Hands-on Dental Experience?

[rlaxkdl]

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So I've noticed that many users on SDN have had actual hands-on dental experience (i.e., assisting).

Do you think there's a huge advantage (versus simply job shadowing) regarding the likelihood of being accepted? Do most people have hands-on experience or is there a bias on these forums? Lastly, does anyone have insight as to whether or not hands-on experience before matriculation has any major benefits at dental school?

Any insight is appreciated. Thanks!

 

[MahiMahi]

I can't speak to the benefits once you're in school, but do bear in mind that in some states you need to take a course of education and an exam to be allowed to assist (NY for example requires a one-year course of study in dental assisting, and an exam). Some states don't have ANY education or training requirements. I'm sure the admissions committees are aware of this, and it shouldn't sway their decision too much considering that some people just won't have this opportunity based on what state they're in. No way that something like this could be a "huge advantage" for acceptance versus shadowing, just because of the patchwork of state requirements/limitations (or lack thereof).

 

[JLT223]

Assisting vs. shadowing is COMPLETELY different. It will show you how brutal the job can be physically, allow you to interact with patients, learn materials, etc. Anybody can shadow; please go try assisting it is a fantastic experience.

Also, I assisted in NY with no certification. You're allowed to assist as such but you're limited to what you can do and can't be considered a registered dental assistant. Some states, like FL, don't allow this.

 

[Locdawgg]

I have over 4 years of dental assistant experience. I learned on the job at my first dental office where i started shadowing/volunteering. The dentist and staff was nice enough to train me to be an assistant. I never took a course or anything. I have worked at that office i started out in as well as another office who hired me from monster.com.

To be honest, i dont think theres an advantage and if there is it will certainly not be a deciding factor between a student with experience versus a student without. This is my 2nd time applying and i still have not had any luck yet even with my "experience".

GPA and DAT score matters most! then i would put volunteering/community service. But i do recommend having some exposure to dentistry such as shadowing at the very least. But you should really focus on what i stated above.

 

[sumin5924]

For what it's worth, I just had an exit interview where I was told I had low shadowing hours (120hrs). I have nearly 100hrs as an assistant separate from shadowing. Admissions is a crapshoot.

 

[sweetpeeas]

From my (limited) interview experiences, it was more about the quality of my hours/experiences than the quantity. I don't think there is a bias for shadowing vs assisting. Interviewers want to make sure you know what you are getting into & see what you've learned about dentistry from shadowing &/OR assisting. While not always the case for everyone, you tend to see and learn a lot more when you have more hours. Focus on explaining what you've learned from your experiences or patient interactions that stood out to you, and I'm sure they won't question the number of hours or type of experiences you have.

Don't treat your application as a series of checkboxes. I did not start assisting until after my interviews. Seriously, quality >> quantity. I also agree with what has been said above! DAT & GPA (or upward academic trends) get your application through the door. However, admissions can be a crapshoot... I got interviews at places I did not think I would, and outright rejections from "safety" schools, which I have learned there are NO such schools.

 

[doc toothache]

For what it's worth, I just had an exit interview where I was told I had low shadowing hours (120hrs). I have nearly 100hrs as an assistant separate from shadowing. Admissions is a crapshoot.

Maybe it was just a subtle hint to let you know he/she did not like the color of your hair. Contrary to popular belief, admission is not a "crapshoot". It is a well choreographed routine whereby schools end up with a precisely hand picked class.

 

[JLT223]

From my (limited) interview experiences, it was more about the quality of my hours/experiences than the quantity. I don't think there is a bias for shadowing vs assisting. Interviewers want to make sure you know what you are getting into & see what you've learned about dentistry from shadowing &/OR assisting. While not always the case for everyone, you tend to see and learn a lot more when you have more hours. Focus on explaining what you've learned from your experiences or patient interactions that stood out to you, and I'm sure they won't question the number of hours or type of experiences you have.

Don't treat your application as a series of checkboxes. I did not start assisting until after my interviews. Seriously, quality >> quantity. I also agree with what has been said above! DAT & GPA (or upward academic trends) get your application through the door. However, admissions can be a crapshoot... I got interviews at places I did not think I would, and outright rejections from "safety" schools, which I have learned there are NO such schools.

Agreed. I spoke about the impact it had on me/what I learned from it in every interview. You can't just slap it on your app and forget about it.

 

[ncide]

For what it's worth, I just had an exit interview where I was told I had low shadowing hours (120hrs). I have nearly 100hrs as an assistant separate from shadowing. Admissions is a crapshoot.

Some schools have extraordinarily high standards. UWSOD likes to see 400 shadowing hours.

 

[rlaxkdl]

Some schools have extraordinarily high standards. UWSOD likes to see 400 shadowing hours.

Where did you get this information? I'm in-state for UWSOD and that's kind of worrisome...

 

[ncide]

Where did you get this information? I'm in-state for UWSOD and that's kind of worrisome...

One of my patients is preparing for her application to UW in a few years so she has been in contact with the admissions. I interviewed there and saw first-hand that you are competing with some amazing applicants, so it's good to stand out.

She said that it was recommended to do 400 hours of shadowing and the same amount for volunteering. They standardize the applicant pool and assign number values for each category (interview, research, volunteering, shadowing, grades, etc). Your acceptance hinges on your overall score. You may want to contact the admissions staff directly to ask them questions, since the hours I gave you is secondhand information. Good luck!

 

[doc toothache]

One of my patients is preparing for her application to UW in a few years so she has been in contact with the admissions. I interviewed there and saw first-hand that you are competing with some amazing applicants, so it's good to stand out.
She said that it was recommended to do 400 hours of shadowing and the same amount for volunteering. They standardize the applicant pool and assign number values for each category (interview, research, volunteering, shadowing, grades, etc). Your acceptance hinges on your overall score. You may want to contact the admissions staff directly to ask them questions, since the hours I gave you is secondhand information. Good luck!

You interviewed there and you were privy to what other applicants had in their bank accounts?
UW lists 100 hours of shadowing requirement. Incidentally, UW is one of few schools where 1 semester of gen chem and 1 semester or organic wraps up the chemistry requirements, leaving the 2 semesters of physics as a head scratcher.

 

[ncide]

You interviewed there and you were privy to what other applicants had in their bank accounts?
UW lists 100 hours of shadowing requirement. Incidentally, UW is one of few schools where 1 semester of gen chem and 1 semester or organic wraps up the chemistry requirements, leaving the 2 semesters of physics as a head scratcher.

I got to know quite a few by talking with them and asking what they've done outside of class. Many had really interesting stories.

They do list 100 hours but that is the minimum.