Advice needed with what I should do for experience!

[SimplySwt]

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I'm just starting out with everything, I'm pretty young still, but I have one more year of prereqs to finish until I get my 2 years. BUT, I'm trying to get more experience by volunteering, shadowing, and finding interships. I'm having a hard time doing it. I've been asking around for advice about whether I should pursue in a dental assisting program at Bryman to get a certificate or to try and find a clinic that is willing to take me in to shadow/volunteer. The program's pricey and some have told me to do the program because I could possibly get a job after to make some money before I apply to dental school, yet others tell me it's too much money to waste and that it's better for me to get my name around by finding places to shadow or intern at. I'm in a mess and I have no idea on what I should do. Help would be greatly appreciated!!! 🙁

 

[divadentist]

I spoke with some admissions counselors from a few dental schools and they prefer that you just go for the gold, dental assisting is a great thing to do but it may seem like you are unsure about what you really want to do...and many people who stop going to college just to go through the 12 month training never go back and finish...I was going to do that after I graduated but they strongly encouraged me not to...one thing you can do is try to find a job in a dental lab...i gives you lots of experience working with your hands and the materials you'd be using in dental school, or just be very persistent with the shadowing thing! Hope that helps!

 

[Regmata]

Dont bother with assisting

 

[burgler09]

both my dentist and orthodontist worked in labs through college. Shadowing looks good too, it wouldn't hurt to go to some dentist offices and have a talk with them, say you are interested in pursuing the career and would like to see what it's like to be a dentist. Ask if you can shadow for a while, I'm sure you'll find at least one dentist who would be more than happy to let you shadow, on top of that it could probably lead to a nice letter of reccomendation unless you are caught getting high on laughing gas or stealing drugs.