after shadowing

[fhqls]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

Hello SDNers,

I was wondering about shadowing part of application process.

Once you shadow a dentist for desired amount of hours,
do you have to get a certificate or something like that to send when applying?
Do you need to put down the dentist's contact information such as address and phone number?
Or, do you just put down the hours of shadowing on the application form and that's it?

Thank you very much for your response in advance!

 

[oralcav711]

In AADSAS application you have to put down the dentist contact information, number of hours, and date you started and ended. However, I do not think you need a certificate from a dentist as long as he knows you and able to answer the school you applied if they call the dentist to verify.

 

[tdkyun]

that's a good question, i too have wondered about this. (going to apply for 2010 cycle)
another question on the side, how important is shadowing in getting into a dental school? has anyone gotten accepted to a dental school without or a very few hours of shadowing?

 

[Ninja9]

I, too, am wondering this. Right now I am trying desperately to shadow a dentist, but no one seems to be interesting in helping me. My plan was to shadow this entire semester, get a LOR from the dentist, study for the DAT (take it in May or June) and then apply right when it opens up.

Is there a section on the AADSAS app that allows you to put future hours to be completed? Once I secure a shadowing position, I hope to turn it into a dental assisting position over summer and work there much more (~25-30 hrs/week).

Thanks in advance!

 

[DrEagleMike]

You have to check the school specifically to get the minimum # of hours they require. Some, if I remember, don't even give a specific number. 50 hours is usually the lower limit. If you have 100ish then you're average. I don't know of anyone that applied with zero hours and got in. In fact, I think that would be negatively viewed on your application. School will wonder if you even know what dentistry requires and if you even like it. In your interview and/or personal statement you usually express your interest in dentisty by drawing from experiences during your shadowing time. Don't take the chances. Put in 50+ hours of shadowing.

Last year's cycle you could not update the shadowing hours.

It's usually easy to get someone to shadow. Just be persistant and shadow more than one dentist per time. That way you can get two shadowers (or more) with hours to each before you apply.

 

[aida87]

You will want to make sure that you have enough hours for the schools you want to apply for. For example, OSU wants 20 hours, and they have a form for you to fill out and mail in. You can always fax the dentist the form if you need something signed after you are done shadowing.

Also, some schools require that you get a letter of recommendation from a dentist.

I hope this helps!