UC Blue Ash students are perfect in new program
Heather Ferris (right) checks on a student as she works on her skills in the Dental Hygiene Clinic.
Students in a new program at the University of Cincinnati Blue Ash College have set a high standard in their first year.
The Expanded Function Dental Auxiliary (EFDA) program is a one-year certificate program that was started last summer at UC Blue Ash to meet growing demand in the dental care industry. The 17 students enrolled in the program recently completed the rigorous classroom and clinical requirements and were eligible to take the EFDA Board Exam for Ohio. All 17 students passed.
The exam is made up of two sections: a written multiple-choice question section and a hands-on clinical section where students must place three fillings on a patient simulation. The chief examiner who conducted the test said it’s rare that all the students in a class pass their board exam on their first attempt and called it a remarkable achievement.
Heather Ferris is the EFDA Program Director at UC Blue Ash who helped launch the program.
“When I was told that every student passed the board exam, I was thrilled and incredibly proud of my students. I literally skipped though the halls with excitement," she said. "This would not have been possible without the support and guidance given by our tremendous adjunct faculty: Cathleen Middlestetter, Patricia Jodery, and Dr. Kelly Kirtland, as well as the financial support of the ADEAGies foundation grant.”
The EFDA program at UC Blue Ash trains dental professionals in the art of restorative dentistry. A registered EFDA can provide preventative and restorative care for patients that includes dental fillings and sealants.
Students also develop self-evaluation skills, an understanding of the Ohio State Dental Board Rules and Laws as they pertain to EFDAs, as well as professionalism and critical thinking in dentistry.
Rad tech does it again
Students who graduated from the Radiologic Technology program at UC Blue Ash this spring also had a perfect pass rate on the licensing exam that is required to become a radiologic technologist.
There were 15 new graduates from the program and all of them recently passed the national certification exam conducted by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) on their first attempt. This continues a very impressive tradition. Over the past 14 years, 298 graduates from the radiologic technology program at UC Blue Ash have taken the exam and more than 98 percent have passed it on the first try.
Radiologic technology is the use of radiation to provide images of the various body parts to facilitate the diagnosis and treatment of certain injuries and illnesses. The certification exam is a challenging and comprehensive review. It covers all aspects of radiologic technology, from introductory information students learn in the first semester, to advanced topics related to medical imaging and interventional procedures
About UC Blue Ash College
UC Blue Ash College is a regional college within the University of Cincinnati. It offers one of the best values in higher education with access to a nationally recognized UC education in more than 50 degree and certificate programs, as well as tuition that is about half of most colleges and universities. The college is located on a scenic 135-acre wooded campus in the heart of Blue Ash, Ohio. To learn more, call 513-745-5600, visit us online, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
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