Shadowing a dental student?

[rose786]

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It was suggested to me that shadowing a dental student (D3, D4) might give me a different perspective of the field than shadowing in a private practice. My question is how common is this? Are students and schools actually willing to show you around? And how much can you actually gain from someone who themselves haven't started practicing yet?

 

[wizziefiend]

It was suggested to me that shadowing a dental student (D3, D4) might give me a different perspective of the field than shadowing in a private practice. My question is how common is this? Are students and schools actually willing to show you around? And how much can you actually gain from someone who themselves haven't started practicing yet?

I would love to have a pre-dent shadow me/be my slave.

I am about to start lobbying for it for my school's clinic that way when I get there..."o $@#$, i dropped it, go get me a #2 explorer" will be common statements


but you're not going to be in school for the rest of your life, you'll be in private practice, so that is what you'd want to shadow i suppose. but visit some schools for sure!

 

[rose786]

I would love to have a pre-dent shadow me/be my slave.

I am about to start lobbying for it for my school's clinic that way when I get there..."o $@#$, i dropped it, go get me a #2 explorer" will be common statements


but you're not going to be in school for the rest of your life, you'll be in private practice, so that is what you'd want to shadow i suppose. but visit some schools for sure!

lol. Sure I'll be your slave. 🙄

I guess, from what I can tell, the benefits of shadowing a student are 1) you can get to know the school, maybe make some good connections and 2) the student may be more willing to teach you than a practicing dentist would, because you are in a teaching environment.

 

[Sweeti8286]

The thing is, you have to hook up with a faculty to give you the permission to be in the clinic w/ another student. So, somehow find a faculty who has some say in the clinic to let you in and help you find someone to shadow.

Since you're still a pre-dental student, the dental students may or may not teach you things...or the thought of showing you how to do things may not occur to them because you're not at a point where you are learning how to pack amalgam or how to put a rubber dam on. However, they can give you their perspective in terms of the school/program they're in....the good and bad things faculty don't see. But you can ask them or look for posts on here for that.

 

[armorshell]

lol. Sure I'll be your slave. 🙄

I guess, from what I can tell, the benefits of shadowing a student are 1) you can get to know the school, maybe make some good connections and 2) the student may be more willing to teach you than a practicing dentist would, because you are in a teaching environment.

It's just a Pacific thing I think. In these ancient and hallowed halls of learning, the work 'shadow' and 'observe' sound oddly like 'assist' and 'do whatever the third year tells you'

 

[rarm1]

Shadowing is common and very educational... but you must go through the right channels... often through the admissions office or student affairs (title aqnd area will vary by school). You will also need to be compliant with the infection control and HIPPA requirements. We often have college, even high school students visit our clinic and shadow our residents.

 

[rose786]

It's just a Pacific thing I think. In these ancient and hallowed halls of learning, the work 'shadow' and 'observe' sound oddly like 'assist' and 'do whatever the third year tells you'

Hmmm. Note to self: don't shadow or assist at Pacific.

Shadowing is common and very educational... but you must go through the right channels... often through the admissions office or student affairs (title aqnd area will vary by school). You will also need to be compliant with the infection control and HIPPA requirements. We often have college, even high school students visit our clinic and shadow our residents.

Thanks. And by "resident" do you mean "student"? Silly question I know.

 

[rarm1]

Hmmm. Note to self: don't shadow or assist at Pacific.



Thanks. And by "resident" do you mean "student"? Silly question I know.

I run a residency program... advanced training after dental school. We often have college and high school students coming in (with approciate approval, etc) to watch or residents work on patients in all phrases of dentistry. Only Delaware and NY require a residency after graduation, a few other states have it optional.

 

[rose786]

I run a residency program... advanced training after dental school. We often have college and high school students coming in (with approciate approval, etc) to watch or residents work on patients in all phrases of dentistry. Only Delaware and NY require a residency after graduation, a few other states have it optional.

Thanks. 👍