Biology 340A is a special studies course that provides predental students an opportunity to learn more about the dental profession and dental school requirements. This course is a one unit, 4 hours/week, credit/no credit class which does not affect overall GPA, but will appear on your transcript. This is a service learning class because students can choose among trips offered by the club to teach dental hygiene in the community. All students must have a release form on file with Associated Students.

This class is run by students with the professor acting in the role of facilitator. There are specific requirements to pass the class, but your input and enthusiasm are vital to making it a strong learning experience for you and your classmates.

Prerequisites: You must be a junior student in good academic standing, have an active file in the Preprofessional Health Advising Office, and have an interest in a dental career. However, if you are not yet a junior, you are encouraged to attend and participate in all activities.

Learning Objectives:

As a result of this course, students will:

Apprenticeship Positions: Apprentices earn regular Biol 340A credit, but are being trained as directors for the following semester. Students who apply to be apprentices are expected to apply for the directorships and enroll in the two-unit, letter-grade, Biol 340B class the following semester in the positions for which they were trained. The Class Coordinator 2 position serves as an apprenticeship for Class Coordinator 1 although Biol 340B credit is given for both positions.

Each oral hygiene presentation given in the screening clinic is worth 2.5 points. A maximum of 10 points (4 presentations) may be earned by giving oral hygiene presentations each semester.

2) Class Sessions (minimum required for credit in course)
Students are encouraged to attend all regular Preventive Dentistry class sessions held on Mondays 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm. A minimum of 14 classes is required

Each class session attended is worth 3.5 points. The maximum number of points will correspond to the number of regular class sessions held within the semester.

3) Observation in a Dental Office/SDSU Dental Clinic
Students will be required to do two one-hour rotations in each of our volunteer dentists' offices and then seek out a dental office with which to do the remaining two hours off-campus observation during the semester. Only one student should observe at a time, and the appointment should be made well in advance to accommodate the dentist’s schedule. At the end of the observation time, students must have the dentist fill out the Observation Evaluation form. These forms can be downloaded from the Blackboard website or by clicking on the following link: Observation Evaluation Form. When you are observing in a dental office, be sure to dress professionally. Click here for recommended conduct and dress.

Each hour of observation completed is worth 2 points. A maximum of 20 points (10 hours of observation) may be earned by observing each semester.

4) Field Trips (minimum required for credit in course)
Students are required to attend three dental club field trips each semester. In order to receive credit in the course students must attend three of these field trips, but are encouraged to attend more trips. 2-3 trips are offered to each of the following locations each semester: Home of Guiding Hands, and preschool or elementary schools. These trips are fun and rewarding and allow students to interact with potential patients and teach about proper oral hygiene.

Each field trip attended is worth 5 points. A maximum of 15 points (3 trips) may be earned by attending trips each semester. A Release and Waiver Form is required for each participant, and an Organization/Driver Insurance Release form is required for all drivers. (See Associated Students Appendix C)

5) Oral Hygiene Quiz (passing grade required for credit in course)
Students will be given an oral hygiene and anatomy quiz. Students must earn a passing score of 80% or better in order to receive credit for the course.

A score of 80% or better on the oral hygiene quiz is worth 10 points. A maximum of 10 points may be earned by passing the oral hygiene quiz.

6) Service Learning Reflection Paper (passing grade required for credit in course)
Students will complete a minimum two-page paper delineating their experience on two or more trips into the community to provide oral hygiene education. Students will describe their experiences and how they felt those experiences impacted them, their community, and their future as a dental professional.

The Service Learning Reflection Paper is worth a maximum of 10 points. A score of 80% or better on the Service Learning Reflection Paper is required in order to receive credit in the course.

Each year the Predental Club, in collaboration with Preventive Dentistry, publishes an annual of predental activities. Students should bring a camera to every class and activity and share their pictures on Photobucket. The password and user name are available on Blackboard. The annual is developed by the editors and apprentice editors. Assignments for the apprentices are below:

SDSU PREVENTIVE DENTISTRY

Schedule #20407
Spring 2012
Biology 340A

Oral Hygiene QUIZ

Substitution Hours Due

Spring Break

Grading and Evaluation:

Activity	Requirement	x	Credits	=	Points*
Observation	10 Hours	x	2	=	20
Trips	3 Trips	x	5	=	15
Attendance	14 Meetings	x	2.5	=	35
Hygiene Quiz	1 (must pass >80%)	x	10	=	10
Hygiene Instruction	4 presentations	x	2.5	=	10
Service Learning Reflection Paper	1	x	10	=	10
TOTAL				=	100.0 Points