I advise pre-dentistry, pre-optometry of any major, as well as biology majors in plant sciences, evolution or genetics.
On this page you will find: advice to advisees, a FAQ, links to advising sheets and useful external web sites.
Some general advice for those seeking advice:
I prefer email to phone calls.
If I haven't responded to your email in a couple of days, email again.
Do not use "hi", "hello" or other similar subject lines for your email. Choose a professional, informative subject. This makes a good impression and you also avoid having your message discarded as spam. I do recieve a lot of junk email that I try to delete without opening.
Ask specific questions in your email, if possible.
Check my schedule to see when I hold my office hours, teach classes etc. if you need to meet with me. That way, if you ask to meet you can suggest some times that have a better chance of working for both of us. Come to one of my office hours unless none will fit in your schedule. You may want to set up an appointment with me even during an office hour so that you will know there will be time for you and your questions.
What should I major in if I want to go to dental school/optometry school/etc.?
It really doesn't matter. These professional schools will look at the courses you have taken and many other factors but not specifically your major field of study. Most pre-dental and pre-optometry students major in Biology or in Chemistry but some major in Physics, Math, History, Business or other subjects.
Is there a pre-dental/pre-optometry/etc. major at CWU?
No. Nor is there anywhere else to the best of my knowledge. These are advising programs rather than majors. Even so it is helpful if we have a record of your interests so please declare a "pre-major" for pre-dentistry or pre-optometry. That helps us keep track of who is doing what among our students and will help us when planning course offerings.
What percentage of CWU students get into dental school/optometry school/etc?
We don't know (and neither does any other school really). That's because it is unclear what the denominator should be. Just what should be calculated -- Is it the percentage of successful students out of all those who enter thinking they want to go to a particular professional school? [This number would be low at CWU as it would be anywhere.] Is it the percentage of students who are successful out of those who apply? [This number would be high.] Is it the percentage of students who are successful out of those who apply with strong applications? [This number would be very close to 100%. In ten years, I have never seen a CWU student, if talented and well-prepared, not get into dental or optometry school.]
What courses do I need to take to prepare for dental school or optometry school?
Some general guidelines are outlined on the pre-dental or pre-optometry advising sheets. However you will want to check out schools where you might want to apply and compare their specific pre-requisites. Then modify your plans accordingly to be sure that you have met at least the minimum requirements for each of the schools to which you might apply.
What if I want to be a dental hygenist?
This is different from preparing to be a dentist. [I say this not so much for students but for parents and other interested parties who might not be aware that the preparation for these two careers is quite different.] CWU does not provide training or even advising for dental hygiene. Dental hygiene is generally a two-year program offered at a number of state community colleges such as YVCC, Pierce College, etc. Among Washington State 4-year institutions only Eastern offers a Dental Hygiene program as part of a conventional 4-year baccalaureate degree. Here's the complete list of Washington Schools offering dental hygiene programs in 2006 at the Washington State Dental Hygenist Association Web Page.
All the classes I need are full. What can I do?
You can be sure that you are on the wait list for the class. You can speak with the instructors of the individual courses in which you are trying to enroll. You can move on to Plan B (or C or ...). As enrollments increase at Central, more classes are filling up sooner in the registration period, so you do want to have alternative paths to progress through your requirements to your degree. Even if classes are not full, it becomes more and more challenging to fit classes together into a workable schedule if you're taking three courses all with labs in any given quarter. Have options and don't wait until your last quarter to try to take two or three courses that you MUST have to graduate.
Do I have to take any math?
Biology in general takes more math than you think. Not necessarily very "fancy" math, but if you can't comfortably handle basic arithmetic, algebra and statistics, you'll be limited in your ability to be a biologist. Most dental schools have no specific math requirements (although some do, so check your schools) but optometry schools require at least a quarter of calculus and a course in statistics. If you are going on to academic graduate school (for your master's or Ph.D. in biology or genetics or whatever) prerequisites probably include a year of calculus (and a year of physics) although that will vary somewhat by school.
CWU Links -- pre-dental & pre-optometry
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External - Dentistry U.S. Dental Schools (list and links at ADA website) Dental School Application Service (aadsas) American Student Dental Association
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CWU Links -- all students undergraduate research in biology |
External - Optometry Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry Optometry Schools (list and links from opted) School prereqs 2005 (from opted)
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