At the onset of COVID in 2020, SMOMS followed in the footsteps of other dental and medical practices, hiring Screeners for each of our offices. In addition to greeting our patients, our wonderful Screener Team took patients’ temperatures and ran through a standard set of health questions with our patients. SMOMS could not have opened our doors without the Screener Team, and we are grateful to everyone who worked in that role!
Two of our screeners, Kelsie and Taylor, took their screening opportunity to the next level, turning it into a full-time position with our clinical staff! Blog SMOMS has more about their experience:
Q: Why did you take the Screener Job?
Kelsie: My step-mom works at SMOMS, so she told me about the job to begin with. I was working as a manager in the food industry, but a change sounded good to me!
Taylor: I was fresh out of high school when I heard about the opportunity. One of our family friends works at SMOMS and asked if I would want a summer job. I didn’t want to be bored, so I took it!
Q: What was your experience as a Screener? From your perspective, what was the value of that role?
Kelsie: From my first day, everyone at SMOMS was so welcoming, and everything was so organized! I really valued my opportunity to be the first face our patients saw when they came in. And even in between screenings, I found a way to help out doing other things for the office. I was always busy.
Taylor: Well I certainly wasn’t bored! The staff at SMOMS was always super nice to me, and helped me with any questions. I felt very happy at work, and talking to patients.
Q: What made you want to change your role with SMOMS?
Kelsie: I heard through the grapevine that SMOMS was looking for new clinical staff, so I was curious and asked if I could shadow for a couple days. I was fascinated by the setup and breakdown of surgeries, and enjoyed taking patients’ vitals. It was such a rewarding, hands-on experience, I knew I wanted to make the change!
Taylor: I wanted to interact more with the patients! It’s such a good, empathetic outlet. I also wanted to keep trying something new. The more I learned about the practice and surgeries, the more I was interested. When I heard that SMOMS was hiring new clinical staff, it seemed like a natural fit.
Q: What made you want to stay at SMOMS?
Kelsie: Clinical staff are extensions of the doctor’s hands! That was a hard role to pass up. The staff here really made me feel comfortable about asking every question I had; learning on the job was really normalized and much easier with repetition. Every patient we cared for made me want to stay part of the team.
Taylor: I was never a fan of formal school, so this was the perfect opportunity and fit for me. I wasn’t going to pass it up. SMOMS really encourages practical, hands-on, and continuing education with the staff here. I’m taking a radiation course with some other clinical staff right now to get my certification!
How has SMOMS supported you in your career?
Kelsie: There’s always an emphasis on continuing education. A lot of the new-hires are taking a radiology class right now. It’s challenging, but we have a really good staff study group that meets weekly. That’s the way the staff here is! Always supporting each other.
Taylor: Since my first day, the whole staff at SMOMS has been so welcoming and nice. When I say I have been trained by everyone, I mean that! I’m very appreciative of all of the on-the-job training I’ve received and all the questions people have answered for me--I’m already able to give advice to the newer staff! No one’s ever alone.
If you are interested in joining Team SMOMS, you can email our business manager, Kathi Lucas at lucas@smoms.com for more information!
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