May 5, 2021
It’s A Tale of Two Hygienists’ monthly student roundtable episode, which means Andrew and Michelle have invited a roster of guests to educate student listeners on a chosen topic. This month, in response to an email question from a long time listener, Michelle and Andrew speak with a trio of hygienists about valuable associations, groups, and resources for hygienists, particularly recent graduates, to access.
Amber Auger, RDH, MPH, is a practicing dental hygienist and clinical innovations implementation specialist with over 15 years of experience in the dental industry. She is the 2019 Award of Distinction recipient, a certified laser trainer, a monthly contributor to RDH Magazine, and a featured author for DentistryIQ. She is also the editor of RDH Graduate Newsletter, and leader of the ‘Thrive in the Op’ course. Amanda Hill, RDH, is an industry educator, key opinion leader, speaker, writer, blogger, ‘Your Dental Top 5’ podcast host, and lifelong learner. She has just started a new column for DentistryIQ called ‘Dear Patient’. Tina Clarke, RDH, MEd, has 20 years of dental hygiene experience and over 14 years of educating future and current dental hygienists. She is a community college faculty member in Oregon, the Student Relations Director for the Oregon Dental Hygienists Association, and a frequent speaker on the topic of anesthesia.
In this episode, our guests offer their take on top networking associations, resources available for further education, the pro’s and con’s of learning through social media, building confidence and patient trust, and good advice for all hygienists, particularly those who are recent graduates.
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:
Interview starts: 7:18
- Amber, Amanda, and Tina’s professional roles
- Their top networking organizations for new graduates
- Working for the State
- Further educational resources
- The pro’s and con’s of learning through social media
- Finding study clubs
- Association newsletters
- Building confidence and patient trust
- Joining associations
- Words of advice for new and experienced graduates
QUOTES:
“The only reason why I knew about that position and was able to get into this arena was because of the connections that I had made with all the different individuals within that association involvement.”
“You never know when somebody that crosses your path is going to help you take that step into your future.”
“Try to find a local study group if you can.”
“Try to find an office that’s going to really mentor you, sit down with you, review case studies, and teach you more than just cleaning teeth.”
“Big extrovert me can turn into quite the wallflower, but it's important to get uncomfortable to find those relationships.”
“As a new grad or as someone who is looking to develop further in their skill set, you need to go into a place where there is opportunity to learn and grow from other people.”
“Always understand that we are always learners.”
“That conference changed my life.”
“If you have an opportunity to connect with another clinician that’s close to you and just sit, have coffee, a glass of wine, and just talk - it’s amazing what can happen.”
“Take everything from social media that you read with some critical thinking involved.”
“There's so many things in dental that we can continue to put in our tool belt that'll inspire us to progress forward.”
“You really want to be able to show up hungry to learn while also being confident in what you've learned.”
“Don't feel like you have to know all the things, but always continue to stay present within our profession so that you're aware of the everchanging sort of evolution of it all.”
“For those hygienists that have been doing it for a while, keep your eyes open for the newbies…and mentor them, and help them, guide them, and be that person that they need to have.”
“I think the biggest thing is each and every time you go in and you get uncomfortable, you're growing, so don't be afraid of that feeling of being uncomfortable. Be afraid of staying stagnant.”
LINKS:
A Tale of Two Hygienists homepage - https://ataleoftwohygienists.com/
AToTH on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/aTaleOfTwoHygienists/
AToTH on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ataleoftwohygienists
AToTH on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/atoth/?originalSubdomain=ca
Amber’s homepage: https://www.amberauger.com/
Amber’s Socials: @amberaugerrdh
Thrive in the Op:
https://amberaugerrdh.thinkific.com/courses/thrive-in-the-operatory
Amanda’s homepage: http://www.amandahillrdh.com/
Amanda’s Socials: @amandahillrdh
Dental Top 5: https://www.ataleoftwohygienists.com/dentaltop5/
Not Just a Dental Cleaning:
https://www.dentistryiq.com/personal-wellness/article/14202041/this-is-not-just-a-dental-cleaning
RDH Magazine: https://www.rdhmag.com/
Tina’s homepage: https://www.teachertinardh.com/
Tina’s Socials: @teachertinardh