Outcomes assessment related to professional growth and achievements of baccalaureate dental hygiene graduates.

The goals of the entry-level baccalaureate dental hygiene (DH) program at the University of California, San Francisco, include the preparation of scholars who will pursue additional study and research and the development of DH educators and leaders in the field of DH. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether the goals of the program were being achieved by assessing the professional growth and achievements of the graduates. Questionnaires were mailed to graduates of classes from 1960 to 2000, and the response rate was 66 percent (N = 468). Results indicated the following: 21 percent of the respondents completed a graduate or professional program, with most degrees being master's related to education (53 percent) and dental degrees (28 percent); 20 percent have held a faculty position in a DH educational program, with 26 percent holding leadership positions; 60 percent have been regular participants in DH professional organizations, with 36 percent of them holding leadership positions; and 61 percent have been active in a community organization, with 60 percent of them holding leadership positions. This outcomes assessment indicates that many UCSF DH graduates have become scholars, educators, and leaders in DH, and thus, the current program is successful at achieving its educational goals. Future studies should evaluate graduates of other DH programs on similar outcomes measures.