Follow-Up Study of 1991 Dental Hygiene Graduates. Volume XXI, No. 4.

In a continuing effort to measure the quality of their Dental Hygiene program, explore the need for changes, and substantiate the program's goals for accreditation standards, a follow-up study was conducted of the 1991 Dental Hygiene program graduates from William Rainey Harper College (WRHC) in Palatine, Illinois. Surveys were mailed to all 28 associate degree graduates, requesting information on their current employment and/or enrollment in school, employment search experience, salary/benefits, job satisfaction, job tasks, the quality of their WRHC preparation for those tasks, and suggestions for improving the WRHC program. Study findings, based on a 79% response rate, included the following: (1) all of the 22 respondents were employed in the dental hygiene field, with 13 working full-time and 3 more working full-time at 2 part-time jobs; (2) 27% of the respondents were working in a job-setting with only 1 practitioner, compared to 37% of the 1990 graduates; (3) respondents' search for employment typically involved 5 interviews, with 45% using the local newspaper and 54% using a personal contact; (4) 95% of the graduates were paid on an hourly basis, with a median wage of $18.50 per hour, or approximately $37,700 per year; (5) 86% of the respondents were very satisfied with their chosen profession; (6) respondents reported being underprepared to perform 7 of the 41 skills for which they were trained; and (7) while only 1 graduate was currently working toward an advanced degree, almost half intended to do so. Detailed data tables and the survey instrument are included. (MAB)