The Dental Hygiene program received a $6,055 grant from The Ferris Foundation to support
moving from live patient examinations to demonstrating skills on a mannequin.
Practical experience gained by Ferris State University Dental Hygiene students in campus coursework and clinical settings will be augmented by a Merit Grant Award from The Ferris Foundation supporting adjusted examination protocols to mirror the testing format required of registered dental hygienists in Michigan.
Samantha Mishler, an assistant professor in Dental Hygiene, and Denise Byrnes, a clinical dental hygienist, sought and received $6,055 from The Ferris Foundation to support moving from live patient examinations to demonstrating skills on a mannequin.
“Forty-eight states have switched to mannequins as their method of showing a hygienist can safely and properly serve patients in the field,” Mishler said. “Ferris students have traditionally been tested with live patients to simulate the previous licensing exams. Since the change to mannequins, we will now be testing on similar models for better exam preparation.”
Mishler noted curriculum adjustments to help Dental Hygiene students build toward developing competencies with patients in preparation for completion of the degree program and successful advancement as professionals.
“First-year Dental Hygiene students will have three examinations to check their learning through the fall and spring semesters, with a mid-term and final examination in the spring, in addition to clinical patient experiences,” Mishler said. “Second-year students will take a mock exam utilizing the same models as licensing exams.”
The weeks ahead will be active for Mishler and other Dental Hygiene faculty as they complete preparations for this program revision.
“We are ready to go. Our adjunct and full-time faculty now work to incorporate appropriate elements into their coursework,” Mishler said. “We are grateful to The Ferris Foundation for providing the resources to advance our instruction and greatly benefit outcomes for our students.”
To learn more about the Dental Hygiene program at Ferris, click here.