Allan Hancock College’s dental-assisting graduates now have an official place to practice.
The Dental Board of California recently declared the college one of only three Registered Dental Assistant-practical exam sites in the state.
According to a press release from the college, Hancock’s dental-assisting students have already proven they’re among the best in the state, with a 97 percent pass rate on the California Dental Association Registered Dental Assistant (RDA) practical exam.
Earlier this month, the college was host to its first practical exam for more than 250 students and dental assistants from throughout California.
“Our students are thrilled that they won’t have to get on a bus and make the trek to Pomona to take the exam, and we’re excited to able to offer this benefit to our students,” Kathy Johnson, coordinator of the dental assisting program, said in the release.
Johnson petitioned the state dental board to consider Hancock as a way to bridge the gap between sites in Pomona and San Francisco.
The designation is a win-win for the college, its students, and the community, according to college officials.
Randall Voss, DMD, a part-time instructor at Hancock and member of the Central Coast Dental Society board, said in a statement that he and other practicing dentists are especially glad to have a practical exam location on the
Central Coast.
“Our dental community, from San Luis Obispo to Santa Barbara, employs most of the graduates from Allan Hancock College, and it’s important that we continue to attract the best candidates to our program, and this is just one more way to do that,” Voss said.
The practical exam is open not only to recent graduates from Hancock and other programs, but to any dental assistants working in the community as well.
Program coordinator Johnson explained that the RDA exam isn’t a mandatory test, but by passing it, dental assistants increase their earning potential by 40 percent.
The dental assisting program will start accepting applications for the 2012-13 school year on Jan. 5, 2012.
For more information on the program, e-mail healthsciences@hancockcollege.edu or call 922-6966, Ext. 3384.
This article appears in Aug 18-25, 2011.