Students interested in becoming dentists may seek their Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. The four-year program includes classes in preventive periodontics, histopathology, dental occlusion, introduction to oral diagnosis, pathology, anesthesiology, oral surgery, orofacial pain, therapeutics and radiographic interpretation. Much of the third and almost all of the fourth years of the program are focused on clinical practice and rotations through different practices and treatment centers.
Program applicants must have a bachelor's degree or at least 90 hours of completed college credits and must be residents of Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, Hawaii or New Mexico. Candidates must take the Dental Admissions Test. The university considers community service, essays and letters of recommendation as part of their admissions decisions.
University of Missouri-Kansas City
School of Dentistry
650 East 25th Street
Kansas City, MO 64108
816-235-2100
umkc.edu
Earn your Doctor of Chiropractic degree from the Logan College of Chiropractic. The three-year program includes course work in core adjusting techniques, fundamentals of diagnostic imaging, spinal analysis, dermatology, rheumatology, chiropractic philosophy, neuromusculoskeletal diagnosis, orthopedics, physical diagnosis, toxicology and radiographic positioning.
Students get experience working on clinical and hospital rotations culminating in 5,000 patient contact hours. While on campus, students can get involved with the Student Doctors Council, the Word Congress of Chiropractic Students Club, the Student American Chiropractic Association, the Soft Tissue Club, the Student American Black Chiropractic Association and one of a number of medical honor societies, such as Chi Rho Sigma.
Candidates require a bachelor's degree or 90 semester hours of course work with a minimum grade point average of 2.50. A recommendation from a licensed doctor of chiropractic, an essay, a personal interview and three references are required.
Logan College of Chiropractic
1851 Schoettler Road
Chesterfield, MO 63017-5529
800-782-3344
logan.edu
Learn to take care of eyes through the University of Houston's Doctor of Optometry degree program. Up to 100 students are admitted per year, with a four-year program providing courses in neuroanatomy, optics, vision science, ocular anatomy, general pathology and medicine, primary optometry, medical laboratory procedures, general pharmacology, geriatric optometry, ophthalmic lasers, refractive surgery, glaucoma and pediatric optometry. Students work on approximately 1,500 patients each, performing procedures and rotations in the contact lens, medical eye, low vision, cornea and family practice fields.
Students interested in the program must have a bachelor's degree showing course work in microbiology, organic chemistry, fundamentals of chemistry, anatomy, physiology, biological sciences and psychology. Candidates must take the Optometry Admissions Test and submit three letters of recommendation. An interview is required for students who are being considered for admission.
The University of Houston
4901 Calhoun Road
Houston, TX 77204
713-743-1885
uh.edu