Roots of Success: From Dental Intern to Professional

This episode from the "Harrisburg 412" series, features Kaylee Hilliard, a dental assistant at Neighborhood Dental in Harrisburg, discussing her path from a high school internship to a professional career in dentistry. Kaylee shares insights into the internship's impact, her decision-making process regarding her career in dentistry, and the opportunities that arose from her eagerness to learn and adapt in a professional setting. Kaylee graduated from Harrisburg High School in 2021. Sarah Heitzler, office manager at Neighborhood Dental also offers her insights into her  pivotal internship experience, and her career development, highlighting the supportive learning environment and opportunities for growth within the field.

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00:00:03 VerMulm 

We're giving you more than just the 411. This is the Harrisburg 412 podcast coming to you from Southern Sioux Falls and Harrisburg, SD. 

00:00:22 Lynch 

Well, Kaylee, thanks for joining us today. 

00:00:25 Hilliard 

Hi, my name is Kaylee Hilliard. I am currently employed by Neighborhood Dental in Harrisburg as a dental assistant. 

00:00:34 Lynch 

So we're going to just jump into your high school internship experience. Can you maybe recap where you were, what you were doing and how many years ago that was? 

00:00:43 Hilliard 

The internship was about four or five years ago and I just started as just a regular high school student. I know I always wanted to be in the dental field and I thought that the internship program through the high school was a good experience to get my foot in the door. 

00:01:04 Hilliard 

So I kind of just decided to step out of my comfort zone and take that class and my internship experience was incredibly valuable and it opened my eyes to the real workforce and I had that opportunity to gain the knowledge of the dental field while going through that experience. 

00:01:24 Lynch 

So where were you placed and what did your day-to-day look like as? 

00:01:27 Hilliard 

An intern as an intern, I was placed in Neighborhood Dental in Harrisburg and I mainly shadowed hygienist because that's what I originally wanted to be. 

00:01:38 Hilliard 

And then I soon realized, as I was sitting in their chair, that it's just very repetitive. So I didn't know if I really wanted to do that. So I asked if I could shadow assisting, where mainly was working with the doctor, and I really liked that. 

00:01:53 Lynch 

So would you have really known the difference between a hygienist? 

00:01:58 Lynch 

And a dental assistant, if you wouldn't have done an internship. 

00:02:01 Hilliard 

No, I would not have because I always knew that the hygienist was cleaning the teeth and I just thought that the the assistant was handing the instruments. But being in that experience, it showed me that the assistants do way more. 

00:02:17 Lynch 

So let's back up just a little bit, maybe talk to me about in general, your high school experience like where you excited about high school, where you not where you're like. Hey, I just need to graduate and get out of here and do some other things. Like in general, how would you summarize your view of high school? 

00:02:34 Hilliard 

I loved high school. I loved hanging out with friends.Being with friends all day, I like the sports going to all the games. 

00:02:45 Lynch 

So why internship then? Why maybe put yourself in that position of failure? 

00:02:54 Hilliard 

Because I always knew that I wanted to be in the dental field, so I wanted that experience before I put myself through school to see if that's what I really wanted. 

00:03:03 Lynch 

Great. Thank you. 

00:03:05 Lynch 

All right. So let's jump into maybe some next steps. How did the internship grow to other opportunities? 

00:03:14 Hilliard 

The internship experience grown for me because I got to actually get a job out of that internship. I. 

00:03:27 Hilliard 

Throughout the internship experience, I always had a strong passion, but I was very unsure of what specific role would fit me best. 

00:03:36 Hilliard 

And the experience at the office allowed me to observe the responsibilities of both the hygiene and the office. And after I finished my internship, they offered me a position that was non existent to them. They opened a sterilization tech role for me to learn and soon after that. 

00:03:57 Hilliard 

As I kept willing to learn, the doctors were willing to teach me more and brought me on as an assistant without going to school first. 

00:04:06 Lynch 

OK, so let's just unpack that a little bit. That's great. So first of all, having just a passion and an interest, right, showing up every day as a high school student, curious, willing to learn teachable was probably huge, right. OK. And then completing the internship experience. 

00:04:23 Lynch 

Just doing what you needed to do for the course work, getting ready for other steps beyond high school and then they're like, well, hey, we don't want to lose Kaylee kaylee's great. 

00:04:33 Lynch 

So they just created a job for you? 

00:04:34 Lynch 

Yeah. And so sterilization technician, So what was your role doing? What did you do when you were a sterilization technician? 

00:04:42 Hilliard 

My role was flipping all the rooms. Make sure I was aware of the schedule when hygiene needed flipped on, assistance needed flipped, keeping up on all their instruments. 

00:04:53 Hilliard 

Just stuff like that. 

00:04:53 Lynch 

So, although that sounds, I would say pretty basic, it probably give you an even better picture of the overall dental field and how all of those different roles work together. 

00:05:09 Lynch 

OK, awesome. So after your sterilization technician? 

00:05:12 Lynch 

What happened next? 

00:05:15 Hilliard 

I was very shy and the doctors knew that they always mentioned how I was shy and I don't really talk to them. They wanted me to be an assistant. They had faith in me that I could do more than just sterilization techs. So I went out of my comfort zone one day and just jumped in a procedure with the doctors and. 

00:05:35 Hilliard 

I went in there knowing nothing and the doctors were willing to take it slower with me and explain, OK, this is the next step. You hand me this next. 

00:05:45 Lynch 

So it's a really good example of that employer support that you were given. Do you have more examples of employer support that you could share with our listeners? 

00:05:58 Hilliard 

I just think that the whole office team was willing to support me throughout the front desk and all the even hygienists they were willing to let me come into their rooms and help them with charting and they were willing to explain different instruments to me. 

00:06:17 Lynch 

I think those are really great examples of people believing in us, probably more than we believe in ourselves at the time, right. So you know, being this shy kid who just had an eagerness to learn, but probably never willing to be like, hey, by the way, today I'm ready to. 

00:06:33 Lynch 

Right. They had to pull you into those experiences, but then you had to take advantage of them? Yes, because I would never go out of my way to be like. 

00:06:40 Lynch 

I want to try that. Yeah. So tell us where you are now. Kaylee. Still working for Neighborhood Dental? 

00:06:44 Hilliard 

 I am still working. I finished assisting school, so I'm with them full time as just a full assist. 

00:06:52 Hilliard 

And I am out of my comfor zone now working with the people. Yeah, working with the people, having conversations with 10 new people with. 

00:07:01 Lynch 

The sure can you tell us what assisting school was like, maybe kind of what that looks like for maybe maybe high school kids that are listening to this or parents that are like, oh, maybe that's a great option for my student as well. And then maybe how Neighborhood Dental continued to support you while you were going through school and then now, as their full time. 

00:07:19 Hilliard 

Employee. Yeah. So they actually supported me while I was in school. 

00:07:23 Hilliard 

I did online school through ake area while I was working full time, so I was doing both. I would just drive up to Lake Area a couple Fridays of the month to do labs and they were willing to let me have that day off to go there for. 

00:07:57 Hilliard 

The schooling you need to have your focus on it, I would say now that I've been through it, I probably would have taken my work down a notch and went part time through assisting school. You really had to learn how to communicate with people how to be willing to learn all the instruments and stuff like that. 

00:08:24 Lynch 

Yeah, it sounds like a lot, especially working full time. Yeah. At the same time, that's just absolutely crazy. Was there any financial incentive or benefits from the Neighborhood Dental network that helped you through school? 

00:08:34 Hilliard 

They did offer. I did not accept, so I wanted to do it myself. 

00:08:40 Lynch 

That's OK. But nice to know that there was some port available, right? 

00:08:41 Hilliard 

Yeah, they did offer to pay for courses if I continued to work for them, but. 

00:08:48 Lynch 

No, I think that's OK. It's just nice to know that people believe in you, right beyond what you thought was maybe possible. What tips or guidance do you have for high school kids, maybe looking to try out careers or be an intern like you were? 

00:09:04 Hilliard 

Tips I would have is don't be scared like I was really. 

00:09:09 Lynch 

Maybe you were scared, but you kept. 

00:09:10 Hilliard 

Going I did kept going, but I would say don't be scared and if you are not comfortable in that position that you thought you wanted to be in speak. 

00:09:22 Hilliard 

Well, and don't just keep doing that because maybe you can be placed in something else. You would think you would like. You just gotta communicate that. 

00:09:30 Lynch 

Yeah, I've had other students actually with Neighborhood Dental as well. They've been a great supporter for us, right, and similar to you like maybe thought they always had an interest in dental come into the office, start seeing what the day-to-day roles look like in dentistry. 

00:09:43 Lynch 

And all of a sudden, they're like, this is not what I. 

00:09:45 Lynch 

Want to do ohh no. 

00:09:46 Lynch 

And that's, that's OK. It sounds like an ohh no. But at the same time we talked about that in internship 4 years ago, right? Like that's an OK outcome. In fact, it's even probably better than maybe somebody that's just confirming what they like to do because they just keep going. It's like status quo. Yep, I like it. I'm gonna. 

00:10:01 Lynch 

Doing it, but if you're the one, that's like, I don't want to do this thing. That's a huge realization at 17 or 18 years old and think of maybe the time or the money and just the investment in a career path that you're not going to enjoy. And I think that's huge. And so we've seen that in, in every industry. We come back every semester, I have probably 2. 

00:10:20 Lynch 

Or three students that really just in their heart thought they were going to be something. They go to their internship and they come back and they're like, please don't make me go back there and I'm like, well, I'm gonna make you go back because you've made a commitment, right? But we'll keep you safe. And like you said, we can maybe switch your day-to-day role around a little bit so that you're comfortable while you're there. But I just think it's really a great opportunity to say, OK, Well, I'm still just 17 or 18 years old. 

00:10:45 Lynch 

What else interests me and what else can I try and what other opportunities do I have because I do not want to do that thing? 

00:10:52 Lynch 

I thought I was going to do that is why I think the internship program is a really good opportunity, because you would think you would like that and then you go in there and you don't like that at all? 

00:11:05 Hilliard 

So it's a good opportunity to see the field before you put yourself through school and pay all that money and then get out in the real world world and you don't Like it. 

Yeah. So now you're officially out in the real world. Full time. Don't with school. All those fun things, you know, talk a little bit, maybe about continuing education in your field. What's required of you to stay licensed? 

00:11:18 Hilliard 

Cool, yeah. 

00:11:26 Hilliard 

I do have to take some continuing education. 

00:11:30 Hilliard 

I have to take 30 hours of CE every five years. 

00:11:36 Hilliard 

And exciting. Yeah. And Neighborhood does offer stuff throughout the years. Like they offer CPR in the winters. They offer A5 seminar, radiology course that you can sign up for and then you can get your 5 credits. 

00:11:51 Lynch 

For that, so your current employer just again can continuing to open those doors. 

00:11:57 Lynch 

Of continuing education to keep you around, right, lady. Don't want to lose you at this point so what are your future plans? You know, if you sky's the limit, where do you see yourself maybe five years, 10 years from now? 

00:12:11 Hilliard 

I see myself potentially going back for hygiene someday. I am still taking some classes at Lake Area, just regular generals to get my associates degree because when you do graduate through this, the student program, you only get your assisting degree. 

00:12:29 Lynch 

Sure, your assisting certificate. 

00:12:30 Hilliard 

Yep. And I wanted that associates. 

00:12:33 Hilliard 

Angry. And then after I completed this, the scene degree, I soon found out that in the next couple of years that they are looking to get a hygiene program. So if they actually do, I would want to go back for that. 

00:12:46 Lynch 

Experience was great that you're like, yeah, I'll just keep doing it. Come back to Lake Area. So I think that really speaks to the quality of our technical schools in the state as well. 

00:12:55 Hilliard 

Yes. And I think that after I do hygiene, I wouldn't want to do that full time. I would want to go back and forth to have that different day-to-day instead of the same, just doing cleanings or same just doing fillings. I would want to go back and gorth.  

00:13:24 Lynch 

Thanks. Thanks for joining us. Kaylee. It was really. 

00:13:26 Lynch 

Yeah. So you've really kind of found your little happiness bubble inside of the dental world. I bless you, Kaylee. I can't handle teeth. It's not my world. But I'm really glad that we have people that are passionate about that career path. 

Great having you. Thanks for having me. 

00:13:29 Lynch 

All right, welcome back, 412 listeners, this is Breanne Lynch. We are going to jump back into our conversation about the benefits of a high school internship, apprenticeships and different experiences beyond our building. 

00:13:45 Heitzler 

Good afternoon. Thank for having me. 

00:13:46 Lynch 

Thanks for yeah, thanks for coming in. I really appreciate it. So we got to visit with the lovely Kaylee and hear all about her perspective of the benefits of a high school internship, how that translated into her schooling, and then now her full time employment with Neighborhood Dental, which is just a great success story. 

00:14:04 Heitzler 

Yes, absolutely. 

00:14:06 Lynch 

And so now we're going to hear a little bit from the business side. So being the office manager of Neighborhood Dental, we have some questions here that we're going to go through. But this is a podcast. It's a conversation, right? So I may ask you a couple of follow up questions after your answer, but we're just really excited to have you here and let our listeners get a really great glimpse of the business community support that we have. 

00:14:25 Heitzler 

Awesome. Yeah. Again, thanks for having. 

00:14:27 Lynch 

Me. All right, so my first question for you is why did Neighborhood Dental decide to take a chance on a high school intern? 

00:14:34 Heitzler 

The high schoolers we see through our patient base are smart, funny, interesting people. And as a business, we get excited about the opportunity to invest time into people who are in our community and will one day be a part of our workforce or we hope the high schoolers we have gotten to work with bring a sense of curiosity that really invigorates our staff. 

00:14:54 Lynch 

Yeah. So getting to know some of those students that you bring into the internship role, you hosted an intern for us this semester. You've previously hosted Kaylee and a couple of other students, or just had some of those informational interviews. Conversations with kids may be interested in healthcare or the dental field. 

00:15:10 Lynch 

How? What does it feel like or look like when they just kind of walk into your office? Can you describe maybe their personas to us when they come to you for the first time? 

00:15:19 Heitzler 

A lot of times they are so nervous they can't even talk. Yeah, isn't that? 

00:15:23 Heitzler 

Yes, but once they you know, once they sit down and talk to me a little bit, they're like. 

00:15:27 Lynch 

Oh, this isn't that bad. Yeah, they get a little more acclimated to the office setting. 

00:15:32 Lynch 

And then also, you know, dentistry either sends two emotions through people like, oh, I can't handle that like I'm afraid or just it's not my thing or oh, I love that I love teeth. I want to know all about oral health. 

00:15:43 Lynch 

Right. Yes. And so I think that's true of our interns as well. So I think that's really a great thing to consider when you're thinking about bringing an intern in is. 

00:15:52 Lynch 

Sometimes they are deer and the headlights terrified and other times they're just super excited and eager to learn, right? Yes. OK. 

00:15:59 Heitzler 

They can go either way, even with. 

00:16:00 Lynch 

Patients, yeah, either way. So let's talk a little bit about that. That value versus work, you know, understanding that there's positives and negatives of bringing in somebody young to your organization, so. 

00:16:11 Lynch 

Did Neighborhood Dental see some value? You know, directly into the business being able to maybe lighten the load a little bit or was this specifically more for a learning experience for that student? 

00:16:22 Heitzler 

Yeah. No, that's a great question. Each intern brings their own value into our office. We also benefit when our intern shows up ready and willing to work. 

00:16:30 Heitzler 

Kind of just talking about how they're either a deer in the headlights or super excited in return. We hope the student feels pride in the work that they come. 

00:16:38 Heitzler 

And they walk away with a better understanding of the dental field. One thing that can hinder that experience is when the student doesn't communicate their schedule clearly or they don't fall through with their schedule. 

00:16:51 Lynch 

Yeah, absolutely. That communication piece I think is a hallmark cornerstone of the internship program, right? I mean, you and I have had the ability. 

00:16:58 Lynch 

To communicate back and forth. 

00:16:59 Lynch 

As my role as internship coordinator and you guys as the the internship host helping kids understand the importance of communication may be one of the greatest outcomes of internship absolutely. 

00:17:12 Lynch 

OK, so when it is successful, you know when you've had interns that maybe have exceeded expectations. What has Neighborhood Dental been able to offer candidates that excel? 

00:17:22 Heitzler 

In our first experience with the Harrisburg intern program, we were hesitant, but it turned out better than we could imagine. The student that interned with us impressed us with her drive and willingness to learn. 

00:17:34 Heitzler 

And professionalism that we not only offered her a job, but we made a position for her. We were able to bring her on to the team and give her extra training to become a dental assistant and now she's been with us for three years I know. Isn't that crazy? To think back three years ago, our little Kaylee was just a high school student it honestly feels like a year ago, not even. 

00:17:52 Lynch 

I go so fast, doesn't it? 

00:17:54 Heitzler 

I know, yeah. 

00:17:55 Lynch 

When I visited with her as part of this episode, she said, you know, it was like a blink. She's like, I knew I wanted to do it. I knew I needed to get out of my comfort. 

00:18:04 Lynch 

Its own, but I knew I was really shy. And that's true. 

00:18:08 Heitzler 

Right, yes, that is very true, but now totally different girl. 

00:18:12 Lynch 

She said that she told me she's like, you know, now I'm interested in dental assisting and I I wanna maybe go back and maybe do hygienist school. And I said, did you ever she goes. No, I never thought she goes. I thought, you know, the fact she was like, I was so proud. They created this part time job. 

00:18:27 Lynch 

For me and sterilization, she's like my mom was so proud of. 

00:18:29 Lynch 

Me and I just. She's like I wanted to make you proud, Mrs. Lynch. And I was like, I'm gonna tear up a little bit, but I think she was so proud of herself, too, for just fulfilling that commitment and then having you guys being so willing to be like, wow. 

00:18:44 Lynch 

This was amazing. 

00:18:45 Heitzler 

Yeah, she's almost done with her associates and dental assisting. 

00:18:48 Lynch 

Is that not crazy? She's almost done. She told us she's like or through the podcast that she's like, I was working and I just take classes online. I go up to Lake Area like every other Friday and do some labs and things. And I'm like, that's a lot to me. And she goes, you know, I like it. So it doesn't feel like. 

00:19:04 Lynch 

A lot. 

00:19:05 Heitzler 

Yeah. And, you know, she's actually already a registered dental assistant. She just wanted to further pursue an associates with her goal in the next three to five years would be going back to do dental hygienist. 

00:19:17 Lynch 

That's amazing. 

00:19:18 Lynch 

Yeah, maybe just a little bit beyond Kaylee. Specific role in the success she's had when somebody at Neighborhood Dental is doing well or wants to further their career, what opportunities are available to them? 

00:19:33 Heitzler 

You know, there's a lot of opportunities that Neighborhood Dental has. I always consider them like endless opportunities. You know, we're willing to help all of our employees either further their education and dental assisting. We offer CPR. One of our clinical director directors even teaches radiograph. 

00:19:53 Heitzler 

1st at Southeast Tech. So there's a lot of opportunities when it comes to dental hygiene. You know we help write them a reference letter to USD if they're wanting to pursue that further or any school that they choose. As far as college for advancement. 

00:20:08 Lynch 

I'm just blown away by the support that Neighborhood Dental has offered at current employees, but then the ability for our high school students. 

00:20:14 Lynch 

People looking to get into the workforce and really expand their skill set so, so much so that you have been given an honor recently. 

00:20:22 Heitzler 

So we won the 2023 small business of the Year award. 

00:20:27 Lynch 

Which means what? 

00:20:29 Heitzler 

So you have to have 25 or fewer full time employees and you have to be an active member of the Harrisburg Chamber. 

00:20:35 Lynch 

Of commerce. Yeah. So being an active member, I mean, I see you guys all the time at our monthly luncheons, which is fantastic. Just being a part of that business community. 

00:20:35 

All right. 

00:20:44 Lynch 

Part of that award is acknowledging your philanthropy or your ability to give back to our community. Participating through the business community, specifically with the Chamber. Can you give some examples of how Neighborhood Dental has been able to really support our community through chamber? 

00:20:57 Heitzler 

And yeah, we have actually donated oral hygiene supplies to those that are in need. We also in the month of February, our hygienist comes over to any of the schools in the Harrisburg Community and we educate on oral hygiene month. We've sponsored a hole at the chamber golf attack. 

00:21:17 Heitzler 

Every year we participate in the Harrisburg Days at yhe business Expo. We participate in every parade. 

00:21:30 Lynch 

I think just that school spirit and community camaraderie. 

00:21:33 Heitzler 

Right. Yes. Yep. 

00:21:35 Lynch 

I love all of that. So there's so many great things that have happened through Neighborhood Dental. You know, their partnership with the school or helping out in the community. Do you have any other stories or things you'd. 

00:21:45 Heitzler 

Like to share? Yeah, I actually have a really fun. 

00:21:47 Heitzler 

Memory. So one of the memories that really sticks out to me and doctor Sean and that we still laugh about every day is our first patient appreciation night. We actually had a dunk tank and doctor Shaun was the chosen one. Nice. And he was dunked all night long. 

00:22:04 Lynch 

I kind of like dunking your dentist. That's super fun. Neighborhood Dental is in Harrisburg. Specifically, has also expanded. So there's a new dentist in town. 

00:22:13 Heitzler 

Yes, we have added on an associate named Doctor, Garrett Fraser. 

00:22:18 Lynch 

So Doctor Garrett and Doctor Sean? Yeah. And Sarah runs it all there as the office manager. 

00:22:23 Heitzler 

Yes, that's right. 

00:22:25 Lynch 

Fantastic. Well, Sarah, thanks so much for joining us and cheering a little bit about the value of the high school internship program and how Neighborhood Dental has really played a pivotal role for our kids interested in dental. 

00:22:37 Heitzler 

Well, thank you very much. You know, if we didn't have the support of our Harrisburg community and all of our patient base and our high schoolers, we wouldn't be where we are today. 

00:22:45 Lynch 

Without everybody. So if I'm looking for a dentist in Harrisburg, how can? 

00:22:48 Heitzler 

I find you guys you can Google search us. You can drive by the subway or the Harrisburg Eye clinic and we're right in that strip mall. 

00:22:57 Lynch 

Easy to find now that the roundabout is done right. 

00:22:58 Heitzler 

Easy. Yeah. Easy to find out that the roundabout's done or right next to Fairway where you can. 

00:23:02 Heitzler 

Get your groceries. 

00:23:03 Lynch 

Fantastic. Well, thanks for coming, Sarah. We really appreciate it. 

00:23:06 Heitzler 

Thanks again. 

00:23:07 Lynch 

Hey, well, if you've enjoyed this episode of our 412 Podcast, Make sure you tune in for additional episodes as we continue to celebrate CTE month across the Harrisburg School District.