Volunteer at a dental clinic - dental experience/volunteering?

[KumquatBadger]

Hi everyone,

I know this has been posted before but not too many replies. I was wondering if anyone else had any insight as to put it under dental experience OR volunteering OR both?

The reason I am asking is I have only done ~55 hours of volunteer work if you don't include the 100+ hours volunteering at a dental clinic, and I have not done that much dentistry/shadowing if I don't include the 100+ hours chair-side (basic task) assisting the dentist at the clinic.

I don't want to be redundant but I also don't want to look like I haven't been volunteering or not observing dentist, which I am able to do both at the clinic.

Thanks!

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[Davermz450]

IMO I think if you are lacking on the volunteer use it on volunteer and visa versa. Don't double dip though and say both because it might be brought up in an interview. I am on the same situation, I will be applying next cycle so hopefully someone else will clear this up! Good luck

 

[KumquatBadger]

Yeah, I know what you mean I don't want to be double dipping. However, I spend almost all my free time volunteering at the clinic/had to balance my time with studying for the DAT (took it on June 4) and I work full time.

So I didn't really have much extra time to do other volunteer work. It is mainly bad planning on my part as I did not think about this situation until it was too late. Just trying to see what I can do from here on out.

 

[Canard]

IMO I think if you are lacking on the volunteer use it on volunteer and visa versa. Don't double dip though and say both because it might be brought up in an interview. I am on the same situation, I will be applying next cycle so hopefully someone else will clear this up! Good luck

I agree with this. This is what I did last cycle and has worked out well to balance out the volunteering and the shadowing/dental experience.

Yeah, I know what you mean I don't want to be double dipping. However, I spend almost all my free time volunteering at the clinic/had to balance my time with studying for the DAT (took it on June 4) and I work full time.

So I didn't really have much extra time to do other volunteer work. It is mainly bad planning on my part as I did not think about this situation until it was too late. Just trying to see what I can do from here on out.

the admission will see that you were busy person with full-time work + school activity + volunteering and shadowing. It has come up in interview about the situation, therefore, admission will pay careful attention to detail as long as "the numbers" (DAT, cGPA, sGPA) are up to par.

 

[KumquatBadger]

the admission will see that you were busy person with full-time work + school activity + volunteering and shadowing. It has come up in interview about the situation, therefore, admission will pay careful attention to detail as long as "the numbers" (DAT, cGPA, sGPA) are up to par.[/QUOTE]

I think I am just going to put the dental clinic under Dentistry/Shadowing Experience and under 'Position Type' I listed - Volunteer, Shadowing, and Other (basic chair-side assisting) and I would assume admissions will see that I was volunteering at the clinic as well.


Thank you both for responses!

 

[jeffity]

I listed in both...like one is asking for amount experience (and in what capacity) and the other asking where you've spent your time non-academically. Neither section was specific about "double dipping" like the work and research sections are. No one said anything about it to me.

 

[miss chievous]

Hi everyone,

I know this has been posted before but not too many replies. I was wondering if anyone else had any insight as to put it under dental experience OR volunteering OR both?

The reason I am asking is I have only done ~55 hours of volunteer work if you don't include the 450 hours of volunteering at Salvation Army Good Samaritan Dental Clinic (GSDC), and I have not done that much dentistry/shadowing if I don't include the 450 hours chair-side (basic task) assisting the dentist at GSDC.

I don't want to be redundant but I also don't want to look like I haven't been volunteering or not observing dentist, which I am able to do both at GSDC.

Thanks!

Funny. I actually am having this exact same dilemma and didn't know what to do. Called a bunch of the schools I am applying to myself and still have absolutely no idea what to do.

Here were some of the opinions from admissions counselors/secretaries(?) who picked up the phone:

• AADSAS: 'Repeat if necessary'
• Midwestern AZ: 'Don't repeat'
• Roseman: 'Repeat if necessary'
• Western: 'Don't repeat'
• UOP: 'Sure, why not? Just repeat'

So yepp.. What I have concluded -- no one has any idea what they're talking about. Use your best judgment. Different schools probably look at it differently.

 

[KumquatBadger]

I've spoken with a dean. It can count as both.

Would you mind telling which school you asked?

 

[KumquatBadger]

Funny. I actually am having this exact same dilemma and didn't know what to do. Called a bunch of the schools I am applying to myself and still have absolutely no idea what to do.

Here were some of the opinions from admissions counselors/secretaries(?) who picked up the phone:

• AADSAS: 'Repeat if necessary'
• Midwestern AZ: 'Don't repeat'
• Roseman: 'Repeat if necessary'
• Western: 'Don't repeat'
• UOP: 'Sure, why not? Just repeat'

So yepp.. What I have concluded -- no one has any idea what they're talking about. Use your best judgment. Different schools probably look at it differently.

I spoke with AADSAS as well and the lady said no...but the way I worded it she might of thought I was trying to count 'shadowing' as also volunteer experience, which I was not. I was actually consenting patients, doing pre and post-op instructions and assisting the dentist during extractions.

I think I may put it under both. Like jeffity said, they did not specifically say not to do that, whereas under the Research Experience it specifically says, "Do not repeat any activities listed in the previous section. You may list up to 5 research experiences."