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I have read that a huge part getting into dental school is experience. So how are you getting it, shadowing? volunteering? Or actually working in a dentistry?
i only did 50 hrs of shadowing a few months before i applied and i've gotten lots of interviews at top schools. its just important that you have some meaningful exposure to the profession and a convincing argument for why you want to do it.
Re: Dental assisting...
What qualifies you (as an undergraduate student with no professional training) to work or help in a healthcare setting? Do you think that your pursuit for experience in the dental field, in this hands-on manner, could in a way hinder the level of care the patient could receive if the patient is in the hands of a paid dental assistant whose objectives are to, primarily, help patients?
I think shadowing is much safer.
Re: Dental assisting...
What qualifies you (as an undergraduate student with no professional training) to work or help in a healthcare setting? Do you think that your pursuit for experience in the dental field, in this hands-on manner, could in a way hinder the level of care the patient could receive if the patient is in the hands of a paid dental assistant whose objectives are to, primarily, help patients?
I think shadowing is much safer.
I've been assisting for over a year now full-time. You guys are underestimating the value of assisting, especially full-time. You learn the ins and outs of dentistry and do a lot more than hold a suction and hand instruments. You basically run the office as an assistant. You manage your back-office supplies/budget, keep things up to par with safety regulations, take X-rays, you are the first and last person each patient sees so your bed-side manner must be top notch, do tedious work that will make dental school a breeze (impressions, study models, temporary crowns, etc.), you get the picture. So far at all my interviews my interviewers are very impressed with the amount of dental knowledge and terminology I possess, which I gained all from assisting.
I'm an ortho clinical asst. I do EVERYTHING except make the final call on bracket placement lol! And I must admit that I'm a beast with my placement, but I make 13 per hour and he makes over 800,000 per year.
I've been assisting for over a year now full-time. You guys are underestimating the value of assisting, especially full-time. You learn the ins and outs of dentistry and do a lot more than hold a suction and hand instruments. You basically run the office as an assistant. You manage your back-office supplies/budget, keep things up to par with safety regulations, take X-rays, you are the first and last person each patient sees so your bed-side manner must be top notch, do tedious work that will make dental school a breeze (impressions, study models, temporary crowns, etc.), you get the picture. So far at all my interviews my interviewers are very impressed with the amount of dental knowledge and terminology I possess, which I gained all from assisting.
I was an assistant for a year, and it really helped me stay ahead of my class for the 3 days of dental school that everything I learned mattered.
From his words to my ears- "Assisting is an excellent way to stand out and showcase your interest for dentistry. We look at those things and regard them very highly. I recommend this for you."
For those of you who started off shadowing and worked your way up to assisting, how many time per week did you shadow/observe? It seems like if you're only shadowing one day per week, you'd have to be with the same office for a while to work your way up.