The Program
Format
Training is offered on two weekday evenings for 11 weeks for a total of 21 class sessions. Training takes place within a dental office when the office is closed. The maximum student:instructor ratio for this program is 5:1. This gives the student hands-on experience in all areas of dental assisting using the treatment rooms, laboratory, x-ray facilities, and office area. Each session is divided into lecture and lab. During the lecture portion the student views slides pr DVDs presented by an instructor. There is time for questions, answers, and review. The second part of the class focuses on learning and practicing skills utilizing office treatment rooms, labs, and equipment.
Externship
Each student, as a requirement of graduation, will participate in 20 hours of externship. The externship may begin no sooner than after passing of the first 2 quizzes and mid-term exam. All externship hours must be completed by the last scheduled class. The student will be provided with the contact information of the dental office(s) that is participating in the externship. The student will schedule their extern hours at a time that is mutually convenient for the dental office and the student. The externship will allow the student to test the skills and abilities that should have been acquired during approximately the first half of their instructional segment of the DATS curriculum. Upon completion of the externship, the student will submit a time sheet, signed by the dental office, to DATS to verify the required hours have been completed. The dental practice will also complete an evaluation on the student’s progress. This evaluation will document the level of performance experienced by the dentist of the student during the externship. The externship will be evaluated and graded on a pass/fail basis. A passing grade on the externship is a requirement of graduation.
