I’ve been hit with a constant sensation of Déjà vu, particularly anytime I find myself in the seat of a Southwest flight.  “I feel like I was just here” I said to myself as I landed back in Orange County’s Santa Ana airport.

Having just spent my weekend prior speaking to the Orange County Dental Hygienists’ Society on local anesthesia, I was thrilled to be back, this time to unpack a three-day dental hygiene intensive for the students of West Coast University.

Many do not know this, but one humbling arm of my business is as the founder and CEO of Sanders Board Preparatory.  We are the ONLY board prep company in the state of Arizona so we get to call ourselves “Arizona’s #1 Dental Hygiene Board Preparatory Program” and we are REALLY proud of this!  

We all remember how stressful and overwhelming National Boards was for us, and within my work with Sanders Board Preparatory, I’m truly honored to have the opportunity to support dental hygiene students in not only successfully completing their NBDHE, but also doing so with a confident smile and a strong sense of understanding how they can continue to grow and evolve once they enter their young careers.  Through live as well as online virtual study platforms and personal tutoring, Sanders Board Preparatory has prepared hundreds (almost thousands) of students in their successful journey to acquiring their dental hygiene licensure.

Most recently, however, Sanders Board Preparatory has launched an arm of our work in which WE COME TO YOU, and one of our favorite groups for this collaboration is West Coast University.  Over three days, Dr Thomas French and I unpack a dental hygiene board prep “boot camp” of sorts that has successfully prepared West Coast University students to passing scores since we have been working with them!

Let me tell you why we are so successful: it’s not because of Dr French and I… although I’d like to say it was us because – gosh, that’s our business!

The success of this program is due to the tireless but unwavering commitment the incredible faculty and leadership of West Coast University dedicate to the highest level of excellence in the provision of dental hygiene education.  In turn, the students recognize not only how lucky they are to work with such industry leaders but also to understand the integral role they will play in continuing to elevate our standards as the future of dental hygiene.

Despite their fears about passing the NBDHE, these students were INCREDIBLE! They were smart, bright, fresh, kind, honest, talented, warm and welcoming.  I believe I speak for Dr French and I when I say that we truly feel like we are “honorary members” of the West Coast University faculty, and as such, we truly feel like we are part of the family.

Although three 10-hour days of dental hygiene board prep talk can be overwhelming, these students took each subject in stride, building on their knowledge and expanding their understanding of core concepts for taking the NBDHE.  At the conclusion of the weekend, Dr French and I were humbled to receive feedback such as:

One of the most difficult moments after our three-day weekend is saying goodbye and getting back on the plane.  There is something so beautiful about having the raw and honest opportunity to connect with these students and their faculty over an extended weekend.  My heart misses them, and as a I reluctantly board the plane, I have to know in my heart of hearts that Dr French and I did all we could to support them in their learning.

Like birds being pushed from the nest, we know that it is now their time to soar.

Luckily, the students miss me just as much as I miss them, and I was overwhelmed with joy and gratitude to have so many of them “slide into my DMs” on Instagram with kind words:

Thank you to West Coast University for the esteemed opportunity to be able to serve and support your students in excellence.  It has been the thrill of a lifetime!

See ya in 2020!

Cheers from Katrina & Dr French