Dental Assisting Program

Associates Degree

Certificate Program

College Catalog

One Stop Student
Services Center

LMC Policies

Deborah Burch CDA, RDA, M.S.
Coordinator/Advisor
2755 E. Napier Ave.
Benton Harbor, MI 49022
(269) 927-8100, ext. 5100 (Napier) or
(269) 695-1391, ext. 2608 (Bertrand Crossing) or
1-800-252-1562 (Indiana and Northern Michigan),
ext. 5100 (Napier); ext. 2608 (Bertrand Crossing)
E-mail: burch@lakemichigancollege.edu

A College partnership program for high school juniors and seniors.

Earn up to 18 hours of College credit while you're still in high school.
Gain entry skills for a career in Dental Assisting!

If you're interested in a career in the health care field, Dental Assisting is a career that's in demand. You can explore this career while you're still in high school and take the first steps NOW toward reaching your goal.

Earning power.
Career advancement opportunities.
Excellent employment outlook.
Professional working environment.
A chance to work with people.

Save Money on Your College Education!
High school juniors and seniors can now complete up to 18 hours of college articulation credit (six courses) in the Lake Michigan College Dental Assisting program. Tuition may be paid through your high school, so you have the added benefit of saving money on your college education.

A Self-Paced Program
You work at your own pace, which means you can ask questions and review the material until you understand it. All courses in the program are offered every semester, and you can complete as many as you are able.

How the Program Works
This program is conducted at the Lake Michigan College campus in Benton Township. Class times are based on your high school's class schedule. You'll learn dental terminology, materials, instruments and infection control through instructions, videotapes, textbooks, and other printed materials and hands-on experiences.

You will enter "clinical" (actual dental office experience) if you enroll in LMC's program after high school. When you finish the College program, you qualify to take the exam for the highest dental assisting credentials in the state of Michigan, to become a Registered Dental Assistant (RDA).

Explore Related Careers
In addition to dental assisting, this program is a good introduction for students who want to find out more about dental hygiene or even dentistry. However, the credits you earn through the early high school courses will not be applied toward degrees in those fields.

The Program
These are the courses you can take at LMC (all are three-credit courses):

Intro to Dental Assisting
Chairside I
Chairside II
Chairside III
Chairside IV
Intro to Business Assisting

These classes give you credit toward high school graduation and apply to a certificate or degree from LMC. (Check with your high school for information about the type of credit you will receive.) Refer to the College Catalog or see the Dental Assisting advisor for assistance.

Admission and Registration Guidelines for Dual Enrollment:

1. LMC credit courses are available to high school students who wish to take one or more courses per semester for college credit.
2. Credit earned may be applied toward high school completion when approved in advance by the high school and Lake Michigan College. Use of a college course for high school credit may affect the acceptance of that course credit at a 4-year institution
3. Application must be on file in the Admissions Office with the appropriate signatures before registering. Application may be obtained from high school counselor or LMC dental assisting coordinator.
4. Prior to enrollment in LMC classes, high school students will participate in assessments for reading and writing.
5. Dual enrolled students may be required to refund tuition and fees to their high school for reasons such as not completing a class, dropping a class after the refund period or upon failing a class.

Admission and Application Procedures for Articulated Credit

Lake Michigan College has agreements with high schools and vocational centers to award college credit for selected high school courses successfully completed within specified guidelines. These credits are designated as "articulated credits". Application to receive articulated credit will be done at Lake Michigan College. All applicants will follow the application procedures as outlined below.

1. Apply for admission to Lake Michigan College by using the College Admissions Application form, indicating educational program goal. An official copy of the high school transcript will be required.
2. Complete the assessment of reading and writing skills.
3. Complete the Request for Articulated High School Credit form within 18 months of graduating from high school and submit to the Admissions Office.
4. Unless otherwise noted in the articulation agreement, register for and successfully complete any required Transitional Studies or other prerequisite course work.

Confirmation of the articulated credit will be sent to the student when all terms of the agreement have been completed.

ARTICULATION PARTNERSHIP WITH HIGH SCHOOL CAREER CENTERS.
Certificate Program
{Dental Assisting Scholarships, Grants, and Loans are available.}

ARTICULATED or DUAL ENROLLMENT CLASSES	Credit Hour
DENT 165 Introduction to Dental Assisting	3
DENT 166 Chairside I	3
DENT 167 Chairside II	3
DENT 168 Chairside III	3
+ DENT 169 Chairside IV	3
DENT 170 Introd. to Business Assist.	3
TOTAL	18
REQUIRED COURSES FOR COLLEGE CERTIFICATE COMPLETION
*HEAL 166 CPR/AED	1
*HEAL 165 Standard First Aid	1.5
*BUSA 150 Job Search Seminar	1
**DENT 171 Introd. To Dental Radiography	4
**DENT 172 Med. Issues in the Dental Office	2
**DENT 173 Clinical I	6
**DENT 174 RDA I	3
**DENT 175 RDA II	3
**DENT 176 Clinical II	5
TOTAL	26.5

* Credit may be granted for prior experience in the asterisked courses. Certificate seeker would be required to take additional LMC courses to equal 15 credit hours. Consult Dental Assisting advisor.
** These courses may not be taken as dual enrollment courses.
+ These courses may be taken as dual enrollment courses.

ADDITIONAL COSTS:

Laboratory Coat
Hepatitis B Vaccination
Textbooks and Manuals
Student Professional Membership
ADAA Liability Insurance

ARTICULATION PARTICIPANTS:
Careerline Tech Center
Elkhart Career Center

For more information, contact Deb Burch.
burch@lakemichigancollege.edu
Dental Assisting Coordinator
Lake Michigan College
2755 E. Napier Ave.
Benton Harbor, MI 49022
(269) 927-8100, or 1-800-252-1562 (Michigan and Northern Indiana), ext. 5100.

Lake Michigan College is an Equal Opportunity Institution, affording enrollment, employment, and services without distinction on the basis of age, color, height, weight, creed, disability, marital status, sexual preference, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, or sex.

Lake Michigan College - 2755 E. Napier Avenue, Benton Harbor, MI 49022 (269) 927-8100
LMC at South Haven - 125 Veterans Boulevard, South Haven, MI 49090 (269) 637-7500
LMC at Bertrand Crossing - 1905 Foundation Drive, Niles, MI 49120 (269) 695-1391
M-TEC at LMC - 400 Klock Road, Benton Harbor, MI 49022 (269) 926-6832