I am a freshman and really want to work in dentistry over my summers leading up to dental school. First, I want to gain experience; I want to see and be a part of a dental office environment, learn more about the processes of dental surgery and dental care, and learn what all goes into a dental practice. Second, having dental experience on my application would really help my chances of getting in to dental school. And, finally, most dental jobs will have decent pay ($10-15) for a poor college student. The only two jobs I can think to do are being a dental assistant or working in a dental lab. I do not have any certifications (but I know how/where to get them) and I can only really work during the 3.5 months of summer break and maybe 1 month for winter break. I understand that dentists really would rather have more experienced, full time workers; however, they also want to help out the youth of pre-dentists. So, hiring pre-dental students is usually a tough decision for them; it does not really help there business, but does help out the pre-dental student.
How exactly do you approach a dentist or dental technician asking for a job? Most people say to just shadow some of your local dentists then ask them if you could possibly work there for the summer. I have done this a couple times now and each time I could tell that the dentist really didn't have a position open, but didn't want to say no, so they just said that we will see if something opens up. Is that just the best option? Do you just shadow dentists then pop the question to them, hoping that they may possibly say yes? And for the dentists or dental lab technicians that you don't get a chance to shadow should I just go around to every dental office or lab left in the area and ask for a job (bringing a cover letter and resume, telling them my situation)? Or, can I just mail my cover letter and resume to them that explains my situation to them. Because going around to each dental office or lab can be inefficient and there's a chance that I may not even get to speak with the dentist to ask them personally (and tell them my situation), as they may be busy or the receptionist may just say that there are not positions here.
What do you think?
How exactly do you approach a dentist or dental technician asking for a job? Most people say to just shadow some of your local dentists then ask them if you could possibly work there for the summer. I have done this a couple times now and each time I could tell that the dentist really didn't have a position open, but didn't want to say no, so they just said that we will see if something opens up. Is that just the best option? Do you just shadow dentists then pop the question to them, hoping that they may possibly say yes? And for the dentists or dental lab technicians that you don't get a chance to shadow should I just go around to every dental office or lab left in the area and ask for a job (bringing a cover letter and resume, telling them my situation)? Or, can I just mail my cover letter and resume to them that explains my situation to them. Because going around to each dental office or lab can be inefficient and there's a chance that I may not even get to speak with the dentist to ask them personally (and tell them my situation), as they may be busy or the receptionist may just say that there are not positions here.
What do you think?
