By Michael Kraus
CCC Journalism Program
BLACKWOOD – The Camden County College Dental Assisting Open Orientation/Information Session will be held at 3 p.m. Nov. 11 in Room 107 of Halpern Hall.
Professor Roxane Terranova teaches a dental assisting class. By Michael Kraus, CCC Journalism Program
Professor Roxane Terranova will coordinate the event. She is a graduate of the dental assisting program and has been at the college since 1994. She spent some time working in the field but then started teaching at the college part time.
The event takes place once a month with a total of 10 per year. An average of 10 students attend the event. The event is an informal session overview of the program and gives students information about what the dental assisting program is all about. It gives students information on what dental assistants do in their career as well as what the requirements are for the program.
Terranova has a few goals for the orientation. She wants to educate the student on what an accredited program is. She also wants to meet each student’s academic goals. Her main focus during the orientation is to make sure the student is both eligible and happy to be in the program.
“I look forward on meeting each student one on one and enlightening them on what opportunities dental assisting holds for them,” she said.
She academically advises students and looks at their transcripts to make sure they are eligible to be in the program. Because usually only about 10 students attend an orientation, she is able to have more of a personal connection with them.
As to what are some of the most common questions and concerns the students have, Terranova said, “Students are always cautious of their grades because they need to maintain a 75 or better in all of their courses in order to stay in the program.” Some are also concerned about the affordability of the program. Terranova encourages the students by demonstrating leadership skills and by giving them positive feedback.
Eric Ofbe, a dental assisting student, says he enjoys the program. “Students in the program aren’t just my classmates, they’re my team,” Ofbe said. “I have taken plenty of college courses before, but that’s all they were. In this program there is something special.”