Two years ago, Emily Wakelin was looking for something to sink her teeth into. In 2019, she decided to undertake a Certificate III in Dental Assisting at RMIT. The 12-month course was designed to teach her about the importance of oral health, and how to support dental teams in providing quality care to a range of community members. Emily was especially looking forward to the practical component of her course, where she would gain hands-on experience in a real workplace.
After only several weeks of on-site learning, her studies were moved online due to COVID-19 lockdowns and Emily was thrown into home learning. Despite these difficult circumstances, Emily was determined to complete her course.
In August of 2019, Emily was offered a traineeship with Banyule Community Health. Arrangements were made with RMIT University and in November 2019 Emily started working with our Banyule Community Health dental team, where she was welcomed with open arms (and mouths). Within weeks, Emily was providing supervised Dental Assistance to the community!
With the help of our Senior Dental Assistants and Oral Health Educators, Emily has developed a wide array of dental knowledge. She has been able to use her understanding of oral health to provide community members with insights and quality advice on caring for their teeth. You can often find Emily working in the sterilization room, one of the many valuable skills she has picked up on her journey.
Emily completed her traineeship in 2021, and now works full-time with the dental team as a qualified Dental Assistant – which is a great reason to smile!
Emily’s journey certainly had its challenges, but she was persistent and took advantage of the opportunities available to her. Things have really come full circle for Emily, as she now works to support other dental students who are learning about the importance of oral health and delivering quality service with a smile.
“Emily has developed some terrific skills and built herself a career at Banyule Community Health. Her enthusiasm and new skills are a great addition to our team.” – Mare Marinelli, Acting General Manager – Oral Health.
Congratulations Emily, you have come so far and we are proud to have you as part of our dental team.
Thank you for keeping our community smiling!