tell me how to volunteer

[futuredentist23]

i have no clue. ok fine you say you want to volunteer and if they are willing, you go into their office. then what? I did this once and i ended up sitting next to the dentist and just observing the procedures, becuase i haveno experience. For those of you who volunteer, what do you do?

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[zriceman]

nothing much u can do. I just asked some questions about some procedures he was doing after the patients leave and often he would talk to me about what he is doing as he is working on his patients.

Just dont give the doc any trouble since he/she is doing you a big favor allowing you to tag along with them all day.

 

[coolslugs]

that would just be considered shadowing, not volunteering...right?

 

[Sprgrover]

Finding shadowing opportunities is usually much easier than finding volunteer positions (such as volunteering as a dental assistant). Both count as experience and schools should be just as happy with shadowing just as much as volunteering: the school will teach you the clinical skills and knowledge of dentistry and what they are generally looking for in 'experience' is a cursory understanding of dentistry gained from observation of and discussion with practicing dentists.