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TABLE OF
CONTENTS 02 Author's Biography 03 Personal Resume 04 Preliminary Theory 05 Comparative Analysis I 06 Comparative Analysis II 07-08 Writing Components: Importance of Writing and Periodontal Charting
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Meet Anne Castillo
She/Her/Hers (Preferred Name: Annie Castillo)
Author's Bio
Anne grew up in the Greater Heights of Houston, TX. She was always smiling, laughing, and had the biggest heart and sense of determination! For high school, she attended an all girl private Catholic School called Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart. She now attends St. Edward's University in Austin, TX and is studying Biology on a Pre-Dental track with two minors in Writing and Rhetoric and Spanish. While Anne does balance her school work very well, she also is involved in Pre-Dental Club, Students for Sustainability, works as a Residential Assistant for her university, and lastly works as a front desk worker at SoulCycle. In her free time, she thrives the most when she spends time with her family and friends at home, running half marathons (eventually a full marathon!), and listening to different kinds of music. AUTHOR'S BIOGRAPHY
"Doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment."- Oprah Winfrey As she gains more and more experience working in the outside world, Anne hopes to find an internship in 2022 shadowing a Dental Hygienist to see what it's like to be working in this specific field of her dreams.
www.linkedin.com/in/anne-castillo | 02
UNEDITED: PERSONAL RESUME
acasti45@stedwards.edu
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Work Experience:
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Goals: Graduate School, Dental School, Summer 2022 Dental Internships
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281-799-2941
su m e: A n n
Education:
St. Edward’s Residential Assistant (2021-current)
St. Edward's University (Austin, TX)
Helps residents feel at ease within their living community. Easily adjusts to different personalities according to the situation at hand. Is a reliable resource for information about the university at all times.
Currently studying Biology, Writing and Rhetoric, and Spanish (exploring the PreDental track) in 2020- 2024. Hoping to work on campus now and clinics in the future.
Houston Astros LLC Guest Services (2021-current) Encourages and promotes an energetic work atmosphere. Helps fans locate their seats in Minute Maid Stadium under pressure. Actively remembers the layout of the whole stadium, eliminating pressure of fans. Answers any questions to be had by the guests.
PERSONAL RESUME
Extra Skills: Understands importance of customer service. Thrives in fast-paced environments and does well under pressure. Has a strong love for hard work in and out of the classroom. Strives for excellence within academics and prefers challenge over ease.
. S e
References: Jennifer Quackenbush (Sister) Job description: Professor at UTSA (COEHD Health and Kinesiology) Phone: 210-542-4767 Email: jennsquakenbush@gmail.com Lauren Mercado (Cousin) Job description: Travelers Insurance Phone: 832-837-9630 Email: lcmercado3@gmail.com Thomas Crillo (Residential Advisor) Job description: Residential Director at St. Edward’s University Email: tcrillo@stedwards.edu Kristen Lundgren (Houston Astros LLC) Job description: Houston Astros LLC Guest Services Email: KLundgren@astros.com
www.linkedin.com/in/anne-castillo | 03
UNEDITED: PRELIMINARY THEORY I Introduction What career have you chosen and why? (money, intellectually stimulating, get to wear comfy pants?) I have chosen a career in dental hygiene, which is a job that requires scrubs and a lot of knowledge of not only just teeth, but also the whole human body. Within this position, the position performs regular dental patient care (i.e. teeth cleanings, teeth services, etc.) and helps the dentist with difficult procedures such as teeth extractions. This interests me because ever since I was a child, I grew up around my mother and sister working in this same field, I was constantly in different doctors offices asking questions to the dentists and patients. Not to mention, the pay for this job is $45-60/hr, which is very attractive when it comes to job hunting. The best thing about this job is that it is a chance and opportunity to keep learning and challenging myself to do better each day. Research Strategy Where will you search for job postings (Indeed, GlassDoor, LinkedIn, etc) and what search terms do you think you'll use? How will you find a professional to interview? (Start NOW!) If you've already found your person or organization, add that here. I will search for job postings using Indeed and Glassdoor because the application process seems to be easier through these options. The search terms that I will be using are ‘dental hygiene’, ‘dental assistant’, ‘dental research’, and ‘dental hygienists’. I will find a professional interview by trying to contact companies online with Indeed or LinkedIn and email them about all of my questions and try my best to get an online interview with them. I can even go as far as to connect with my university’s health department, connect with the supervisor of the PreDental club on campus, or reach out to my success coach for my major and see if anyone knows any alumni that could help score me an interview with a professional that also has the same interests and job as I do. Preliminary Theory (General) Without doing any additional research, what do you *think* people do in this job in general? I believe that people in this job do not do everything that the dentist does, and what I mean by that is a dental hygienist practically assists the dentist but can still provide basic patient care. As I am doing more and more research, I am finding that “Examining your teeth and gums for signs of oral disease. Deep cleaning and scaling your teeth, as well as tooth polishing. Applying fluoride treatments. Reviewing your oral health history and dental charts” is the main task list that dental hygienists are given. Preliminary Theory (Writing) Without doing any additional research, what kinds of writing do you think is required in this job? Address both the genres (types of documents) and the qualities that make writing "good" or "effective" in this career. I feel as though a certificate from the Texas Department of Dentistry or a graduate completion certificate of dental hygiene school is required as well. Writing can be good and effective through this career given that a multitude of different qualities such as being a good writer, good reporter, and good listening skills are needed for this overall career. When completing dental school, writing can be a good skill for biology classes, as there is a lot of room for improvement in condensed writing and good summarization skills.
SO, YOU WANT TO LOOK AT TEETH? In short, yes. I do want to spend the rest of my career looking at teeth, but I plan on doing so with the intentions of helping someone in need. I hope to encourage anyone with any doubt in their minds that becoming a registered professional in this field is challenging, but even more rewarding, so I've been told.
Preliminary Theory I
I have chosen to aim for a career in dental hygiene, which is a job that requires scrubs and a lot of knowledge of not only just teeth, but also the whole human body. Within this position, the position performs regular dental patient care (i.e. teeth cleanings, teeth services, etc.) and helps the dentist with difficult procedures such as teeth extractions. This interests me because ever since I was a child, I grew up around my mother and sister working in this same field, I was constantly in different doctors offices asking questions to the dentists and patients. Not to mention, the pay for this job is $45-60/hr, which is very attractive when it comes to job hunting. The best thing about this job is that it is a chance and opportunity to keep learning and challenging myself to do better each day. I will search for job postings using Indeed and Glassdoor because the application process seems to be easier through these options. The search terms that I will be using are ‘dental hygiene’, ‘dental assistant’, ‘dental research’, and ‘dental hygienists’. I will find a professional interview by trying to contact companies online with Indeed or LinkedIn and email them about all of my questions and try my best to get an online interview with them.
PRELIMINARY THEORY
I can even go as far as to connect with my university’s health department, connect with the supervisor of the Pre-Dental club on campus, or reach out to my success coach for my major and see if anyone knows any alumni that could help score me an interview with a professional that also has the same interests and job as I do. I believe that people in this job do not do everything that the dentist does, and what I mean by that is a dental hygienist practically assists the dentist but can still provide basic patient care. As I am doing more and more research, I am finding that “Examining your teeth and gums for signs of oral disease. Deep cleaning and scaling your teeth, as well as tooth polishing. Applying fluoride treatments. Reviewing your oral health history and dental charts” is the main task list that dental hygienists are given. I feel as though a certificate from the Texas Department of Dentistry or a graduate completion certificate of dental hygiene school is required as well. Writing can be good and effective through this career given that a multitude of different qualities such as being a good writer, good reporter, and good listening skills are needed for this overall career. When completing dental school, writing can be a good skill for biology classes, as there is a lot of room for improvement in condensed writing and good summarization skills.
www.linkedin.com/in/anne-castillo | 04
UNEDITED: COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS I Job Position: Dental Hygienist Introduction The job that I was looking for when I was researching was a dental hygienist. The database that I primarily used was Indeed, but I also did some searches in Glassdoor as well. The search terms that I used were ‘dental hygiene’, ‘dental assistant’, ‘dental research’, and ‘dental hygienists’. I was specifically looking for a job that was near my home in Houston, TX and paid at least $35-40 dollars an hour. During my research, I also pondered the idea of maybe expanding my search terms to ‘dental research’ and ‘molecular biology research’. However, it was difficult for me to find a position like this in the area in which I wanted (Houston, TX). Through this search, I found five different job descriptions: ‘registered dental hygienist- westheimer’(Mdtown Dentistry), ‘dental hygienist- montrose’(Legacy Community Health Services), ‘registered dental hygienist’(Jefferson Dental and Orthodontics), ‘registered dental hygienist’ (Oak Forest Dental Group and Orthodontics), and ‘registered dental hygienist’ (BLVD Oak Forest). Preliminary Theory My preliminary theory about this job was that people in this job do not do everything that the dentist does, and what I mean by that is a dental hygienist practically assists the dentist but can still provide basic patient care. As I am doing more and more research, I am finding that basic tasks that are done within this position include: examining your teeth and gums for signs of oral disease, performing a deep cleaning and scaling teeth, as well as tooth polishing and applying fluoride treatments. However, one of the most common tasks has to be reviewing oral health history and dental charts. I feel as though a certificate from the Texas Department of Dentistry or a graduate completion certificate of dental hygiene school is required as well. In addition to this writing can be good and effective through this career given that a multitude of different qualities such as being a good writer, good reporter, and good listening skills are needed for this overall career. More specifically in this career path, writing can be a good skill for biology classes, as there is a lot of room for improvement in condensed writing and good summarization skills. What I Got Right When I compared the actual job descriptions to my original theory, what I got right was the education requirements and the most common and important tasks that dental hygienists complete while they are on the job. I also learned that I was correct with the aspect that the dental hygienists cannot provide the level of care to the patients as a dentist can, but they can assist the dentist with those more hands on care. New Information The new information that I discovered is that to be in the position, you will need to have even more experience with not only medical knowledge, but also know how to work multiple types of medical equipment and technology in order to screen for different types of oral diseases and basic check ups. The information that I forgot to include in preliminary theory is that customer service is more than important when it comes to dentistry. This is because the patient wants to feel very comfortable especially if the treatment is done when the patient is awake and alert. It is crucial that the applicant also understands that they should have excellent communication, organizational, and analytical skills. More specifically to the company in which they work in, they should also have knowledge of the company’s policies and terms and conditions. The job description of all of the five jobs did mention the importance of writing skills. All of the jobs mentioned that the patient’s blood pressure and health history should be recorded with legible notes in the patient’s chart. This means that the writing is not very lengthy, but should communicate the correct and most important information according to the work that the dentists/dental hygienists need to complete. Similarly, communication skills are also needed, as they need to tell the patients what is wrong, right, or recommended within their oral health. However, the information that I discovered did not surprise me. This is because even if someone was not familiar with this job position, they would understand that these requirements and responsibilities would make sense. If I had to choose one thing that surprised me, I think it would have to be the high number of certifications an individual has to go through in order to become a registered dental hygienist.
DENTAL HYGIENIST: THE JOB HUNT Comparative Analysis I Introduction The job that I was looking for when I was researching was a dental hygienist. The database that I primarily used was Indeed, but I also did some searches in Glassdoor as well. The search terms that I used were ‘dental hygiene’, ‘dental assistant’, ‘dental research’, and ‘dental hygienists’. I was specifically looking for a job that was near my home in Houston, TX and paid at least $35-40 dollars an hour. During my research, I also pondered the idea of maybe expanding my search terms to ‘dental research’ and ‘molecular biology research’. However, it was difficult for me to find a position like this in the area in which I wanted (Houston, TX). Through this search, I found five different job descriptions: ‘registered dental hygienist- Westheimer’(Mdtown Dentistry), ‘dental hygienist- Montrose’(Legacy Community Health Services), ‘registered dental hygienist’(Jefferson Dental and Orthodontics), ‘registered dental hygienist’ (Oak Forest Dental Group and Orthodontics), and ‘registered dental hygienist’ (BLVD Oak Forest). Preliminary Theory My preliminary theory about this job was that people in this job do not do everything that the dentist does, and what I mean by that is a dental hygienist practically assists the dentist but can still provide basic patient care. As I am doing more and more research, I am finding that basic tasks that are done within this position include: examining your teeth and gums for signs of oral disease, performing a deep cleaning and scaling teeth, as well as tooth polishing and applying fluoride treatments. However, one of the most common tasks has to be reviewing oral health history and dental charts. I feel as though a certificate from the Texas Department of Dentistry or a graduate completion certificate of dental hygiene school is required as well. In addition to this writing can be good and effective through this career given that a multitude of different qualities such as being a good writer, good reporter, and good listening skills are needed for this overall career. More specifically in this career path, writing can be a good skill for biology classes, as there is a lot of room for improvement in condensed writing and good summarization skills. COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS I
www.linkedin.com/in/anne-castillo | 05
DENTAL HYGIENIST: THE JOB HUNT Continued Comparative Analysis I What I Got Right When I compared the actual job descriptions to my original theory, what I got right was the education requirements and the most common and important tasks that dental hygienists complete while they are on the job. I also learned that I was correct with the aspect that the dental hygienists cannot provide the level of care to the patients as a dentist can, but they can assist the dentist with those more hands on care. New Information The new information that I discovered is that to be in the position, you will need to have even more experience with not only medical knowledge, but also know how to work multiple types of medical equipment and technology in order to screen for different types of oral diseases and basic check ups. The information that I forgot to include in preliminary theory is that customer service is more than important when it comes to dentistry. This is because the patient wants to feel very comfortable especially if the treatment is done when the patient is awake and alert. It is crucial that the applicant also understands that they should have excellent communication, organizational, and analytical skills. More specifically to the company in which they work in, they should also have knowledge of the company’s policies and terms and conditions. The job description of all of the five jobs did mention the importance of writing skills. All of the jobs mentioned that the patient’s blood pressure and health history should be recorded with legible notes in the patient’s chart. This means that the writing is not very lengthy, but should communicate the correct and most important information according to the work that the dentists/dental hygienists need to complete. However, the information that I discovered did not surprise me. This is because even if someone was not familiar with this job position, they would understand that these requirements and responsibilities would make sense. If I had to choose one thing that surprised me, I think it would have to be the high number of certifications an individual has to go through in order to become a registered dental hygienist.
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS I
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UNEDITED: COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS II
Introduction I first found Libby through being a member of the Academy of Science here at St. Edward’s. Since I am a current member, I was able to get into contact with my mentor, another member of A.O.S, Heaven Sandoval, and get a recommendation of who to contact for this specific job and position. She then gave me Libby’s number and email address so that I could contact her ASAP. Heaven also told me an overview of what Libby does everyday at work in order to see if her job description matched with what I was looking for. After I received that information, I sent Libby a text before I sent her an email introducing myself and what I am contacting her for. I did this because I knew that she would check her phone before her email because I assumed she would be very busy, especially during the week the patients. The interview that I had with Libby was very short and to the point- I emailed her all of the questions and she answered them with just enough detail.
What I Got Right The information that I did get right from the interview was that the aspect of writing is very important as a whole. As I mentioned in my previous research, I knew that note taking and keeping up with the patient’s overall health history was a huge part of the style of writing in this career. I believed this to be true because, for example, if the patient had an allergy that needed to be noted for a procedure or medication, the notes would have to be amplified for the correct medical care. In addition to this importance of writing, I also knew that many hours of assisting and education were going to be required, which makes total sense because the more experience that the hygienist has, the better the overall workflow and environment is for the patients and other workers. My preliminary theory and job descriptions that I read mentioned that there needed to be a focus on education and assisting hours, which is mostly true with the addition of other communication skills as well. New Information The information that I learned from this career that I did not know before was that dental hygienists have to take very detailed notes (of course), but they also consider the medical law side of things- making sure to include every step of different procedures and treatments in order to prepare for any potential court cases, if needed. In addition to this, I learned that they also write about and deal with chief complaints of the patients and verbally educate them on charts of the potential oral issues using what’s called a “perio chart”, which is where there is essentially a x-ray of your teeth with in depth meaning and measurements. As the last question approached, Libby noted that the best advice for someone who was interested in this specific position would be to shadow at different offices and talk with other hygienists to determine if it's the right fit for me. She also mentioned something that I would have never guessed was important for working in dentistry- taking care of your back and neck and learning proper position of your body while doing this job is crucial to say the least. The Writing Component The types of writing that my interviewee mentioned in her responses were detailed patient notes, complaints, court records, and perio charting (teeth x-ray documentation). The audience of these types of communication are primarily for providers and patients, it helps to determine and keep track of progress, and could also be helpful with any court documentation if there is an issue there. Libby emphasized that proper documentation is very effective. If the format of the documentation is not correct, then it could hurt the provider and give misinformation. In addition to this, she reminds her co-workers and students to know that if it is not documented, then it did not happen. Digital technology has helped her as a dental hygienist by being faster and keeping better records. She loves how she also is able to access files quicker so that her patients will be able to remember their treatment tracking and what comes next.
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Getting in Touch with the th Dental Den Hygie tal Community
Certified Dental Hygienist Westgate Family Dental Austin, TX
I first found Libby through being a member of the Academy of Science here at St. Edward’s. Since I am a current member, I was able to get into contact with my mentor, another member of A.O.S, Heaven Sandoval, and get a recommendation of who to contact for this specific job and position. She then gave me Libby’s number and email address so that I could contact her ASAP. Heaven also told me an overview of what Libby does everyday at work in order to see if her job description matched with what I was looking for. After I received that information, I sent Libby a text before I sent her an email introducing myself and what I am contacting her for. I did this because I knew that she would check her phone before her email because I assumed she would be very busy, especially during the week the patients. The interview that I had with Libby was very short and to the point- I emailed her all of the questions and she answered them with just enough detail. As I mentioned in my previous research, I knew that note taking and keeping up with the patient’s overall health history was a huge part of the style of writing in this career. I believed this to be true because, for example, if the patient had an allergy that needed to be noted for a procedure or medication, the notes would have to be amplified for the correct medical care. In addition to this importance of writing, I also knew that many hours of assisting and education were going to be required, which makes total sense because the more experience that the hygienist has, the better the overall workflow and environment is for the patients and other workers. The information that I learned from this career that I did not know before was that dental hygienists have to take very detailed notes (of course), but they also consider the medical law side of thingsmaking sure to include every step of different procedures and treatments in order to prepare for any potential court cases, if needed. In addition to this, I learned that they also write about and deal with chief complaints of the patients and verbally educate them on charts of the potential oral issues using what’s called a “periodontal charting”, which is where there is essentially a x-ray of your teeth with in depth meaning and measurements. As the last question approached, Libby noted that the best advice for someone who was interested in this specific position would be to shadow at different offices and talk with other hygienists to determine if it's the right fit for me.
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS II
www.linkedin.com/in/anne-castillo | 06
The Importance of Writing in the Dental Field
The Writing Component of Dentistry: The types of writing that my interviewee mentioned in her responses were detailed patient notes, complaints, court records, and periodontal charting (teeth x-ray documentation). The audience of these types of communication are primarily for providers and patients, it helps to determine and keep track of progress, and could also be helpful with any court documentation if there is an issue there. Libby emphasized that proper documentation is very effective. If the format of the documentation is not correct, then it could hurt the provider and give misinformation. In addition to this, she reminds her co-workers and students to know that if it is not documented, then it did not happen. Digital technology has helped her as a dental hygienist by being faster and keeping better records. She loves how she also is able to access files quicker so that her patients will be able to remember their treatment tracking and what comes next. WRITING SAMPLE COMPONENTS
www.linkedin.com/in/anne-castillo | 07
UNEDITED: WRITING SAMPLE
Document Genre: Scientific Report of The Importance of Periodontal Charting in Dentistry
Draft Layout below: Title of Research I would introduce this idea of “Periodontal charting” Introduction and Background I would explain the history of periodontal charting and how often it is used in dental offices Body (Materials Used, Procedure, and Analysis) I would explain the types of tools that are used in this procedure/process Conclusion I would explain the importance of how it helps the dentists see the overall oral health of the patient and how they use this form of check up as a baseline for treatment needed I would also connect this with the importance of writing because the charting is written in a certain way and the structure depends on how the assistant writes the report
What is Periodontal Charting? Periodontal Charting is simply a way of measuring space in between a single tooth and the gum tissue beside it. A dental hygienist usually performs this and inserts a probe (measurement equipment) inside the space for depth to see how healthy the gums are. What makes it important or effective? The importance of this process relies on its ability to detect any areas of receding gums.
A Dental Approach on Writing: Periodontal Charting Has this form of paper charting been advanced to technology? Over the years, many different forms of dental software have been produced (Dental R.A.T. 2.0, Curve Dental, ClearDent, etc.) and have thus made this process easier for dental hygienists to use and discuss results with their patients. What is the best part about Periodontal Charting? The best part about this process is that over the years, your customized chart will change, and you might even get to take home a copy with you!
UNEDITED: EMAIL TRANSCRIPT/Q&A
Email Transcript: 1. Could you give me a general overview of what you do in your current position? Registered Dental Hygienist, clean teeth and help educate pt on overall oral health care. 2. What kinds of skills, education, or experience do you need to do this job? I did 2 years of pre req and a 2 year program. I also had 8 years of Dental assisting. As a hyg I was also a hyg clinic instructor, encouraging my students to never quit and keep going even when classes seem hard!! 3. What kinds of written communication do you do in this job? I do daily notes on pts, chief complaints and help them control and educate etiology of perio or/and decay with proper homecare instructions, also perio depths (perio charting). 4. Who is the audience for these communications/documents and how does that audience affect how you write? Daily notes are for providers and pt, it helps to determine and keep track of progress, could also be helpful with any court documentation if there is an issue there. 5. What are the characteristics of "good" or "effective" writing versus "bad" or "ineffective" writing in your job? Proper documentation is very effective, if documentation is not correct it could hurt the provider and give misinformation, also remember if its not documented it didn't happen. 6. How has digital technology affected the way that you write in this job? It has helped in ways of being faster and keeping better records, also with accessing files quicker. 7. What advice would you give to a college student who's interested in this job?
De with ntal
by
gienist Lib y H
COMMUNICATING CLEARLY WITH PROFESSIONALS
1. Could you give me a general overview of what you do in your current position? Registered Dental Hygienist, clean teeth and help educate pt on overall oral health care.
2. What kinds of skills, education, or experience do you need to do this job? I did 2 years of pre req and a 2 year program. I also had 8 years of Dental assisting. As a hygienist I was also a hygienist clinic instructor, encouraging my students to never quit and keep going even when classes seem hard!!
3. What kinds of written communication do you do in this job? I do daily notes on patients, chief complaints and help them control and educate etiology of periodontal or/and decay with proper home care instructions, also periodontal depths (periodontal charting). 4.
Who is the audience for these communications/documents and how does that audience affect how you write? Daily notes are for providers and pt, it helps to determine and keep
track of progress, could also be helpful with any court documentation if there is an issue there. 5.
What are the characteristics of "good" or "effective" writing versus "bad" or "ineffective" writing in your job?
Proper documentation is very effective, if documentation is not correct it could hurt the provider and give misinformation, also remember if its not documented it didn't happen. 6.
How has digital technology affected the way that you write in this job?
It has helped in ways of being faster and keeping better records, also with accessing files quicker. 7.
What advice would you give to a college student who's interested in this job?
Best advice would be to shadow at different offices and talk with other hygienist to determine if it's the right fit for you, ergonomics is huge in dentistry, so taking care of your back and neck and learning proper position is very important.
CO MPLE T E D B Y A NNE CA S T ILLO
THANK YOU FOR VIEWING.