Intern Final Evaluation

​Review your goals and objectives for your internship and assess your internship site as it provided a setting for achieving those goals and objectives, and explain and show how you achieved the goals you set.



Project Goals:



Electronic Documentation Project: To electronically record all important and pertinent documentation currently held in paper files.



I achieved this goal by making sure to work efficiently on this project. I would delegate a certain amount of files to scan into the system each day. Doing this, I was able to complete my project by mid term. The only piece of my project that I complete after the midpoint was the moving of all of the boxes out of the basement and into a crawl space.



Social Media (Facebook) Project: Creating a more aesthetically appealing but still easily maneuverable page appropriate for a Dentist with an updating system that can be easily inherited upon my departure as an intern.

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This project was especially fun to complete. I would typically work on this on my own time at home because I could access everything I needed from there. Using a Wix template, I create a Facebook page more representative of the atmosphere at Clemson Family Dentistry. I completed this project by taking new staff photos to include on the new page, and I will use these photos to update the website as well.

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Skill Goals:

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Assessment: To gain professional efficiency in the office’s electronic operating system being able to: add or take away documents, locate important information, view and edit the schedule for the day, and resolve any difficulties that might arise.

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By completing the Electronic Documentation Project I became very proficient in the online operating system. This was important because I could look at the schedule everyday to plan my activities, insert documents when asked, and review patient’s files before their appointment to gain baseline knowledge. I even got to the point where I could answer questions any of the hygienists and assistants had. One time I even got to teach someone how to put an X-ray into a patient’s online file.

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Planning: To be able to develop a treatment for a patient’s condition based off observations made via X-rays, examinations, and the patient’s comments, and effectively communicate with receptionists, dentists, assistants, and hygienists to most effectively implement the patient’s treatment plan.

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Coming into this internship I had very little knowledge of oral disease, which makes it difficult to develop a treatment plan. At first, I had to sit back and learn whether it was by shadowing the dentist, having conversations with the staff, reviewing files through the documentation project, or looking information up on the computer. After this, I got to visit other doctors (specialists) in other areas and see the conditions and diseases I saw at Clemson Family Dentistry in another environment. After this I took a more forward approach. After Dr. McRoberts took X-rays and talked with the patient, I would pull him aside and discuss possible options with him. Together we would make sure that I understood the process of how we came to the conclusion. Each case is different, so it is important to understand the how to handle each road block that comes with a patients journey.

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Cognitive Goals:

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Intervention Development or Implementation: To be able to walk through and describe the various daily procedures such as but not limited to: crowns, extractions, fillings, and root canals. Being able to know the order of events and what tools to use when.

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While shadowing it is important that you be willing to ask questions. Dr. McRoberts was not going to sit there and teach every detail with a patient in the chair. It was up to me to ask the right questions at the right time to gain a proper understanding as to how each procedure is done. I would ask a most questions during the procedure itself, but if the patients were getting anxious or annoyed I would find other times. Between procedures I would speak with the assistants for them to answer any follow up questions I had. Then, at the end of the day, Dr. McRoberts and I would have a conversation usually encompassing some aspect that I did not understand and did not have the time to ask before. I feel much more confident in my knowledge of the dental operatory now versus when I had arrived at my internship.

Intervention Evaluation: To be able to view a patient’s post procedure evaluation and assess the effectiveness of the treatment plan.



To achieve this goal, it was important for me to be able to follow at least a couple of patients from beginning to end. I would sit in on their procedure, learning about the unique characteristics of their problems. Then, I would discuss the procedure with Dr. McRoberts. Finally, if I timed it right I could attend their follow up appointment to see how the work was holding up. This allowed me to gain the best understanding of how effective this treatment was. Another method I used to assess this goal was reviewing the files through the electronic documentation project. I read letters explaining the results of their procedures as justification for the doctor’s decisions.



Affective Goal:By the end of this experience I will be able to articulate my feelings about pursuing further studies in the field of dentistry.

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After this internship, I can honestly say that I am completely prepared to enter the work of professional dentistry knowing fully this is what I want to do with my life. Through conversations, observations, and meaningful interactions I have grown a love for this profession. I am excited for the next steps I am going to take because I am certain this is where I want to be.

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Choose one project/assignment and describe it: Electronic Documentation Project

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     I feel as though I handled this project well. Many students would be overwhelmed by the amount of files that I was presented with on my first day. Instead of being overwhelmed, I sat down and came up with a plan. This plan included doing predetermined amount of work each day. This way, the project did not interfere with shadowing because I could review and scan in files while Dr. McRoberts was checking hygiene or speaking on the phone.

     The main skill I used in this project was organization. I had to be organized to develop a schedule for working on the files, I had to organize the files within the electronic system, and I reorganized the files when I moved them to the crawl space. I also used time management skills by balancing shadowing/assisting hours with the time I spent working on the project.

     My strengths would be my organization. The actual project was not intimidating to me because organization comes naturally to me. After a while, sorting the files became relaxing. My ambition also came in as a strength and was the reason I finished my project by the mid point. My weakness was forgetfulness. Often time I would get caught up in the excitement of a surgery and forget to do my predetermined amount of work. On week this happened a couple of times, so I had to make myself come in on a Friday to make up for lost time.



Assess your contribution to the internship site.

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     Considering as a preprofessional health student it is difficult to find anything you can legally do, I believe I made a large contribution to the office. Personality wise, I like to think I brought a little entertainment and change of pace for the staff. With my projects I helped to enhance their social media presence. I supplied them with new staff photos, which was much needed because the old ones were missing people. I cleared an entire room in the basement that doctor McRoberts can now use for something beneficial to the staff and office. Overall, Clemson Family dentistry had such a profound impact on my life, and I feel confident that made a small impact on theirs as well.

Has your experience changed or reinforced your career goals.  Changed or reinforced your educational goals?  Could you see yourself as a professional in this field?



     This internship has not pushed me to change my mind about going to dental school. If anything, it has made me even more excited to continue on this path. It did provide me with experience that has shaped my perception, and help me to decide on Oral Surgery as a possible specialty.

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Relate your internship experience to your academic work on campus. List at least 5 specific courses (by title, not number) either in your major or outside your major that were useful at this site.



Anatomy and Physiology (Both Semesters): This provided me with a base knowledge of the mouth and teeth. This class also informed me about hormones and enzymes including their effects of different parts of the body.

 

Introduction to Public Health: This provided me with knowledge about the overall health of the Public, which I was able to use when trying to identify possible causes for certain problems. One time an oriental child came in with a lot of cavities even though he brushed regularly. The doctor was trying to understand how, and I mentioned the tradition Asian diet has lots of rice which could be getting stuck to his teeth and forming cavities.

 

Management and Health Care Systems: In this course I learned a lot about payment and insurance. Also, I gained knowledge about the ACA and how that could possibly be affecting dentistry in the future.

 

Chemistry: In this course I learned about acids and bases. Acids and bases play a large role especially in your diet. If you eat acidic or basic items the pH of your mouth is thrown off and that can have a profound affect on your teeth.

 

Internship Preparation Seminar: In this course I learned important aspects that will apply to me as an intern and a professional in the working world. I developed a resume, interviewed with my site, and made a portfolio that I will use throughout the dental school process.



Were there instances at your site where the health literacy training were utilized? Explain.

 

I would say no. The assistants and doctors were so good at explaining themselves that patients never had the problems health literacy training had equipped me to solve.