Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Schools Concentrating On Dental Assistants
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at Lane Community College, Portland Community College, Chemeketa Community College, and Central Oregon Community College.
Fastest Response From Schools
- Request Info: For the fastest information for prospective students, look at the Spotlight schools on this page.
Student Body
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Blue Mountain Community College, Lane Community College, Portland Community College, and Chemeketa Community College.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Rogue Community College, Umpqua Community College, Clackamas Community College, and Chemeketa Community College.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Linn-Benton Community College, Chemeketa Community College, and Clackamas Community College.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Central Oregon Community College.
Excellence
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Blue Mountain Community College.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
Central Oregon Community College • Bend, OR
Studying Dental Assisting (completion in 2009)
• 7/13/2011
"I was happy with the education. They have a very good program."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | If you want to learn the ins and outs of dental assisting, Go to COCC. I could not have learned more. Incredible educational experience. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | When dentists hear that a student went to COCC, they pretty much will hire them outright. People hear awesome things about our school. |
| Program Quality | 8 | Very good program. For a community college, the teachers are exceptionally dedicated. The practices are very hands on. Overall, I could only work part time during school because the work was very consuming, but in a good way. However, the offices where we went for practicums were not as welcoming to us, the students, as they could have been. |
| Instruction | 9 | We were taught everything from head and neck anatomy to giving x-rays, had classes on HIPPA and patient confidentiality, and had guest speakers on pediatrics to elderly care and everything in between. They even taught us how to prepare cover letters and resumes. They practically signed us up for our testing themselves. Very very good program. The practicum was the only thing I would rate poorly. |
| How Difficult | 8 | If I was good at the subject, it was way easy. However, if it was hard for me, homework would take forever. For example, I was good at the x-ray background knowledge and identifying different conditions in the mouth from an x-ray. The reading I would skim and the questions in the back were very minimal. However, when it came to anatomy, for a test we were given a picture of a human skull and were asked to name all the bones on the head, or a picture of the body and to name all the systems and how they related to the mouth. It could be very challenging at times, but they really wanted us to succeed. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It was very half and half. Lots of practicum work and lab work, but all homework was out of the book. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 4 | Not flexible at all. I was at school eight to three all days of the week and then in the last two semesters I had to complete 150 hours of practicum. Pretty much ate up my life. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | Very well supplied. They always had plenty of the supplies we needed, lots of computers to work on, teachers to talk to, etc. |
| Social Life | 4 | There was just no time for events. Unless you count study parties. We did have a graduation party. |
| Placement Services | 8 | They were pretty good about this. Since we were placed in offices for practicums, that gave us an "in" to the dental world. |
| Alumni Network | 4 | Very bad. Honestly, I never even really heard back from them. But I guess that is what you get from a community college. I sometimes see the teachers around town but that is honestly it. |
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