How much shadowing is enough?

[arad94]

Hey guys, I was wondering how much shadowing most dental schools need.

Let's say we're talking about an applicant with a strong DAT score (23+) and GPA (3.9+) and pretty good EC's and leadership positions.

Would 60 hours of GP shadowing be enough to be competitive to most schools? 80? 100? I know you can't have 0 but how many hours do you think is the actual minimum to be in good shape?

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[pgex2t]

Those stats already make you competitive, but I'd recommend at least 100 to be on the safe side.

 

[JLT223]

You need at least 100.

 

[hellofuturedentists]

I was in about the same boat as you and I had 70-80. Was never an issue

 

[Pearl E. White]

Hey guys, I was wondering how much shadowing most dental schools need.

Let's say we're talking about an applicant with a strong DAT score (23+) and GPA (3.9+) and pretty good EC's and leadership positions.

Would 60 hours of GP shadowing be enough to be competitive to most schools? 80? 100? I know you can't have 0 but how many hours do you think is the actual minimum to be in good shape?

Awesome stats! I recommend checking the schools you're applying to for that information. It is a REQUIREMENT at my state school for 100 hours minimum.

 

[darklordzz]

I have seen numerous students do only 20, but end up writing down 100+ on their application. Dentists won't log your performance (they have much more on their plate than keeping track of students' hours), and they'll be more than happy to vouch for you.

A few of my fellow interviewees at Alabama NEVER shadowed, but got letters of recommendations from their family or friends' dentists. In fact, I observed something VERY interesting when shadowing a dentist two weeks ago. A young patient, after getting his root canal procedure done, paid out of pocket (cash) since insurance did not cover the 2 molar. He then conveniently asked his dentist (specialist in endodontics) to get a LOR for dental school, where it was agreed upon both parties that the applicant would write the letter and the dentist would provide the signature. I later learned this student was applying to a competitive school, where it was recommended that shadowing hours were obtained at GP's as well as different specializations. It seems like they both got what they wanted. Do I recommend this? No, but if you go this route I highly recommend reading up on some basic procedures and learning the basic buzzwords so that your interview goes alright.

Like a lot of things in life, this is a gray area with no clear-cut solution. The most reliable thing to do is maximize your quantifiable statistics (GPA, DAT, research publications) while having SOME sort of personality.

 

[plusalpha]

For those schools that require a minimum number of shadowing hours AND a proof having completed those hours, how should I go about showing proof when I've split those minimum hours with two dentists, but only one of them will write a LOR for me? For example, if the minimum required hours is 100 and I've done 50 with one dentist and 50 with another, only one of them can PROVE that I've done 50 hours with him/her. How can I provide proof that I did indeed do the other 50 hours (and thus met the minimum requirement hours) with the other dentist..?

 

[darklordzz]

For those schools that require a minimum number of shadowing hours AND a proof having completed those hours, how should I go about showing proof when I've split those minimum hours with two dentists, but only one of them will write a LOR for me? For example, if the minimum required hours is 100 and I've done 50 with one dentist and 50 with another, only one of them can PROVE that I've done 50 hours with him/her. How can I provide proof that I did indeed do the other 50 hours (and thus met the minimum requirement hours) with the other dentist..?

On your AASDAS application, just include the contact information for BOTH dentists at the rare chance the admissions committee goes ahead and verifies your hours. (A letter is definitely not necessary from both dentist professionals!)

 

[doc toothache]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/2015-job-shadowing-requirements-recommendation.1139813/

 

[cogivina]

Do you still need to do more shadowing if you already have over 100 hours in high school plus another 40 hours in first year college?

 

[darklordzz]

Do you still need to do more shadowing if you already have over 100 hours in high school plus another 40 hours in first year college?

That's more than sufficient.

 

[BluntForceTrauma]

Do you still need to do more shadowing if you already have over 100 hours in high school plus another 40 hours in first year college?

Pretty sure the application asks for what activities you've done since beginning *college* so I wouldn't be so sure.

Call up admissions offices you're interested in and ask them for definitive answers.

 

[JLT223]

Do you still need to do more shadowing if you already have over 100 hours in high school plus another 40 hours in first year college?

NOTHING you do in high school, apart from maybe being published in a paper, counts towards your credibility as an applicant.

 

[1070752]

Lol, no dental school is going to confirm your hours. They have better things to spend their time on. Unless you put down like 1000 hours of shadowing it might look sketch.

 

[plusalpha]

Lol, no dental school is going to confirm your hours. They have better things to spend their time on. Unless you put down like 1000 hours of shadowing it might look sketch.

Sure, but I mean some schools (Tufts, for example) require that the dentist you shadowed write down the approx. number of hours on the LOR, so that kind of acts as a "confirmation".

 

[doc toothache]

Sure, but I mean some schools (Tufts, for example) require that the dentist you shadowed write down the approx. number of hours on the LOR, so that kind of acts as a "confirmation".

Tufts must have a lot of power to "require that the dentist" one shadows to "write down the approximate number of hours" an applicant has.

 

[plusalpha]

Tufts must have a lot of power to "require that the dentist" one shadows to "write down the approximate number of hours" an applicant has.

Man, I sense a ton of sarcasm here but I don't completely understand the point he's trying to get across... lololol

 

[zEkii]

Just put on your application, " I will receive over 500 shadowing hours at your school once I've been accepted to your dental school". I think that's subtle and gets your point across.

 

[CaliforniaDMD]

NOTHING you do in high school, apart from maybe being published in a paper, counts towards your credibility as an applicant.

What if the shadowing (or any other community service/activity) has been continuous at the same place since before college?

 

[JLT223]

What if the shadowing (or any other community service/activity) has been continuous at the same place since before college?

Only the hours that you do in college (freshman year onwards) will technically count. You could put down you've been there since junior year of high school (for example) but admissions committees will most likely not count those hours.