http://dentistry.umc.edu/index.html
To: Web Development and Support Group
Subject: The University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Dentistry Website
Dear UMMC School of Dentistry Webmaster,
The School of Dentistry website is so easy to navigate and provides good information in a simple fashion. This saves so much time since the different parts of the site are clearly found at the home page as well as on other pages throughout the site.
Even though the pages are simple, they provide enough graphic elements to keep the reader’s attention on the page and not take away from the text. Occasional photographs and consistent blue coloring bring the site together and help it maintain uniformity – you know what site you are on. The blue brings a peaceful and comfortable feeling to the site making it more personable. Making prospective patients and students feel at ease will likely make the school more appealing and memorable. The home page and patient pages show that the school really does care, and that it is a place any one can count on for a good dental experience. Student pages give the impression that it is an encouraging educational environment and furthers the students’ magnetism toward the school. Faculty pages are fairly cut and dry telling who the faculty member is and what they do in the school. The site provides the information that allows the user to have qualified expectations of UMMC’s School of Dentistry.
The home page provides links for different people such as faculty and staff at the school, current or prospective students, patients, and even those wanting to make a contribution to the school. There is a very orderly flow from each link on the homepage. Each link takes you to new pages that have even more detailed links associated with the original subject page. Little searching is required, which saves time and frustration.
Those using the website are not looking for entertainment or detailed visuals, we are searching for information. Doctors, patients, and students do not want to have to sort through “fluff” to find facts, figures, and other resources. Information is clearly marked and fulfills the demands of the reader. I have had no issues finding what I needed on the website. The home page is easily returned to from any of the pages deeper within the site making navigation a breeze.
While the majority of the website is functional and appropriate for users, the application portion does not live up to the rest of the site. Unfortunately, it often logs out of the application after saving, forcing the applicant to login over and over while filling out different sections. Another issue I have encountered was that attached documents do not show up, even after submission. Applicants then must contact the school to find out if the submission was successful. Advisors and recommendation letter writers also have frequent mishaps with submission of letters. It seems to be intermittent, but no time for an application site to fail is a good time. As you would imagine this is fairly frustrating, and gives users a negative feeling toward the institution. The website is a direct representation of the School of Dentistry and the problems associated with the application pages reflects the functioning of the school itself. Since this is the only real functional issue with the website, it is easily forgiven, but not forgotten by users.
If the application pages were corrected, then there could be no complaints about your well put together site. I appreciate the time and effort you put into to making this site easy to navigate and full of useful information.
Sincerely,
Arielle Spivey
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Blog 6
Our section decided to do our final project on “Increasing Satisfaction of Students While Saving Money at Southern Miss.” We split into six groups according based on the different documents we are going to create: powerpoint presentation, brochure, t-shirt/flyer, podcast, public service announcement, and a website. Our purpose is to convince USM faculty and students, as well as the community and alumni, that actions can be taken to improve the campus for its occupants while saving the school money. The time period we focus on is the present and future. We will use ideas from other institutions of higher learning that have proved to save them money that could easily be applied here at Southern Miss.
So far we have decided on which document each group is creating, and discussed what the proposals from the groups need to include. I believe we’re on schedule, as we have another course project, final portfolio, and more blogs due in between now and the final project due date with a month left. I doubt that any group has more than a proposal finished, if even that. My group plans to utilize a group member’s sister who has the use of design tools that we can create an effective flyer and t-shirt. The only problems we encountered as a class was that multiple groups wanted the same document and bickered until one gave up. I expect my group will successfully produce the required documents.
Most groups chose the members and some formed as a result of other groups filling quickly, but everyone seems to understand the need to work together to get this done and done well. We haven’t had much group interaction since we just formed, but I have been elected the leader in the group, which is fine with me. Our group consists of four people who get their work done, so my job will be relatively easy. Other groups don’t even know who all of their members are since several people weren’t at the meeting where we got into groups.
My recommendation for this project is to start the project at the beginning of the semester so there is more time to brainstorm and work on it throughout the semester.
So far we have decided on which document each group is creating, and discussed what the proposals from the groups need to include. I believe we’re on schedule, as we have another course project, final portfolio, and more blogs due in between now and the final project due date with a month left. I doubt that any group has more than a proposal finished, if even that. My group plans to utilize a group member’s sister who has the use of design tools that we can create an effective flyer and t-shirt. The only problems we encountered as a class was that multiple groups wanted the same document and bickered until one gave up. I expect my group will successfully produce the required documents.
Most groups chose the members and some formed as a result of other groups filling quickly, but everyone seems to understand the need to work together to get this done and done well. We haven’t had much group interaction since we just formed, but I have been elected the leader in the group, which is fine with me. Our group consists of four people who get their work done, so my job will be relatively easy. Other groups don’t even know who all of their members are since several people weren’t at the meeting where we got into groups.
My recommendation for this project is to start the project at the beginning of the semester so there is more time to brainstorm and work on it throughout the semester.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Blog 5
Since I am planning on going to dental school after graduation, I looked up different dental programs:
http://www.dental.uab.edu:16080/students/prospective-students/dmd-program/helpful-tips.html
http://dentistry.umc.edu/students/prospective/predoc/admissions_process/
http://www.lsusd.lsuhsc.edu/ddsadmissions.html
http://www.utmem.edu/dentistry/Admissions/DDS/DDSgenpolicy.html
Some Qualifications, skills, and experience they are all looking for:
-thorough knowledge of the basic biological and physical sciences and proficiency in communication skills
-good social skills, as dentistry is considered the ultimate ‘people profession’
-knowledge of the profession, integrity, motivation, leadership, maturity, and social awareness
-Possession of appropriate hand-eye coordination is considered essential to a successful application
-experience or shadowing in a dental clinic
-All dental school applicants must take the Dental Admissions Test (DAT) that is administered by the American Dental Association
I feel that I possess the necessary skills and knowledge to be considered for dental school. I have a broad background in biology, and am knowledgeable in chemistry and physics. During the latter years of high school and throughout college, I’ve become an effective communicator in groups, and am an even more proficient one-on-one communicator. My social awareness is more acute than that of most college students, and feel that I know how to act appropriately in different social settings.
My interest and knowledge of the dental profession has increased dramatically since I began shadowing two general dentists and two orthodontists. I realized very quickly what part of dentistry I wanted to pursue: general family dentistry. I was surprised by some of the patients that came in to the office, and felt that oral health was largely overlooked by society. I have very strong feelings about this, and want to bring it to the public’s attention – we need dental care in addition to health care for everyone. There is a very strong correlation between your overall health and your oral health.
In between work and planning a wedding, I studied for, and took the Dental Admission Test this past summer. I have been told that my scores are good enough for an interview, and are within the range of averages at the schools I am applying to.
In the past year, I have been elected to two leadership positions within the student organizations to which I belong, and really enjoy what I do with the groups, and am trying to bring in more members, and increase the involvement of current members.
While I was still a dependent of my father when I went to college, I was already very independent. At home, I was allowed to make many decisions about my life, but I was responsible for a lot of my own belongings, as I paid for them myself. I knew a lot of basics as a young adolescent, such as how to properly clean, cook, do laundry, and yard work. I was shocked to find that many of my peers had not touched a lawn mower or could not do their own laundry.
Artistic ability and manual dexterity have been prominent in my family. My mother was an art major and very skilled designer. My father has always been a hands-on, do-it-yourself man, and taught me how to work on household machines, as well as my own cars. So naturally since I was child I have enjoyed getting my hands dirty by working on art and design projects, and working with my dad fixing things. I got into sewing and cross-stitching when I spent time with my grandmother during the summers, and really enjoy creating things with my bare hands.
I am applying to three different schools, but would really prefer to be a part of the University of Mississippi Dental School. I am a resident here, and the tuition is considerably less when you are a resident. The application is due November 1 to this school, and I’m in the home stretch with only my application essay left, which is essentially a Personal Statement. It asks that you write about your self as a person, including achievements, awards, overcoming adverse conditions, and any other material you deem important. I tend to have a really hard time talking about myself, and find this to be a daunting task.
http://www.dental.uab.edu:16080/students/prospective-students/dmd-program/helpful-tips.html
http://dentistry.umc.edu/students/prospective/predoc/admissions_process/
http://www.lsusd.lsuhsc.edu/ddsadmissions.html
http://www.utmem.edu/dentistry/Admissions/DDS/DDSgenpolicy.html
Some Qualifications, skills, and experience they are all looking for:
-thorough knowledge of the basic biological and physical sciences and proficiency in communication skills
-good social skills, as dentistry is considered the ultimate ‘people profession’
-knowledge of the profession, integrity, motivation, leadership, maturity, and social awareness
-Possession of appropriate hand-eye coordination is considered essential to a successful application
-experience or shadowing in a dental clinic
-All dental school applicants must take the Dental Admissions Test (DAT) that is administered by the American Dental Association
I feel that I possess the necessary skills and knowledge to be considered for dental school. I have a broad background in biology, and am knowledgeable in chemistry and physics. During the latter years of high school and throughout college, I’ve become an effective communicator in groups, and am an even more proficient one-on-one communicator. My social awareness is more acute than that of most college students, and feel that I know how to act appropriately in different social settings.
My interest and knowledge of the dental profession has increased dramatically since I began shadowing two general dentists and two orthodontists. I realized very quickly what part of dentistry I wanted to pursue: general family dentistry. I was surprised by some of the patients that came in to the office, and felt that oral health was largely overlooked by society. I have very strong feelings about this, and want to bring it to the public’s attention – we need dental care in addition to health care for everyone. There is a very strong correlation between your overall health and your oral health.
In between work and planning a wedding, I studied for, and took the Dental Admission Test this past summer. I have been told that my scores are good enough for an interview, and are within the range of averages at the schools I am applying to.
In the past year, I have been elected to two leadership positions within the student organizations to which I belong, and really enjoy what I do with the groups, and am trying to bring in more members, and increase the involvement of current members.
While I was still a dependent of my father when I went to college, I was already very independent. At home, I was allowed to make many decisions about my life, but I was responsible for a lot of my own belongings, as I paid for them myself. I knew a lot of basics as a young adolescent, such as how to properly clean, cook, do laundry, and yard work. I was shocked to find that many of my peers had not touched a lawn mower or could not do their own laundry.
Artistic ability and manual dexterity have been prominent in my family. My mother was an art major and very skilled designer. My father has always been a hands-on, do-it-yourself man, and taught me how to work on household machines, as well as my own cars. So naturally since I was child I have enjoyed getting my hands dirty by working on art and design projects, and working with my dad fixing things. I got into sewing and cross-stitching when I spent time with my grandmother during the summers, and really enjoy creating things with my bare hands.
I am applying to three different schools, but would really prefer to be a part of the University of Mississippi Dental School. I am a resident here, and the tuition is considerably less when you are a resident. The application is due November 1 to this school, and I’m in the home stretch with only my application essay left, which is essentially a Personal Statement. It asks that you write about your self as a person, including achievements, awards, overcoming adverse conditions, and any other material you deem important. I tend to have a really hard time talking about myself, and find this to be a daunting task.
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