Abstract
Purpose: Progress in the dental hygiene discipline is predicated on the development of a community of scholars with a dental hygiene scholarly identity who explore questions central to the art and science of dental hygiene and in doing so create conceptual models to expand the discipline's structural hierarchy of knowledge. Graduate dental hygiene education is challenged to develop programs that stimulate and nurture dental hygiene scholars as well as scientists. The need for the development of dental hygiene doctoral education is critical to strengthening our discipline's scholarly identity.
The authors explore the tyranny of the “Queen-Bee” and the paralyzing nature of the “Imposter Syndrome,” as pathologic non-productive behavior patterns that create roadblocks not only for the individual to move forward, but also for the discipline as a whole. Recognizing and eliminating these maladaptive syndromes will empower the individual as well as strengthen the collective to build a strong dental hygiene scholarly identity. The significance of dynamic “Follower-ship” as an often undervalued concept is offered as an antidote to overcome roadblocks and energize the collective's value of a scholarly identity for dental hygiene.
- scholarly identity
- graduate dental hygiene education
- dental hygienists
- doctoral dental hygiene education
- imposter phenomenon
- queen bee syndrome
- follower-ship
Footnotes
Margaret Walsh, RDH, MA, MS, EdD, was a Professor Emerita and former Director of the Master of Science Degree Program in Dental Hygiene, Department of Preventive and Restorative Dental Sciences, University of California, San Francisco. Elena Ortega, RDH, MS, is the interim Director of the Master of Science Degree Program in Dental Hygiene, Department of Preventive and Restorative Dental Sciences, University of California, San Francisco. Barbara Heckman, RDH, MS, is a Health Sciences Associate Clinical Professor, MS in Dental Hygiene Program, Department of Preventive and Restorative Dental Sciences, University of California, San Francisco.
This study supports the NDHRA priority area, Professional Education and Development: Identify the factors that affect recruitment and retention of faculty.
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