School of Dentistry Welcomes 132 New Students Sylvia Davis and Christy K. Robinson   New dental hygiene students read their fortune-cookie predictions at a luncheon hosted by the School of Dentistry. One prediction: "You need not worry about your future." Another fortune: "Prosperity is just around the corner."   On September 21, the Loma Linda University School of Dentistry began orientation for 91 new dental students and 41 new dental hygiene students. All those accepted in the dental hygiene Class of 2000 and the dentistry Class of 2002, were present. Of the 41 dental hygiene students, six are male, making this the largest number of men enrolled in one class since the program began. They will join three others who are currently enrolled as members of the Class of 1999. There are 36 women in the Class of 2002 in dentistry, the largest number of women in one class in the 45-year history of the school. These young women join 73 others currently enrolled in the pre-doctoral program. Anatomy of the dental personality A popular feature of new-student orientation is the seminar presented by Keith Golay, PhD, an educational psychologist and author from Fullerton. Entitled "Human Differences and Likenesses: Implications for Learning," the seminar relies on the Myers-Briggs temperament-type analyses given to the students during registration. Students were assigned to groups of like temperaments, to learn more about themselves and their classmates.   Dean Charles J. Goodacre speaks to the combined classes of dentistry and dental hygiene.   Last year, Dr. Golay said that 70 percent of dental and dental hygiene professionals fit the "SJ (Sensory/Judging) Guardians" category, which the students themselves describe as being highly structured. This year, 66 percent of students fell into that group. (See sidebar.) Dental Hygiene class of 1999 The average entering GPA for this class is 3.24. Including the diversity of gender in this class, there are 17 from under-represented cultural groups in the profession. The class comes from 19 universities and colleges with the largest group of seven from La Sierra University. One of the students spent a year as a cadet at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. There are seven students in the class who are parents. They are described by those who recommended them as "intelligent, personable, compassionate and enthusiastic." Dentistry class of 2002 The 91 students in the predoctoral dental program were selected from over 1800 applicants. The average GPA is a 3.3. Eighty-five percent of the students have completed their baccalaureate degree with two in the class entering after the completion of a master’s degree. The most popular college major is biology. There are two in the class who are RNs, three in the class who are respiratory therapists, and four in the class who are medical technologists. Over one-third of the class come from universities and colleges outside California. The diversity in the class is not only shown by gender but also by the birthplaces of the class that include 15 countries. Several others in the class have brothers and sisters enrolled in the schools of the University with one student whose wife is a junior in the School of Medicine. One student is married to a church pastor. The new students come with many accomplishments and many experiences. Each class in dentistry brings students who have excelled in sports. One member of this class was on the U.S. Olympic Cycling Team and raced in Europe. Another class member has organized horseback/hiking trips in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. A number have served as life guards. One student was described by an individual who wrote her recommendation as someone who has "brains in the tips of her fingers." One member of the class has been a concert cellist, and others have excelled in voice, piano, violin, flute, guitar, and oboe. Two students exhibited their artistic talents in photography and in sculpture. Some members of this class have organized blood drives, been on educational and mission trips outside the United States, worked with terminally ill patients, translated religious books from English to their native language, served in Desert Storm, worked as teaching assistants, lab assistants, and peer counselors, and helped to organize a Grand Prix race for the Loma Linda Ronald McDonald House. We can expect that the mission of the University to serve humanity will be met by the new classes joining the School. News Briefs contents University | Medical_Center | LLU&MC_home | Search | Employment | News_&_events | Academics | Our_mission | Admissions | Registration | Research | Alumni | Student_resources All contents copyright © 2001 Loma Linda University. All rights reserved. Revised March 1, 2001 Send comments and questions to webmaster@univ.llu.edu  URL: http://www.llu.edu