Dentist Shadowing

[sbesbesbe]

I plan on asking some of the local dental clinics around my area to do some shadowing during the summer but how should I approach?

Do I just go to the clinics and ask if its okay to shadow the dentist because I am very interested in dentistry and plan on applying to a dental school in a couple years and so on?

What exactly do you do when you are shadowing a dentist? I guess this is different for everyone?

This might be a silly question but I never really thought about this until I started reading these forums. I definitely think that it's a great idea to get some exposure to the "real" life of a dentist but since I not qualified to do any of the clinical stuff in a dental clinic, what would I do?

Anyone with experience on shadowing, I would really appreciate it if you could share your experience. Thanks!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[seattlesun]

What do you do there:
When shadowing a dentist, you get to watch him/her and his/her staff. You don't need to help around, since you are not an employee and especially without any knowledge it can be dangerous to you and to patients to touch things.
The advice I'll give you is that you get out as much out as you put in. With time you get to learn about procedures, the interactions with patients, and how the business works by asking thoughtful questions and being alert. I think is important to be pleasant also: socialize with the staff, but don't keep them from doing their job, show interest in what they are doing, don't just sit in a corner and check SDN while in the office. Present yourself neatly. Wear pants and shirt, not jeans and t-shirt, and you need closed toed shoes but don't do sneakers or uncomfortable shoes, keep it classy.Caveat: Be on time! And being on time means in the real world to be 10 minutes early! People appreciate that!
After a time, you might learn enough that you can give a helping hand sterilizing instruments, or cleaning the room after the patient leaves, but this is not expected. I got to help like this at one office where I shadowed after about 2-3 visits when I got the hang of it, but at the second one, I was told not to help because I am their guest and there to learn, not to do free manual labor. So it depends.

How to find a place:
First ask your own dentist if you have one. If he/she are too busy/unavailable, ask them if they know a friend dentist who could take you in.
Can try with your dental school. Many times you can be a pre-dental volunteer at the clinic and they train you on what to do around the clinic: stock carts, clean chairs and handpieces, instrument sterilization. At the school, they have clinical instructors who are dentists who oversee the students when treating patients. Many of these clinical instructors have private offices also. If you friend one of them, you can have some confidence to ask them if you can shadow at their private office also, which will be so much different than the clinic at the school obviously.
Similarly, at public clinics, there are dentists volunteering their time/effort. And in time, you can ask one of them to shadow.
Lastly, you can take the yellow pages in your lap. By the time you get to W, you will get some amazing phone skills and surely someone who will take you in.

How long should you shadow for:
OSHU for example specifically wants 25 h general dentistry shadowing, and 25 h more from other specialty or more general dentistry, and mind you, these 50 h need to be documented in a letter of rec in order to have a proof.
I got to shadow my dentist during a summer. I spent one full day per week at their office, from 7:15 when they do their morning huddle before the patients show up, until 4:30 when they close the office.
I got to shadow a pediatric dentist too, and that was a very different experience. So, try and see different things if possible.

Good luck!

 

[mezze]

Suppose I want to apply to school June 1st, do these shadowing hours need to be completed by that time?

Thanks.