DrStudentDentist

Matriculation day this year falls on Friday, July 11th. That’s in 3 months but recently things have started to pick up. Let me catch you guys up to date on the happenings since I got accepted.

Right after the call on November 30th, I received a letter in the mail congratulating me on my acceptance to the fine institution that is UOP Dental. I signed the papers saying I would be taking the offer to be a part of the class of 2011 as well as their request for a piece of my bank account. A flick of my pen, a lick of the envelope and off went my $1000 non-refundable deposit to reserve a seat in the incoming class. That was due back in January (15th, to be exact), which feels like ages ago. Around that time, I also filled out my FAFSA. Shortly after receipt of my first check, I was mailed some forms about financial aid. When I first filled out my FAFSA, there was no way for me to enter values for some of the fields so I left them empty. Now that my 2007 taxes are done, I will be inputting what I had earlier omitted.

Then around March, I got another packet with more paperwork. However, it was mailed to my residence in New York where my mother received it and held onto it without telling me until she forwarded it to California exactly 5 days before it was due in the admissions office - love you Mom! This time they wanted me to:

• sign a professional personal health responsibility form
• sign a kit deferment form
• fill out the Pacific housing and/or Presidio application (to be downloaded online)
• fill out and submit a lab coat and glove order form (also online)
• and last but not least, submit $2000 for an enrollment deposit

This was all due on Tuesday, April 1st. I will also have to submit a completed medical exam form but that isn’t due until Friday, June 13th. I had blood work done around August for my Certificate Masters at PCOM so I’ll only need to go in for a skin test. Here are the details from the UOP website:

Health Requirements, Medical, and Disability Insurance: Prior to matriculation, health requirements must be met and documentation submitted to the Admissions Office, as follows:

• Medical Examination: Submit the school’s “Clinical Examination Form,” signed by a physician confirming that a medical examination was completed within one year of the date of matriculation.
• Measles, Rubella (German Measles), and Mumps: Provide documentation of presence of positive titers. Documented vaccination with live attenuated measles and rubella virus is adequate. A history of measles and rubella as childhood diseases is not sufficient.
• Tuberculosis: Submit the report of a Mantoux tuberculosis skin test. With a history of tuberculosis OR a positive skin test, submit the physician’s report of a chest X-ray taken within the year prior to matriculation. Chest X-rays may be required at intervals, and suppressive medication may be recommended.
• Hepatitis B: Every dental student is required to submit documented proof of presence of antibodies to the Hepatitis B virus or to complete the Hepatitis B vaccination series. It is recommended that this be done prior to matriculation; in all cases, however, it must be done before a student is allowed to treat patients. If a student does not have documented proof of having antibodies to this virus, the vaccination series is available at the school for a fee.

While writing this, I went back through my UOP folder and realized I failed to send back my check-off list form which I needed to sign and return. Yikes.

In addition to what I needed to submit in the near future, I also got some more characters on paper about the things (money) I get to look forward to submitting for the next 3 years. For example, come July 11th, “the final estimated payment of $9,008.00 for [my] student kit is due …” The $3000 deposit that I had paid so far will be applied towards the total estimated doctoral kit cost of $12,008.00 to get the nice even sum of $9,008. I’m not complaining. In fact, I’m surprisingly detached (coping mechanism? perhaps) but I’ll let you know again when matriculation day comes around.

We did also get the username and password to UOP’s Accepted Students site. I remember being a pre-dent and clicking on that link, pretending/wishing I could be part of that elite club. It’s not that cool on the other side. Maybe just a little.

These past two days my future classmates who filled out and submitted the Pacific housing application have started getting word back via phone call about their room assignment. I didn’t apply since I had the opportunity to have my own place. I did hear, after procuring my own housing, that Pacific housing wasn’t in the best of neighborhoods and that it can get rowdy which can be distracting. But, since I’ve never seen the place or know of that area, I can’t validate that piece of information from personal experience. Just for the record, there is an on-site gym and dental lab which, I admit, is very very enticing.

Now that we’re up to speed, this Saturday is Pacific Pride Day. There was a $20 registration fee but as an incoming student, that was credited back to me. I think it’ll be interesting to see the people I’ll be going to school with in July.