Army Dental Specialist

[enornap]

Hi! I am currently a 68E (Army Dental Specialist) for the national guard, and for drills, I. basically assist a dentist in conducting brief dental exams on hundreds of soldiers one weekend a month. Will the weekend hours count toward my shadowing hours?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Chief's Pineapple]

No. You're drilling, aka getting paid for it. It's work experience.

 

[enornap]

Ok so I can count it as dental work? because we "assist" but it's mostly just noting the PSRs and signing a few things on the soldier's paperwork, but we don't really do anything hands-on, taking bitewings etc.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Ok so I can count it as dental work? because we "assist" but it's mostly just noting the PSRs and signing a few things on the soldier's paperwork, but we don't really do anything hands-on, taking bitewings etc.

I presume you are getting paid so it is clinical employment to me. That's great! Like a dental assistant, right (for those in the know)?

 

[Chief's Pineapple]

Ok so I can count it as dental work?

I mean I would. I worked alongside OMFS and pediatric dentists in the operating room of a hospital, but I wasn't a dental assistant by any means. Truth be told, what I did has nothing to do with dental and wouldn't help me in the slightest in being a dentist, but I still counted it as healthcare experience in my application.

Just know this is something that should be counted as "supplementary", and not the "meat and potatoes" of your dental experience. For that part I used my shadowing hours with GP dentists, in off-work hours, in my free time.

 

[enornap]

Ok, sounds good I think I will count it as dental work but make sure that it is supplementary to my dental experience, I was wondering since I have 100 hours of dental shadowing from general dentists in my area, and I've been drilling as a dental assistant for the last few months, will this be enough as I live in North Dakota and there isn't really any dental-student culture here, it's very difficult to find employment as a dental assistant in private practice and also tough finding shadowing opportunities.

Thanks!

 

[Chief's Pineapple]

Is it tough to find employment in ND? When I was in Fargo many years ago, everywhere you looked places were hiring. Hospitals, restaurants, mechanics, hotels, all manner of industries, EVERYONE was hurting for employees. It's not like that now?

Also, I wouldn't worry about the lack of dental student culture, in my opinion. If anything, as long as you have the drive, GPA, DAT scores, and extracurriculars (which so far, you have shadowing and you drill, which I think are good), you can still have a competitive application.