Health Promotion and Community Engagement
"The dental hygiene graduate must be able to initiate and assume responsibility for health promotion and disease prevention activities for diverse populations in a variety of settings."
Before starting Dental Hygiene school, I was studying biology at VCU. I was required to have only one service-learning course, and I was not well versed in the benefits of volunteerism and community service. After an unsuccessful first attempt at applying to the program, I was encouraged to apply again after serving the community as a dental assistant volunteer. I proceed to donate over 100 hours as a volunteer dental assistant at a free clinic prior to enrollment. After matriculation, I decided the best way for me display and keep a record of my community engagement would be to blog (see COMMUNITY SERVICE BLOG button to the right of this page) about my experiences serving various locations and populations. This competency has been the one out of the eight which has instilled in me the most amount of gratitude. Two years ago, I would not have imagined myself spending so much time helping others and learning from our encounters. I am grateful for this program, which is providing me with many opportunities and resources for conducting community oral health outreach. I am very humbled and grateful for all of the clients at these events allowing me to ask questions, learn about their individual circumstances, and treat their needs. I am using my experiences to become a better clinician, and to become a skilled person who can positively influence the health of a community, one member at a time.
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