Shadowing MD's?

[B00yakasha]

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Is it recommended for pre dental students to shadow doctors? I've been shadowing a lot of dentists this summer and I'm sure I'll pursue it. However, I'm kinda thinking ahead when it comes to interviews and they asked if I shadowed any doctors, i say no, and they say well how can you be sure about dentistry. What do you guys think?

 

[Ionz]

Is it recommended for pre dental students to shadow doctors? I've been shadowing a lot of dentists this summer and I'm sure I'll pursue it. However, I'm kinda thinking ahead when it comes to interviews and they asked if I shadowed any doctors, i say no, and they say well how can you be sure about dentistry. What do you guys think?

It will help you give a more definitive answer, yes.

 

[doc toothache]

Is it recommended for pre dental students to shadow doctors? I've been shadowing a lot of dentists this summer and I'm sure I'll pursue it. However, I'm kinda thinking ahead when it comes to interviews and they asked if I shadowed any doctors, i say no, and they say well how can you be sure about dentistry. What do you guys think?

In that case you should also shadow pharmacists, optometrists, chiropractors, vets, attorney, podiatrists to name some "doctors".

 

[B00yakasha]

Have many pre dental students done this?

 

[Paperclipz]

Have many pre dental students done this?

I can tell you that when I initially entered college, I thought I was going to pursue medicine and after shadowing a few physicians, it was crystal clear to me that I did not want to go this route. But again, this transition was from medicine to dentistry.

If you started out as a pre-dental student and you start shadowing a physician now, I think that would be a red-flag since it would look like you're having doubts about dentistry. Try shadowing an ortho, endo, etc., and stay in the realm of dentistry unless you're having serious doubts about this career.

 

[B00yakasha]

Would it really be a red flag? I know I want to pursue dentistry, but I wouldn't mind shadowing a physician not because I would have doubts about dentistry, but just to get more insight as to why choosing dentistry would be the best fit compared to medicine.

Or is that not reasonable to do as a pre dental student...?

 

[shulk]

Would it really be a red flag? I know I want to pursue dentistry, but I wouldn't mind shadowing a physician not because I would have doubts about dentistry, but just to get more insight as to why choosing dentistry would be the best fit compared to medicine.

Or is that not reasonable to do as a pre dental student...?

It makes sense to shadow a profession you are interested in to confirm to yourself that you could see yourself do it. It does not really make sense to shadow a profession you are not interested in to confirm that, in fact, you are not interested in it. Taken to the extreme, you'd have to shadow every job that wasn't a dentist.

Also you don't have to compare dentistry to medicine. In order to become a dentist it's not like you are required to consider medicine first, and then once deciding it's not for you look for alternatives. This would really only be relevant if you DID consider medicine strongly at first but then decided against it.

 

[Koalafied]

(http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=1025273)

 

[Chomski]

Listen to Doc Toothache on this one. If you know dentistry is what you want to do then there is no reason to shadow MD's just to say you did it. Think about it, pre-med kids aren't coming into dental offices to shadow.

This being said you should definitely know why you want to do dentistry over medicine because that is a question that gets asked at interviews

 

[Paperclipz]

it makes sense to shadow a profession you are interested in to confirm to yourself that you could see yourself do it. It does not really make sense to shadow a profession you are not interested in to confirm that, in fact, you are not interested in it. Taken to the extreme, you'd have to shadow every job that wasn't a dentist.

Also you don't have to compare dentistry to medicine. In order to become a dentist it's not like you are required to consider medicine first, and then once deciding it's not for you look for alternatives. This would really only be relevant if you did consider medicine strongly at first but then decided against it.

+1👍

@OP, this is why I thought it would be a red-flag. If you know you are not interested in medicine, then it would not make sense for you to shadow a profession you were never interested in just to confirm what you already knew. If you believe that dentistry is right for you, then prove it on your application by doing more things that involve dentistry rather than another career. Best of luck!

 

[elemental951]

if i was asked such a question i would tell them the truth.

I shadowed a general dentist and i fell in love with the profession.

 

[B00yakasha]

Yeah, this all made sense. I guess I was overthinking it haha but it's good to hear all of this! Thanks so much guys