Hey all,
I'm planning the next few months as I get ready to go back to school to get my prereqs and have some questions around experience (health care, volunteer etc..).
I already know that shadowing is practically required, so that is something I will be pursuing for sure. Outside of that, I'm trying to choose between the following:
- Healthcare related volunteer work: Some options here include volunteering at a hospital, free health clinic, homeless shelter and such. This is something that is interesting and also fulfilling to me, and it can't hurt application wise I imagine.
- Part time paid healthcare related work: My other option is gaining part time employment in a health care related field. The one I am really looking at right now is being a certified pharmacy technician part time at a hospital. In order to do this, I would need to pass the national certification exam for pharmacy techs along with gaining IV certification. This would allow me to gain experience in a health care related field, while also making some extra money working part time.
I'm not really sure I'll have time for both, so I guess I'm curious what others feel would be more beneficial in my pursuit of going to dental school. Either of these are not specifically dental related (shadowing should help cover that), but I've read other experience is recommended/required as well. Any thoughts on how admissions committees view volunteer work vs. part time work in health care fields (Pharmacy Tech, EMT) that might require some form of certification?
Thanks!
I'm planning the next few months as I get ready to go back to school to get my prereqs and have some questions around experience (health care, volunteer etc..).
I already know that shadowing is practically required, so that is something I will be pursuing for sure. Outside of that, I'm trying to choose between the following:
- Healthcare related volunteer work: Some options here include volunteering at a hospital, free health clinic, homeless shelter and such. This is something that is interesting and also fulfilling to me, and it can't hurt application wise I imagine.
- Part time paid healthcare related work: My other option is gaining part time employment in a health care related field. The one I am really looking at right now is being a certified pharmacy technician part time at a hospital. In order to do this, I would need to pass the national certification exam for pharmacy techs along with gaining IV certification. This would allow me to gain experience in a health care related field, while also making some extra money working part time.
I'm not really sure I'll have time for both, so I guess I'm curious what others feel would be more beneficial in my pursuit of going to dental school. Either of these are not specifically dental related (shadowing should help cover that), but I've read other experience is recommended/required as well. Any thoughts on how admissions committees view volunteer work vs. part time work in health care fields (Pharmacy Tech, EMT) that might require some form of certification?
Thanks!