Competent students are able to critically think and apply their thinking to real world situations in the healthcare environment. This requires the student to be evaluated in a variety of ways but most notably as they produce work in the educational environment which resembles the real world.  Additionally, students need to be able to assess their own progress through the curriculum. The portfolio is one way to demonstrate a student’s assessment of their progress.  Here are the 4 Dental Hygiene Competencies that our dental hygiene students will be reflecting on in their portfolio.  Each competency will be presented with an artifact, or piece of evidence to describe how the competency was met.  Then there will be a “reflective” section thoughtfully explaining the strengths and challenges of the evidence and how the evidence will be used to further the student’s growth.

COMPETENCIES

1.0  Graduates must be competent in providing the dental hygiene process of care including assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation, evaluation, and documentation to people of all stages of life, ages, and cultural backgrounds.

2.0  Graduates must be able to demonstrate competence in the ability to assess, plan, implement, and evaluate the oral health needs of community based programs.

3.0  Our graduates must be competent in communication skills with individuals, colleagues, and other health professionals from diverse backgrounds.

4.0  Graduates must demonstrate competence in ethical and professional standards both in their conduct and the delivery of evidence based dental hygiene care.