Dr. Jeff Dorfman's Internship Program in NYC?

DATBooster | The Ultimate DAT Resource
This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
xenomblack

xenomblack

Member
10+ Year Member
5+ Year Member
15+ Year Member
Joined
Feb 2, 2006
Messages
169
Reaction score
1
Members do not see this ad.
Hi

I'm interested in Dr. Dorfman's (Jeff) internship program in New york city's
Cosmetic & Specialty Dental Clinic

Does anybody have an input/insight on this program??

This program has produced large number of interns for years now, and seem like a very good opportunity for me to practice "real" dentistry in the busiest city in the world after graduating in December.

I have 6 months off, so figured this would be an awesome opportunity for me to get some real hands on experience before going to a dental school.

Thanks for your inputs
 
xenomblack said:
Hi

I'm interested in Dr. Dorfman's (Jeff) internship program in New york city's
Cosmetic & Specialty Dental Clinic

Does anybody have an input/insight on this program??

This program has produced large number of interns for years now, and seem like a very good opportunity for me to practice "real" dentistry in the busiest city in the world after graduating in December.

I have 6 months off, so figured this would be an awesome opportunity for me to get some real hands on experience before going to a dental school.

Thanks for your inputs
Click to expand...

I met him and although the program seems solid, he also seemed kind of a jerk. He basically said he won't answer my questions about what's going on in his practice until I basically moved up the totem pole in what I was doing in his practice. So basically, all of the information I would get would be from the interns first. Of course this is just my one first impression of him and he may have been putting on a guise to see if I was really interested. He lightened up at the end and gave me a copy of his book. I was still turned off by his attitude, so I never went back.

If you can make it to Flushing, there's a good volunteer program in the New York Hospital at Queens clinic. The on-site supervisor was lacking in personal skills, but you don't need to deal with her all the time. You can work part time and be there for most of the time during the week too. The more time you spend there, the more you will learn about assisting/dentistry. Plus you get to hang out with some nice residents and attending staff. Oh, plus they write you a letter at the end if you need/want one.
 
xenomblack said:
Hi

I'm interested in Dr. Dorfman's (Jeff) internship program in New york city's
Cosmetic & Specialty Dental Clinic

Does anybody have an input/insight on this program??

This program has produced large number of interns for years now, and seem like a very good opportunity for me to practice "real" dentistry in the busiest city in the world after graduating in December.

I have 6 months off, so figured this would be an awesome opportunity for me to get some real hands on experience before going to a dental school.

Thanks for your inputs
Click to expand...

Dr. Dorfman is confident. He operates a high end fee for service practice in Manhattan, and you'll get good experience. He's a Manhattan business kinda guy though - some people are turned off by something less than demure from a health care professional, but some people love it. It's just a different environment - ie. while a buddy of mine worked as an intern for a year, he and the other interns were invited out to Dr. Dorfman's yacht for the day.

I spoke briefly with him, and he seems like a decent guy. The program he runs is probably the only one where local upperclassman dental students could get credit for performing dental work for reduced fees to underserved patients. I would have interned there, except I opted for something more community work related.
 
Dr. Dorfman was my husband's attending at NYU when he went to school there a couple of years ago....if you're expecting to learn about clinical dentistry....from what I hear, I don't think he's much into teaching....he is an excellent businessman and knows the in's and out's of dentistry as a business....he is a little standoffish and may come across as arrogant, but my husband said he's a real cool guy once you get to know him......
 
I would re-evaluate what you mean by "hands on" experience...you aren't allowed to touch ANYTHING for at least the first few weeks. You do get GREAT shadowing though, you stand RIGHT there and he explains stuff as he goes along.
 
Aner said:
I would re-evaluate what you mean by "hands on" experience...you aren't allowed to touch ANYTHING for at least the first few weeks. You do get GREAT shadowing though, you stand RIGHT there and he explains stuff as he goes along.
Click to expand...

oh great!
thanks for the info
 
You can PM if you have more questions, I just feel weird posting about it here lol
 
I heard him speak at several lectures and seriously he has got to be one of the biggest tools I've ever met. My impression of him is that he's all about money. I don't doubt that he's a good dentist but c'mon...showing pictures of your yacht during a lecture series and bragging how much he can charge for a veneer is total arrogance.
 
I am interested in getting an internship position at Dr. Dorfman's program this year...does anyone know what can boost one's chances of getting the position besides just the standard resume and recommendations?? I would especially appreciate advice from people who have been in the program or know someone who was in it...thanks!
 
This sounds like a very beneficial program, how does one get involved with it? Thanks.
 
Interns have to work their way up to get paid. sucks for anyone not living in New York.
 
I was a full time intern with Dr. Jeff Dorfman for about a year, and perhaps can offer some insight from personal experience. I have met many interns who stayed for two or three years, so they must also be learning a lot. The Center for Special Dentistry is a unique place that has offered free dental internships for 25 years. I don't know of any other place like it where college students with no experience can be allowed to watch and learn how to treat some of the most complicated cases in dentistry. I've been exposed to multi-specialty cosmetic reconstruction that I don't believe I could have learned elsewhere because how many dentists want to take the time? There's a great group of cosmetic dentists and specialists in the office who are willing to teach a lot after they get to know you and see that you are not transient.

It's true that new interns do not initially get much one-on-one time with Dr. Dorfman, but there's a reason for it. First, there can be many interns in the office and Dr. Dorfman wants to see which interns make the most effort before he decides to spend his time teaching them individually. In dental school, how many department chairmen or deans spend personal time teaching each student anyway? If you make a sincere effort you will learn a lot of dentistry.

Do not interview with him unless you are fully prepared and know all about the program and the practice from the website. Otherwise, you might get grilled and won't be invited back.

For example, when I first interviewed for a dental intern position, I had explained that my father is a dentist and that I had some background and general knowledge about the field. Dr. Dorfman proceeded to ask me some questions that I should have been able to answer, such as the name of the final filling material used during root canal treatment (gutta-percha). Though I'm typically very calm and collected during interviews, on this particular day I froze and couldn't come up with the answer. To make a long story short, while I knew the answer deep in the back of my mind, Dr. Dorfman could quickly tell that my knowledge of dentistry was very limited despite what I claimed to already know. I was fortunate enough to be invited back, but being honest with your experience and background can go a long way.

Dr. Dorfman can also appear arrogant and standoffish to people who don't know him. It took me a little while to understand why, but I now know him to be really nice and funny despite new interns being frequently intimidated. He was always willing to help me. He wrote a nice letter of recommendation for my dental school application and even personally called each Dean of Admission before each interview. He's usually very busy even if the office appears quiet and so does not engage in much small talk.

I hope this is helpful for everyone.
 
Hi, I am currently an intern at Dr. Dorfman’s and I also wanted to add a few insights:

First of all, why would being a businessman be a negative thing? Dentistry is a business, and I’d rather learn how to treat patients and run a practice from someone who is successful at it; wouldn't you? Yes, fees are very high but that’s because the intention is to offer patients extremely high-end dental care because he actually cares about it. All dentists in the office are encouraged to take as long as they need to perform dentistry as well as possible. Patients leave happy, well informed and with a new friend; he really cares about the patients and their dentistry.


Dr. Dorfman wants us to know about his success because he also wants it for his students. You cannot work for what you don't know exists. I never even considered that a world outside of insurance dentistry exists before I came to the office. It’s a hard thing to achieve, and you have to work really hard to make it work, but it opens up your options as a dentist. At the same time, he has been a pro bono professor at both Columbia and NYU dental schools for nearly 20 combined years; for over 12 years dental students were legally allowed to treat charity dental cases in the office for extremely low fees. A high school internship also exists in the office to mentor inner city kids. I know he enjoys his financial success but that is not what drives him; he offers more charitable dentistry and teaching than anyone I know. If he’s not treating patients he’s writing up dental content on his website for dentists, dental students and whoever is interested – for free! He has a wall of notes from foreign dentists thanking him for taking his time to give free dental information. You can check all of it out on his website nycdentist.com and there’s even a blog of student experiences, mostly written by the fourth year dental students that intern at the office.

Like bdeisalum08 said, he may appear like he’s ignoring you in the beginning, but if he sees that you’re a decent human being and you’re really eager to learn he warms up to you. If he starts to come up with nicknames for you, you know you’re part of the family now.

I have learned a ton of dentistry and have made some potentially life long friends. Dr. Dorfman offers a great deal on a partnership track to the very best of the former interns after dental school graduation. I understand that starting in 2010 a small fee is being charged to interns to cover the cost of their participation, but it is well worth it. I really recommend this program!

P.S. Boats and the water are also a really big passion of his. So if he’s talking about yachts, he’s not bragging, he’s sharing his passion with you just like he does with dentistry.

Hope this info helps!
 
I worked in Dr. Dorfman's office for 3 years and learned more than I ever could have imagined when I applied for the program. Just like any other job you gain more responsibility and a greater understanding for things as time goes on.

You get out of the program, what you put in it. The more days you spend in the office, the more you will learn. Dr. Dorfman observes the learning curve of each of the students and pays attention to your willingness and efforts in the office. When he can, he will share with you what he is working on and introduce treatment planning and educate you on different cases. He practices intelligently and teaches you about the business side of dentistry as well. Before this program I did not realize all that it took to run a practice and am extremely grateful for everything that I have learned. I will use all the skills that Dr. Dorfman has taught me for the rest of my life and implement many of them in my career!

In the past people who were negative about the program were angry that they didn't get a lot of time with Dr. Dorfman. Usually this was because the student rarely attended the program, or didn't put in a lot of effort. In turn, the students that were more active took advantage of what the program had to offer and got to know everyone in the office. Don't let the other reviews dissuade you! Dr. Dorfman is EXTREMELY giving and wants his students to succeed.

I HIGHLY recommend this program and encourage everyone to apply!
 
I’ve interned at The Center for Special Dentistry for two consecutive summers and my experience may help clarify some of your concerns. The Internship Program offers a unique opportunity to experience high-end dentistry and gain exposure to a variety of specialties including oral surgery and endodontic, periodontic, orthodontic, pediatric, and cosmetic dentistry. At any given time there are a number of interns in the office, so what you get out of the internship is largely dependent on how much time you spend in the office and what you do with your time there. While your responsibilities are at first limited, your demonstration of interest in the office and eagerness to contribute are key to gaining the trust of the doctors and senior interns and eventually taking on more responsibilities. During my first summer interning, there were a number of us actively seeking opportunities to help around the office and become involved. It didn’t take long before we were cleaning and preparing treatment rooms, scanning and filing documents, and assisting some of the dentists. That’s not to say, however, that they delegated responsibilities freely. As I stated before, you only got as much out of the internship as you initiated, and those interns visiting the office sparingly or texting all day in the staff room certainly may have missed many of these opportunities. While I was interning I actively participated in the daily responsibilities of the senior interns and gained an enormous amount of knowledge in both dental treatment and the business of managing a practice. If you’re looking for meaningful dental experience and are willing to put your time in, then I highly recommend applying for the Internship Program.

Hope this helps!
 
Interesting that all of the last 3 posters have 2 or less posts.
 
HillsNayyr - I don't understand why that matters? As people who have experienced this program first-hand, we are just trying to help future pre-dental students by giving an honest assessment of the program and how it helped us gain acceptance into dental school.

So...as a current intern at Dr. Dorfman’s office I thought I would share my two cents about the pre-dental education program.

First off, it is well worth taking a year or two off before you start dental school to work for Dr. Dorfman as an intern. After working in the office for over a year, I cannot begin to explain just how much I have learned. Aside from learning a wealth of dental information (terminology, anatomy, instruments, steps and instruments used for procedures, clinical tips, how to interact with patients, etc.) that will help immensely when I start dental school, I have also learned the ins and outs of running a successful dental practice. Much like DentalDee said, you get out of it what you put into it. If you show Dr. Dorfman that you are eager to learn and willing to work hard than he and the other dentists in the office will take the time to teach you all aspects of dentistry, many of which you will never learn in dental school. It is also a great opportunity to see if any specialties interest you.

I could go on and on about all that I have learned from this program and how much it will help me in dental school and as a practicing dentist. Simply put, this is an invaluable experience for any pre-dental student. I strongly recommend any pre-dental student to apply for this program – you will thank me later.
 
Can someone post how to get involved? Or do you contact him directly?
 
Haha because we all know Dr. Dorfman is behind all these accounts trying to boost his reputation. When well established forum members comment, people will start taking this seriously.
WeAre said:
HillsNayyr - I don't understand why that matters? As people who have experienced this program first-hand, we are just trying to help future pre-dental students by giving an honest assessment of the program and how it helped us gain acceptance into dental school.

So...as a current intern at Dr. Dorfman’s office I thought I would share my two cents about the pre-dental education program.

First off, it is well worth taking a year or two off before you start dental school to work for Dr. Dorfman as an intern. After working in the office for over a year, I cannot begin to explain just how much I have learned. Aside from learning a wealth of dental information (terminology, anatomy, instruments, steps and instruments used for procedures, clinical tips, how to interact with patients, etc.) that will help immensely when I start dental school, I have also learned the ins and outs of running a successful dental practice. Much like DentalDee said, you get out of it what you put into it. If you show Dr. Dorfman that you are eager to learn and willing to work hard than he and the other dentists in the office will take the time to teach you all aspects of dentistry, many of which you will never learn in dental school. It is also a great opportunity to see if any specialties interest you.

I could go on and on about all that I have learned from this program and how much it will help me in dental school and as a practicing dentist. Simply put, this is an invaluable experience for any pre-dental student. I strongly recommend any pre-dental student to apply for this program – you will thank me later.
Click to expand...
 
dantemac - You can find the prog info here: http://www.nycdentist.com/our-team/12

I’ve been an intern at Dr. Dorfman’s for a while, but I also volunteered at another hospital affiliated dental clinic in the past. Here are some of my insights from comparing the two:
1. Dr. Dorfman’s office is strictly fee for service. Thus it’s very different from regular high volume dental offices that accept insurance. You can definitely learn dentistry from either environment (and I would recommend you to do both) but the experiences are much different. Dr. Dorfman is also a good businessman and will show you how to run a practice.
2. Because Dr. Dorfman spends lots of time with each patient, he is able to teach the interns what he is doing and why. Occasionally he would quiz you so you have to bring your A game. This would not happen (from what I heard & the other dental office that I volunteered) at other offices.
3. Dr. Dorfman’s office has all the specialists (oral surgery, ortho, endo, etc.) so you will see all aspects of dentistry (performed by specialists). And I think it really helps those who want to specialize in the future to be able to talk to the specialists.
4. It’s true that starting up you are not allowed to touch anything. You can only talk to patients (which I think is great) and watch Dr. Dorfman, specialists and the staff performing dentistry/office duties. So if you only plan to intern for 1 or 2 months, you prob won’t have the chance to do anything hands on. However, if you plan to stay long term, you will have the opportunity to actually do stuff (taking x-rays, assisting cosmetic dentists AND SPECIALISTS, performing office duties). If your sole interest is to make and save money before dental school, it’s prob not the best place to do so. But you do get to learn the knowledge.
Overall I would recommend the program. Keep it in mind that it is not a common dental office and most dentists don’t practice like he does. I think one should also volunteer at other offices just to see how “regular” offices are run since that’s most prob how we will practice in the future (or at least starting up). Hope this will help some of you who are interested in the program.

​
 
Sorry but I find it quite excessive that you have to apply, send a check, get interviewed and see if you get accepted or not, all for a shadowing opportunity. Yes, you might learn more than shadowing a typical dental office (free) but paying $475 for the summer as a shadower/volunteer seems like a scam to me.
I shadowed a dentist who owns a practice by herself, and I enjoyed the 1-to-1 conversations and I didn't have other pre-dents chasing the dentist
 
a fee and application process for shadowing seems pretty ridiculous to me. At the end of the day, it's still just shadowing.
 
I live close to NYC so I would commute, but I probably will not apply. We will see.
 
WeAre said:
The Center for Special Dentistry website does quote several student's descriptions of their experience in the program. That is a good thing and doesn't make it "fake."
Click to expand...

It does make it appear that one person is making many different accounts to falsely post other peoples suck up stories as their own. Which quite frankly is just as bad.

Here's a thought, if you want to get into dental school get good grades, study for the DAT and do your research on the profession and schools. Paying for flashy shadowing isn't as good as having a solid dat/gpa.
 
I have a 22 DAT AA, 3.7 GPA, and 250 hours of shadowing already. It just seems (seemed) like a good gap year program to get involved with.
 
HillsNayyr said:
It does make it appear that one person is making many different accounts to falsely post other peoples suck up stories as their own. Which quite frankly is just as bad.

Here's a thought, if you want to get into dental school get good grades, study for the DAT and do your research on the profession and schools. Paying for flashy shadowing isn't as good as having a solid dat/gpa.
Click to expand...

I'd like to make one more comment, and yes, this will be my second post for anyone who thinks that matters: the purpose of Student Doctor is to exchange information and help each other out.. the purpose of this thread was to find out what the Internship program was like. If you weren't aware, tons of students use this site and don't have to become a member, because 99% of the questions you're wondering about are already out there. I've been using SDN for over two years and haven't had to once write a post, and prefer not to for the sake of avoiding petty discussions such as this.

I can't speak for anyone else, but I had a wonderful experience with the program. If you're just looking to "get into dental school" and boost your resume, then maybe the program isn't right for you. If, however, you're looking to actually learn from this experience, then I think it's well worth it.
 
amcoffey said:
I'd like to make one more comment, and yes, this will be my second post for anyone who thinks that matters: the purpose of Student Doctor is to exchange information and help each other out.. the purpose of this thread was to find out what the Internship program was like. If you weren't aware, tons of students use this site and don't have to become a member, because 99% of the questions you're wondering about are already out there. I've been using SDN for over two years and haven't had to once write a post, and prefer not to for the sake of avoiding petty discussions such as this.

I can't speak for anyone else, but I had a wonderful experience with the program. If you're just looking to "get into dental school" and boost your resume, then maybe the program isn't right for you. If, however, you're looking to actually learn from this experience, then I think it's well worth it.
Click to expand...

If you just wanted to share the information that's out there you could have LINKED THE SITE. Pretty simple.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

A
Roseman MBS Program - APPLICANT BEWARE
Replies
1
Views
1K
Big Time Hoosier
Big Time Hoosier
Mr.Smile12
2025 USC Predental Outreach program
Replies
3
Views
839
JacquesVallee
JacquesVallee
B
  • Locked
Choosing a specialized master's program
Replies
7
Views
1K
macsak
M
E
Usask DMD program- how to prepare for MMI interview
Replies
1
Views
876
Mr.Smile12
Mr.Smile12
WildWing
[Announcement] ADEA AADSAS Fee Assistance Program Webinar
Replies
2
Views
876
WildWing
WildWing
Top