Do volunteer abroad programs qualify as shadowing?

[jjsmith]

I am curious if any type of dental volunteer program would qualify as shadowing. I currently volunteer at a dental clinic but I assist, therefore from my knowledge I would count these hours towards general volunteering. I'll finish this semester with roughly 60 shadowing hours from other places, I'm shooting for 150. I plan on applying to dental school summer of 2019.

Given my dental clinic hours aren't shadowing, I was wondering if anyone has done or knows about a program 1-2 weeks ideally over winter break that would allow for pure shadowing. Most private dental offices from my experience only allow for a few hours every few weeks, looking to get a chunk of hours completed at once.

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[digzthis]

If you are volunteering as an assistant at the clinic why cant you just step back and shadow there? Liga International runs monthly trips to a small town in Mexico where you could rack up 20 to 30 hrs of shadowing per trip. Its a 200 flight fee for the private pilot you will ride with and however much it costs to get to L.A. or Phoenix. Ligainternational.org

 

[jjsmith]

If you are volunteering as an assistant at the clinic why cant you just step back and shadow there? Liga International runs monthly trips to a small town in Mexico where you could rack up 20 to 30 hrs of shadowing per trip. Its a 200 flight fee for the private pilot you will ride with and however much it costs to get to L.A. or Phoenix. Ligainternational.org[/QUOTET
Thanks for the info, I'll check it out. They are short-handed so they need someone assisting or sterilizing tools. I have gotten a few hours of shadowing when they have enough volunteers to allow me to do so.

 

[careerchanger09]

I am curious if any type of dental volunteer program would qualify as shadowing. I currently volunteer at a dental clinic but I assist, therefore from my knowledge I would count these hours towards general volunteering. I'll finish this semester with roughly 60 shadowing hours from other places, I'm shooting for 150. I plan on applying to dental school summer of 2019.

Given my dental clinic hours aren't shadowing, I was wondering if anyone has done or knows about a program 1-2 weeks ideally over winter break that would allow for pure shadowing. Most private dental offices from my experience only allow for a few hours every few weeks, looking to get a chunk of hours completed at once.

I don't see a difference between "shadowing" and volunteering as an assistant. As an assistant, you are shadowing everything that the doctor does in the patient's mouth; this is a much more valuable experience than shadowing over a dentist's shoulder. I would count these hours as shadowing; I definitely counted my hours assisting as shadowing.

 

[jjsmith]

I don't see a difference between "shadowing" and volunteering as an assistant. As an assistant, you are shadowing everything that the doctor does in the patient's mouth; this is a much more valuable experience than shadowing over a dentist's shoulder. I would count these hours as shadowing; I definitely counted my hours assisting as shadowing.

I completely agree, I have heard other people say shadowing is just shadowing but if an application says dental experience I would combine my shadowing and assisting hours.

 

[careerchanger09]

I completely agree, I have heard other people say shadowing is just shadowing but if an application says dental experience I would combine my shadowing and assisting hours.

Just checked my app on AADSAS. There is a dental shadowing option and a volunteer option. I think you could count assisting as either. Don't list the experience twice but you can see where it fits best and if there are any holes in your app.

 

[jjsmith]

Just checked my app on AADSAS. There is a dental shadowing option and a volunteer option. I think you could count assisting as either. Don't list the experience twice but you can see where it fits best and if there are any holes in your app.

Thank you for looking into that, I appreciate it!

 

[doc toothache]

Shadowing out of the country is great, if your intention is not to practice dentistry in the US.

 

[digzthis]

Shadowing out of the country is great, if your intention is not to practice dentistry in the US.

Why?

 

[doc toothache]

Why?

The atmosphere in a dental office at Timbuktu might be quite different than one in the US.