Dental Hygienist?

[Lindsay P]

I'm about to go to college in a year and i wanted to get into a profession that paid pretty well and would allow me family time. I don't want to be in school for too long either. Deffinitley going into the dental field though. Any tips?

[kam]

You have answered you own question- Dental Hygiene is a fast growing and well paying position if you have the drive to get through an intense two year program.

Since you are looking at going back in about a year- I would suggest that you check into your local community colleges web site to see if your school either offers this program, or if they have a cooperative agreement with another one in your area. You could also try to speak with a counselor at your school to get some additional help.

Once you figure out which school; I would try to speak with current students and recent graduates- they can offer you a good basis to make your decision.

If your school is like the one in my area, you will need to take all of your prerequisites prior to applying for a spot. You can do these on a part-time or night basis. Once you get in- it will be a full-time, two year program.

Also- if you have already taken some classes, you might want to check into the sciences- Microbiology, Chemistry and A&P I&II. Most states will require that you re-take these classes if they are over 5-7 years old (this depends on your state; mine was anything over the 7 year mark had to be re-taken).

Good Luck with your decision- I start in May 2008.