Shadowing Help ?

[LaLaLove92]

Im in my spring sophmore year of biology and Im ready to get a jump on shadowing for the summer, how do I go about shadowing with different dentistry specialties ?
Should i just call them and ask or send the a neat little letter ?
Should I send my Resume ?
How do i keep track of hours ? Is there a special paper I need?
How long should shadowing last ?
Should i shadow during the Fall Semester or just on weekends ? (btw i commute to school)
Should i wear scrubs when I go ?

I'm new to this , Please Help. Thanks.

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[customx]

Im in my spring sophmore year of biology and Im ready to get a jump on shadowing for the summer, how do I go about shadowing with different dentistry specialties ?
Should i just call them and ask or send the a neat little letter ? Visit in person or call around. It may take time to find one that will let you shadow. I got lucky and only had to make 1 call
Should I send my Resume ? Not unless the dentist asks for one
How do i keep track of hours ? Is there a special paper I need? Just make a MS word file for the dates you shadowed and anything interesting that you observed. You might be able to bring up some stories during interviews
How long should shadowing last ? Aim for 100 hours
Should i shadow during the Fall Semester or just on weekends ? (btw i commute to school) Most offices will be closed on weekends, it doesn't matter if you shadow only in the summer, or once a week while in school
Should i wear scrubs when I go ? Depends on each dentist

I'm new to this , Please Help. Thanks.

 

[MedDevil]

Call, email, or send a letter, whichever you prefer.
Sending a resume probably isn't necessary unless the dentist you want to shadow asks for one.
Keep track your hours on an excel spreadsheet.
Most people say at least 100 hours of shadowing through various specialties is solid.
Shadow when you have time. If you find a dental office near your school or home, you could shadow during school. If it's more convenient to wait until the weekend and your dentist works on weekends, shadow them then.
Ask your dentist about what you should wear, each one will have their own preference for what you should wear.

Hope this helps.

 

[Kahr]

customx pretty much nailed it, but I'll add my own take as well for the heck of it.

Im in my spring sophmore year of biology and Im ready to get a jump on shadowing for the summer, how do I go about shadowing with different dentistry specialties ?
Start with a general dentist (perhaps the very one you yourself see?) From there, ask him for recommendations on specialists he knows; this is what I did and it made finding and shadowing very easy.
Should i just call them and ask or send the a neat little letter ?
Call and ask.
Should I send my Resume ?
If they ask for it, sure, I never had to provide anything like that.
How do i keep track of hours ? Is there a special paper I need?
Just do it on your computer informally. Like customx said, it might help if you also note down various things you saw, not just interesting stuff though, try listing routine stuff too, this will help with your AADSAS application as well as in interviews.
How long should shadowing last ? In total (across all the dentists you shadow), try to aim for 100, but 50 at a very very minimum.
Should i shadow during the Fall Semester or just on weekends ? (btw i commute to school) That's up to you and the dentists you shadow.
Should i wear scrubs when I go ?
Their office will let you know what to wear. One had me wear scrubs, one had me wear a shirt and tie, and another had me wear slacks/khakis with an aloha shirt (hawaiian shirt). If they don't tell you, or say it's up to you, it's always safe to go with a polo and khaki pants, especially if you don't already own scrubs.

I'm new to this , Please Help. Thanks.

Have fun, and don't be concerned if it starts to get boring at some point.