Graduating Master’s Student, Dental Hygiene Educator Teresa O’Daniel Says Communication Courses Made Her a Better Teacher
When Teresa O’Daniel first became a dental hygienist, she never thought she would be working in public health much less as an educator in the field. But public health eventually became more than just a career option for O’Daniel, who is a dental hygiene instructor at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis. She’s also graduating this semester with her master’s from the College of Communication and Information with a concentration in strategic and digital communication (SDC).
“When I was in school, I thought, ‘I’m never going into public health.’ But working in public health, I saw what an impact you could have. I worked in a school-based program, and when you go into these schools and see the need that these kids have, it changes your life to see what’s going on,” she said.
Now, she teaches a course that educates dental hygiene students about public health and the opportunities for serving communities in public health capacities. It’s so important to her that she used a practicum course in her master’s program to create an outreach plan to have her students conduct dental screenings in an underserved county that doesn’t have a dentist.
“I wouldn’t have been able to do any of this had it not been for all the classes that led up to it. If I hadn’t been in the program, I wouldn’t have known everything to put this together the way I was able to,” O’Daniel said about the outreach plan.
She said that once she decided to pursue a master’s degree and started looking at options, she was immediately drawn to the strategic and digital communication concentration. For one thing, its asynchronous course format was a practical choice allowing for flexibility in when she could do class and course work. She also wanted to do something different than colleagues in her department who were getting degrees in education so she could bring a different set of skills to the table.
Before she went through the master’s program, O’Daniel said she realized communication was an integral part of her job, whether it was communicating with dentists and colleagues, or communicating somewhat technical information to patients in a way they could understand. Now that she’s learned so much more about communication, she said she can be more knowledgeable and intentional about what and how she communicates.
“I didn’t know about all the metrics and how data plays into everything before I took these classes; it’s amazing how much correlates from the classes and research into all the scientific things that we do,” O’Daniel said.
In addition to learning about metrics, data, and research in communication, O’Daniel said taking a public speaking course and the course Social Influence, Persuasion, and Compliance Gaining were pivotal for her as an educator. So much so that she began incorporating little bits of communication education into her courses, such as teaching students how to give good presentations and requiring them to do a formal presentation in front of the class. What she has learned has been so applicable to her career that it convinced her dental hygiene programs should include more communication courses for students.
“Honestly, as a dental hygienist whether you’re in private practice or public health, you’re marketing all the time whether you realize it or not. You’re marketing healthcare, but you’re marketing what people need. Even the ‘call to action,’ I use that every day now that I know what I’m doing and am conscious of it,” she said.
O’Daniel said her courses also helped her connect better digitally with her students, most of whom are much younger than her and are digital natives. She hopes to create a social media page for future students so she can provide resources for them there in a way that resonates with them.
While the program has benefited her immensely and she wants to continue pursuing professional development in different aspects of communication, O’Daniel said she is ready for a break. She completed the program at breakneck speed in two years while working full time, and even with the flexibility of the asynchronous program, she didn’t have much extra time outside of work and school to relax. Despite the challenge, O’Daniel said she’d recommend this distance education program to anyone who wants to improve their communication skills and take their career to the next level.
“I’m so glad I took it, it is one of the best things I’ve ever done, and I would take it again,” she said. “I would just say go for it. If you’re interested in communication, this was a great, great master’s program.”
Graduating Master’s Student, Dental Hygiene Educator Teresa O’Daniel Says Communication Courses Made Her a Better Teacher written by Hillary Tune and originally published on the College of Communication & Information site.