commonly referred to as the academic readiness assessment. The results of the assessment provide MedQuest with a means of determining the need for academic support through transitional studies courses and academic advisement. Due to the purposes of this assessment, students are advised to perform to the best of their abilities to accurately reflect the need or not for additional academic support.

The following minimum AccuplacerSkills Insight™ scores must be achieved; otherwise, the student will be referred to service offering remediation course(s). Failure to achieve minimum assessment scores means that the exam must be repeated to be considered for enrollment.

If a minimum score on the AccuplacerSkills Insight™ in the required subjects was achieved at another institution, it will be acceptable for admission provided the score was achieved within the past 365 days. Test sores greater than one year old will not be considered for admissions purposes and applicants must retest.

MedQuest will also accept the following exam scores if the student has taken within the past three years:

• Prior to an interview with the admissions committee, the prospective student is required to achieve the minimum scores for the AccuplacerSkills Insight™or provide documentation of ACT scores.
• Candidates are limited to one retake of the AccuplacerSkills Insight™ per application period.
• The ACT math score will be used for the arithmetic assessment, ACT English for the writing assessment and ACT reading scores for the reading assessment.

6. Applicant Interview

Along with the academic assessment score, prospective students must complete an interview with members of the Dental Hygiene Admissions Committee. The interview is a part of the admissions committee process. Areas evaluated during the interview include:

• Basic observations (e.g., punctuality, attire, hygiene, professionalism, etc.).
• Preparation and knowledge of the profession
• Preparation for meeting the demands of the educational program

Each potential candidate for the dental hygiene program is vetted through an admissions committee made up of dental hygiene faculty, the Program Director and academic administration. A screening tool is used to assist the committee with unbiased decision-making.

In the event of the total number of students being greater than the allowable number of seats, students will be ranked using the screening tool and admitted according to their score. Students gain points for the following items:

• Admission Exam or Outside Exam Scores
• Observation Hours
• Interview
• Letters of Recommendation
• Personal Statement

Additional points can be awarded for experience in the dental field or proficiency in a second language. Verification must be provided to receive points.

7. Selection/ Waitlist

Once all candidates have been scored and ranked, seats will be offered in order of highest scores. Candidates will be notified of acceptance into the Dental Hygiene program by phone call and email form the Program Director. Because of the competitive selection process and limited seats available, individuals not selected for the program are placed on a waitlist as alternates. If any of the selected candidates are unable to accept their seat and begin classes, the open seat(s) will be offered to those on the waitlist.  Once the add/drop period for classes has passed, the waitlist will be dissolved. Each candidate who did not get offered a seat is encouraged to review their preadmissions criteria and reapply.

8. Documentation

• TB- Gold Blood Test*
• Hepatitis B vaccination or signed waiver of declination*
• Up-to-date immunizations: Tdap, MMR, varicella, influenza*
• Current Basic Life Support for Healthcare Provider through The American Red Cross (provided in Term 1) *
• *THESE MUST BE KEPT CURRENT THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CLINCAL EXPERIENCE

Program Sequence