Jobs that look good for dental school!

[jonathankimmm]

I'm starting to look for a job now that will somehow look good on a dental app or make me look better.

However it seems any type of dental office job requires at least 2-5 years of experience, so its really hard to get any kind of front office job. I still send out resumes but no luck.

So my question is, does anyone have any good ideas for a job that is not in a dental office but can somehow still look good on a dental school app? I need to work to pay bills and save up money but if it will look good on my app, why not kill two birds with one stone!

If it comes down to it, I guess I will have to find a nonhealth related job and just volunteer.
Oh I got my degree in Biology, btw.

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[LaughingGas]

Entry level biotech positions. If lucky, you might get research experience and get paid.

 

[hunterx2]

Do student lab research. Approach professors with LARGE labs because they have lots of funding. If you work in a smaller lab they probably won't pay you. If you are good or lucky you'll get a publication out of it which looks really nice.

 

[jonathankimmm]

oh woops! i forgot to add that i graduated last year! hahah

 

[ATLien4evr]

I worked at Burger King but I'm probably not going to put that on my app.

 

[free99]

Get a job that pays you well, interview season is a money sink. If you want to strengthen your app, I would just volunteer on top of work.

 

[ddsjyoti]

After shadowing for a few months I made a resume with all my work experience/education and a cover letter saying that I wanted to go to dental school and was looking for more experience and sent it to every job listing on craigslist that was looking for a dental assistant. I was lucky and hired a week later by an Endodontist who also works at Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine because I had great references. I would suggest doing something health related. Assisting gives you much greater clinical experience than shadowing ever could and you'll also be getting paid which looks better.

 

[CleverThought]

I work as a tech at a hospital, and while it's not dental related I've still gotten lots of patient contact hours and I think that's been a big selling point. Plus, the pay is pretty decent.

 

[wb1]

I worked at Burger King but I'm probably not going to put that on my app.

An experience is better than none.

 

[Ferneezy]

An experience is better than none.

this.

you didn't work at burger king, you managed customer relations and culinary operations for the second largest entity of its kind in the world.

 

[doc toothache]

If there is a "job" that ds might consider find beneficial, it stands to reason that it would be something ds would recommend.

 

[Epictetus21]

I worked as a dental lab tech before dental school. If you can find a lab that would be willing to give you on the job training for a specific lab task, that can look very good on an application. Anything with heavy customer service experience can also be a plus.

 

[StumpMT]

I wonder how being a Medical Lab Scientist for 5+ years would look. I had to go through an intense year-long program after undergrad to be one so I would think that could help a little.

 

[njbiodude]

I wonder how being a Medical Lab Scientist for 5+ years would look. I had to go through an intense year-long program after undergrad to be one so I would think that could help a little.

I'm in a similar situation (though I just started working as a MLS this year). I was going to reapply to dental school next summer probably, and see what happens.

 

[sacapuntas]

I would take the highest paying job you can find. Whether that is waitressing, selling used cars or shoveling dirt. Money is tough to come by once DS starts and the amount you can borrow for living expenses is unlikely to be enough to live on unless you have room mates, no car and eat ramen.

 

[dent777]

I would take the highest paying job you can find. Whether that is waitressing, selling used cars or shoveling dirt. Money is tough to come by once DS starts and the amount you can borrow for living expenses is unlikely to be enough to live on unless you have room mates, no car and eat ramen.

👍 I used to work as a dental hygienist and some of the offices where I worked had a person responsible for sterilizing instruments and helping dental assistants. There is no training other than on site training. Usually busy offices hire for that position.

 

[yggdrasila]

👍 I used to work as a dental hygienist and some of the offices where I worked had a person responsible for sterilizing instruments and helping dental assistants. There is no training other than on site training. Usually busy offices hire for that position.

2nd this. Also from this job if you manage yourself well you can start doing light office manager work or some simple assisting. Around here it pays more than minimum wage at least and you can get a LoR. Birds and stone and all that. If you end up hanging around for longer than you expected and the office is expanding you might be able to poach an assisting job since you know the office already.

 

[wb1]

this.

You didn't work at burger king, you managed customer relations and culinary operations for the second largest entity of its kind in the world.

+10000

 

[dentalWorks]

this.

you didn't work at burger king, you managed customer relations and culinary operations for the second largest entity of its kind in the world.

😆

I worked as a dental lab tech before dental school. If you can find a lab that would be willing to give you on the job training for a specific lab task, that can look very good on an application. Anything with heavy customer service experience can also be a plus.

I second this.