Program Competencies
Competencies for the new Dental Hygiene graduate define and organize the skills, understanding, and professional values of an individual ready for beginning dental hygiene (DH) practice in a variety of settings. These competencies take into consideration that the DH program at the University of Michigan is unique in that it is structured to confer the baccalaureate degree to all students at the completion of the dental hygiene curriculum. Graduates are prepared not only for the traditional DH duties as clinician and health educator but also for roles as consumer advocate, change agent, researcher, and health care manager/administrator.
By defining the competencies of the new graduate, the DH program will have a basis with which to
- review, redefine, and restructure the DH curriculum;
- review and improve student evaluation processes and promotion criteria; and
- establish and apply measures to assess the effectiveness of the DH program.