How to become a dental lab technician (while taking prereqs)?

[TX2005]

What can one do to become a dental lab technician? While I take my prereqs over the next year in a half, I want to have some real world health care job experience. I've been looking at being a pharmacy technician (pretty good pay, you learn some great info along the way, get experience studying for and passing a board exam etc..). I also have run across the possibility of being a dental lab technician.

I know once you have your CPhT and IV Certification, getting a job as a pharmacy tech is pretty straight forward. How does one become a dental lab assistant? Is there any sort of certification exam I can study for and pass similar to pharmacy tech certification? If not, what would you guys recommend? Do I just need to begin cold calling dentists to find someone who is willing to take me on part time? Is there any form of training I can get so I have at least some knowledge going in?

Finally, how does being a dental lab assistant look to admissions committees? Better than a pharmacy tech?

I'm battling right now on if I should stick to the pharmacy tech route or look at a dental lab assistant instead. Any comments, thoughts, advice would be much appreciated!!

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[dent2009]

What can one do to become a dental lab technician? While I take my prereqs over the next year in a half, I want to have some real world health care job experience. I've been looking at being a pharmacy technician (pretty good pay, you learn some great info along the way, get experience studying for and passing a board exam etc..). I also have run across the possibility of being a dental lab technician.

I know once you have your CPhT and IV Certification, getting a job as a pharmacy tech is pretty straight forward. How does one become a dental lab assistant? Is there any sort of certification exam I can study for and pass similar to pharmacy tech certification? If not, what would you guys recommend? Do I just need to begin cold calling dentists to find someone who is willing to take me on part time? Is there any form of training I can get so I have at least some knowledge going in?

Finally, how does being a dental lab assistant look to admissions committees? Better than a pharmacy tech?

I'm battling right now on if I should stick to the pharmacy tech route or look at a dental lab assistant instead. Any comments, thoughts, advice would be much appreciated!!

Go for it if you're ambitious enough and/or if your application is lacking in one part or another. According to the ADEA, most matriculants don't have and don't need dental lab or real assistance experience. My rule of thumb is, if you have good GPA/DAT (say 3.5 and DAT 20+), and have regular extracurricular activities including dental shadowing, then you'll most likely get in.

 

[Old School]

Go for it if you're ambitious enough and/or if your application is lacking in one part or another. According to the ADEA, most matriculants don't have and don't need dental lab or real assistance experience. My rule of thumb is, if you have good GPA/DAT (say 3.5 and DAT 20+), and have regular extracurricular activities including dental shadowing, then you'll most likely get in.

If there were anything that I wish I had knowledge of before starting DS it would be lab experience. You can spend two or three days working on some project that you could easily do in 1/2 hour if you had ever done it before. That means more time for studying (xbox)

 

[DROCKINDAHOUSE]

Dude do what I did. Get in tight with a general dentist by shadowing him and then ask him if you could work as an assistant/lab tech. I've been doing alot of lab work the past year and I know its really going to help once school starts.