HAMMOND, Ind., Oct. 22, 2008—The Kaplan College Hammond campus recently began classes for its new dental assistant diploma program. The program is designed to aid students in obtaining the knowledge, technical skills and work habits required to pursue a wide variety of entry-level positions in a dental office, clinic or lab environment.
The campus launched the program to help fill the statewide need for dental assistants, for which positions are expected to increase 41 percent from 2004 to 2014, according to the Indiana Workforce Development Agency.
“We are pleased to offer the dental assistant program and look forward to sending our graduates into the northwest Indiana area to help fill the demand for dental assistants and other related positions,” said Linda Yednak, executive director of Kaplan College’s Hammond campus. “Kaplan College strives to offer high-quality, postsecondary programs in high-demand fields. Our objective is to serve the needs of our students and our community for many years to come.”
The program emphasizes hands-on instruction in the campus’ new dental lab. The lab features four fully-functioning dental chairs, two x-ray heads, automatic processor to develop x-rays and other state-of-the-art dental equipment. Students will have the opportunity to learn how to assist the dentist with general check-ups and oral surgery, handle medical emergencies and practice preventative dentistry.
The 11-month long program concludes with two externships—an 80-hour long specialty dentistry externship and a 240-hour long dental assistant general externship.
The new dental assistant program will be overseen by Rob Brown, dental assistant program director for Kaplan College. Brown has worked in the dental field for approximately 30 years in a variety of positions; most notably as an oral surgeon technician for the Naval Hospital at Great Lakes and as lead dental assistant instructor and externship coordinator at Olympia College. Brown is a licensed dental radiographer and graduated from the Naval School of Dental Assisting and Technology in San Diego.
Kaplan College is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS). ACICS is listed as a nationally recognized accrediting agency by the United States Department of Education and is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.
About Kaplan Higher Education
Kaplan College is part of Kaplan Higher Education, which serves 80,000 students through more than 70 campus-based schools across the United States and in Europe. It also has online programs through Kaplan Virtual Education, Kaplan University and Concord Law School of Kaplan University. Kaplan Higher Education schools offer a spectrum of academic opportunities, from high school diplomas to graduate and professional degrees, including a Juris Doctor degree. Kaplan Higher Education is part of Kaplan, Inc., a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO). For more information, visit www.kaplancollege.com.