Shadowing

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[Faefly]

I have the same question, my relative is saying I can shadow her, but I am afraid that would look bad since we have the same last name?

 

[Incis0r]

You're fine, don't overthink it.

If you'd like more confidence, try to get 20-25 hrs in with a non-related general dentist, but the main thing adcoms look for is exposure to the profession so that you know what you're getting into.

I'd argue actually that shadowing a relative can potentially be a better way to explore the profession than shadowing a non-relative - relatives are more likely to be open/honest with you, talk about the harder aspects such as staff management, financial considerations, etc.

 

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[Incis0r]

Thank you for your response and for reassuring me that I shouldn't worry. Based on my experiences, I definitively agree with your argument. Although both my dad and the specialist would be happy to answer any of my questions, I only discussed the topics you mentioned with my dad.

Yeah some dentists are cool like that and really take you under their wing. Others are more reserved, which is totally fine and understandable. I'm happy you have two very nice mentors!

 

[deleted696582]

I would give some schools that you plan to apply to a call - just to be sure that hours shadowing your dad are okay. For example, the associate dean of Minnesota's dental school came to our pre-dental club and gave a talk. She mentioned that they want shadowing hours outside of a parent's practice. I'm not sure how strict they are on this, and I'm sure most other schools don't care. It would be a waste of money to apply to a school and get rejected solely for that reason though.

Additionally, some schools want you to have a certain number of general dentistry shadowing hours before you can count specialist shadowing hours. This is all good in your case since most schools probably won't mind your shadowing hours being with your dad.

 

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[Incis0r]

She mentioned that they want shadowing hours outside of a parent's practice.

Did she explain why this is the case?

 

[deleted696582]

Did she explain why this is the case?

I can't really remember why. I'd assume it's just to get a variety of perspectives on how dentists deal with patients and run practices.

 

[deleted696582]

Here's another thread with a variety of answers to this question.

Shadowing My Dad?