Dental Trainer and Assessor, Tracy, is a tutor, friend and mentor all rolled into one

With nearly nine years under her belt as a Trainer and Assessor with Foundation Education, Tracy has seen quite a few students come through Foundation Education's doors and graduate with flying colours. 

After helping so many people through their courses, she hasn't stopped feeling the rewards of her job yet – to this day, one of her favourite parts of her role is seeing people graduate.

'Graduation is a particular favourite time for me. They did it… They got there!' 

And it's not surprising that Tracy still gets such a kick from seeing her students succeed – she started out as a Dental Assistant herself.  

'I can always relate first-hand to what our dental students are doing. I have been there,' says Tracy, who admits that she can often 'be a tutor, friend and mentor all rolled into one.'

Before her days as a Trainer and Assessor at Foundation Education, Tracy worked for a range of dental practitioners in roles from reception, to chairside assisting and taking x-rays. She loved the variety of the job, and found the task of easing a patient's anxiety extremely rewarding – especially when working with one particular dentist who always left patients with a grateful smile on their faces. 

'They were thankful for such care from the whole team. I found it to be really heartwarming.' 

Her step into becoming a Trainer and Assessor

But for Tracy, becoming a Dental Trainer and Assessor was the natural next step.  

'The dental staff whom I was supervising always indicated that I explained processes well. I enjoyed the subject matter and training staff. This step into Training and Assessing just seemed to make sense.' 

Since working with Foundation Education, Tracy has seen first-hand how the online delivery of courses, combined with real-world industry experience, is a real advantage for our students.  

'Our students get fantastic support and placement engagement,' she says, 'but they are free to study in their own time. We have a wonderful range of placement partners that provide our students with the real practical experience they need to thrive in the industry.' 

For Tracy, another rewarding part of her role is when students get to that 'lightbulb moment' and fully understand a concept. But it's not just this – Tracy also loves the surprise knowledge she gets from her students. 

'It is also great when the student teaches me something new!' 

Tracy says that studying Dental doesn't just develop a range of invaluable skills – it also opens up doors to a range of paths you probably never would've thought of before starting. 

For anyone thinking about getting qualified in Dental Assisting, Tracy excitedly encourages them to 'give it a go!' 

'You never know where it may take you. Start as a Dental Assistant, move to a Dental Radiographer role, and get promoted to a Practice Manager. You can also choose my path, Training and Assessing. If you're super keen, Dental Therapist, Dentist… The sky is the limit!' 

If a rewarding career in Dental sounds like a great fit for you, view our range of courses here or call 1300 616 197 to speak with one of our friendly Careers Advisor.

Next