2019-2020 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
    Mar 29, 2024  
2019-2020 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Allied Health


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Chair: Mark Kacerik RDH, M.S. 

The Department of Allied Health is the home of the clinical and allied health professional programs in healthcare. Students in these programs combine a strong foundation in human biological science with practical real-life learning and field experience.

Dental Hygiene

Director:  Marie Paulis, RDH, M.S.D.H.

Professors: Sandra D'Amato Palumbo, RDH, M.P.S., Quinnipiac University; Renee Garcia-Prajer, RDH, M.S., University of Bridgeport 

Associate Professor: Mark Kacerik, M.S., University of Bridgeport

Assistant ProfessorsGwen Grosso, RDH, M.S., University of Bridgeport; Robin Kerkstra, RDH, M.S., Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Science; Marie Paulis, RDH, M.S.D.H, University of Bridgeport 

The cornerstone of the university's dental hygiene program is the Bachelor of Science degree. This program enables the student to be involved in dental hygiene coursework throughout all four years of the curriculum. The course of study integrates science prerequisites and general (core) education requirements with foundational and advanced-level dental hygiene courses. Graduates of the Bachelor of Science program will be prepared not only to seek employment in private dental offices but also to pursue employment in a variety of other health care settings such as nursing homes, centers for the developmentally disabled, hospitals, schools, Head Start Programs, National Health Service Corps,  correctional facilities, and community health centers. A dental hygienist with a Bachelor of Science degree may also pursue a career as a corporate educator or sales representative.  Bachelor of Science degree students also have the foundational knowledge and skills necessary to seek education at the graduate level. 

Students who wish to exit the program at the end of three years of study may earn an Associate in Science degree in dental hygiene. This program prepares graduates for the board examinations required for licensure and employment primarily in the dental office setting. The Associate in Science degree program integrates science prerequisite courses and foundational dental hygiene courses into a three-year curriculum. Graduates of the program are positioned to practice as dental hygienists and, if desired, complete the Bachelor of Science degree by participating in one additional year of study. 

In addition to the programs described above, the University of New Haven offers a dental hygiene degree completion program. This curriculum is designed for practicing dental hygienists who are graduates of associate degree programs. The degree completion program enables dental hygienists to transfer credits from an accredited dental hygiene program and utilize their academic and work experience as the basis for completing course work leading to the Bachelor of Science degree. 

Admission Requirements

In addition to the general admission requirements for all prospective University of New Haven students, it is recommended that applicants to the dental hygiene program demonstrate satisfactory performance in the sciences and mathematics. It is strongly recommended that applicants have completed both high school biology and chemistry with laboratory and two years of college preparatory mathematics. An in-person or telephone interview with the department director or a faculty member is recommended; letters of recommendation supporting the student's ability to pursue a rigorous science-based curriculum and desire to contribute in the health care delivery system are strongly encouraged. Admission to the program is limited.  All students enrolled as freshman in the dental hygiene program or in the clinical course sequence must be full time. For additional admission criteria regarding the dental hygiene program contact the Department of Admissions. 

Professional Accreditation and Licensure

The program in dental hygiene is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association, a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Commission on Recognition of Postsecondary Accreditation and by the United States Department of Education. 

 

Paramedicine

Coordinator:  Peter Struble, M.P.A.

In addition to general admission requirements for all prospective students, it is recommended that applicants to the paramedicine program demonstrate satisfactory performance in sciences and mathematics. It is strongly recommended that applicants have completed both high school biology and chemistry with laboratory and two years of high school algebra. An in-person or telephone interview with the program director may be required. Letters of recommendation supporting the student's ability to pursue a rigorous science-based curriculum and desire to contribute in the health-care delivery system are strongly encouraged. Students should be aware that the NREMT and many states may not allow students to become registered or licensed if they have certain criminal convictions. Students are required to comply with university and clinical site partner vaccination and immunization policies.
 

Upon completion, the student will demonstrate the ability to comprehend, apply, and evaluate theoretical information relevant to his or her role of a patient-care provider in the field of pre-hospital emergency care as an EMT-Paramedic. The paramedic program will prepare the student to sit for the National Registry Certification Exam. Students graduate with certifications in Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Emergency Pediatric Care (EPC), Pre-hospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS), Advanced Medical Life Support (AMLS), and Geriatric Emergency Medical Services (GEMS). This program is designed to allow the student to pursue a concurrent area of study to prepare for future employment opportunities. Concurrent course options available include fire administration, emergency medical service administration, prerequisite courses for nursing or physician assistant, and a wide area of other disciplines that can be customized with paramedicine students.
 

Career opportunities available for graduates of this program include employment as firefighter/paramedics, hospital paramedics, EMS supervisors and/or managers, and educators of emergency medical services.

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