My situation.

[kkikkokka]

I recently decided to go to dental school, and I'm applying for 2008 admission.
yes, I only have about 2 months left.
and i have done only about 20 hours of shadowing done.
I would keep shadowing,but some people said that I have to have 2 to 4 dentists shadowing for 40 to 50 hours each.
I seriously don't think i have enough time for that.
I don't even know if I can have 50 hours on my current shadowing.
I am worried.
wut should i do...

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[SoCalDent]

there is no set amount of time that you need to shadow for. I would just call the dental schools you are interested in, and then do what you can. I personally do not think that spending that much time shadowing is necessary. Dental schools just want to make sure you know what you are getting into. They don't want you to drop out after a year and lose all the money from that spot for the remaining 3 years. Just do what you can.

 

[stevenweng]

some people said that I have to have 2 to 4 dentists shadowing for 40 to 50 hours each.

Unless you are applying to ivy league (and even then...) that is absolutely not true. I have about 25 hours shadowing and every advisor and admissions officer I've spoken to has said that wouldn't be a problem.

 

[kkikkokka]

thank u guyz!!
i feel much better now.
so having about 30 to 40 hours with one dentist is enough do you think...???
or...two dentists maybe????????????

thanx for ur help!

 

[SoCalDent]

That sound about right to me. I would just call the schools you are intereted in to be sure. You should be fine though. Good Luck!

 

[runawaypup]

Do what you can before you turn in your application, but remember while it's only 2 months till application time, you have a longer time till interviews start. So after applications you can do some extra shawdowing in the late summer and fall with a few extra dentists for good measure. And in the interview this will show that you have continued to do something since you've submitted your application.

 

[kev4455]

Shadowing a dentist is a big plus but it's NOT required. I have never shadowed a dentist but still got into a dental school this year, although i do get some exposure to dentistry thru my work. You shouldn't be stressed over it.

 

[lgwdnbdgr]

I shadowed for between 50 and 60 hours total between 4 dentists. There was absolutely no indication whatsoever that this was a problem. UW was the only place that brought up shadowing at all, and that was because it was on their list of questions to ask everyone. I only talked about one dentist and they were happy. They just wanted to make sure I did my homework; they weren't keeping score.

The benefit of shadowing 4 dentists was that I didn't feel as uncomfortable. They were all really cool, but lets be honest, I was in their way. I didn't want to be too much of a nuisance, so I tried to make sure I didn't even come close to that point. Plus, it was cool seeing 4 different perspectives.

As for admissions purposes, though, my personal anecdotes lack any evidence that 4 vs 1 made a lick of difference, nor that only 50-60 hours hurt me in any way, shape or form.

I recently decided to go to dental school, and I'm applying for 2008 admission.
yes, I only have about 2 months left.
and i have done only about 20 hours of shadowing done.
I would keep shadowing,but some people said that I have to have 2 to 4 dentists shadowing for 40 to 50 hours each.
I seriously don't think i have enough time for that.
I don't even know if I can have 50 hours on my current shadowing.
I am worried.
wut should i do...

 

[GoDucks69]

It doesnt matter so much about how many hours you have but how much knowledge you retain, if you have about 20-30 it should be fine. It is nice to have on the application to get an interview but during the interview you will have to back that up with what you know. I volunteered at a low income dental clinic and that is great because you get experience in a dental office as well as volunteer time. I really enjoyed it and it maximizes your time.

 

[Fuji]

Some schools do have a minimum. I think it was UF that requires 30 hours.

 

[drpduck]

As long as you have a decent amount of exposure to dentistry you should be fine.

Honestly there is never a thing as too much shadowing IMO. This is a career that you will be doing for 30+ years, cost you $150k+, and 4 hard years of your life. Thats a whole lot of commitment, and it would really suck to quit after a year or so because you did not know what you where getting yourself into (not to mention you would accrue 70-100k debt which you would still have to pay back).

 

[Lidopaine82]

I recently decided to go to dental school, and I'm applying for 2008 admission.
yes, I only have about 2 months left.
and i have done only about 20 hours of shadowing done.
I would keep shadowing,but some people said that I have to have 2 to 4 dentists shadowing for 40 to 50 hours each.
I seriously don't think i have enough time for that.
I don't even know if I can have 50 hours on my current shadowing.
I am worried.
wut should i do...

50 hours each? wow that is excessive. i only did about 22 at one office. you don't need much more to decide if dentistry is right for you.