Been a while since I last shadowed, and now I am getting no response

[jmyshadow]

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Hi All,

I was shadowing a dentist for a couple of weeks last year when I was deciding if dentistry is something I wanted to pursue. I racked up 30ish hours with them. The holidays came around and I decided I would take a break from shadowing to avoid over stressing them. I started my post bacc later that year and I am also working full time so I haven't had time to shadow on top of volunteering. Contacted her a few weeks ago and no response, so I sent her a text (we were texting before) and asked if I had the right email, and still no response. I guess I am done shadowing her.

I have about 8 hours with another dentist (my actual dentist) and I am looking to apply for D school in the summer of 2016. Should I let him know my plan in advance and that I would hope to get a total of 40 hours with him and eventually a letter of rec or is it too early? Tufts requires a letter from someone you shadowed 40 hours with, and I don't want this one to fall through as well since it would be hard start over and shadow 40 hours again with someone else. And when shadowing general dentists.. I am not sure I can watch over a 100 hours of fillings. Not much more to learn really.

Would it be bad to state my intent to my current dentist, or should I shadow him a bit more before I ask?

 

[DentalDoge]

Im sure every dentist knows that you might be asking for a letter when you shadow them. But depending on when you shadowed them last year, it could have been almost a full year since you had contact with them. I'd just go to her office and ask her in person.

And you have plenty of time to get 40 hrs of shadowing. Almost a year and a half worth if youre applying in 2016. More than enough to find several dentists and shadowing 40 hrs ea. Might I suggest not shadowing them day after day for a week at a time. A day at a time will easily do.

As for the letter. Better to know now than to find out after 40 hrs that he doesnt feel like writing one.