Does volunteering and shadowing experience give a greater chance to get accept to the school?? If so, for those of you who are currently volunteering in a dental office, how do u guys first started to find the job??Thanksss a bunch!!!!
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as with anything, experience helps. try going to your own dentist.. or just calling up random offices in your area and asking them!yxz said:
Dental Schools want to see that you've seen the dental field first hand. I think it is pretty important because it shows you have an interest for the field and have seen what a dental career consists of doing. You can start volunteering by dropping into a dental clinic and asking if you can observe and once you and the Dr. have a comfortble relationship ask him if it would be alright to come by every week or so. You could also volunteer at your nearest dental school, a lot of them will let you assist after you get the hang of things. You just have to look, theres a bunch of volunteer oppurtunities.
There are often minimal requirements for schools that your volunteered or observed at a dental office or clinic. It's not usually a lot of hours...20-40 for most schools. Schools don't want you to come in blind with no knowledge of practical dentistry and just a thought you might make a pretty decent living. They don't want people who will drop out after a year or two because they didn't realize that THIS is what you did in dentistry.
That being said, it's easy to find a dentist who is willing to let you pbserve. Call an office and tell them who you are and the situation. You're a predent, you'd like to learn more about the field and you'd like to observe. Almost every dentist can remember what it was like trying to get into dental school and most realize it has gotten tougher, so they are usually very open to helping future dentists.
This is pretty much how I started, and eventually I started going in regular to observe at the office. then they hired me to do a little extra work on the side. Word got out to my own dentist through the RDA and front office staff talking to the dtaff at my dentist's office, and now I work there too...it's weird how things just happen.
That being said, it's easy to find a dentist who is willing to let you pbserve. Call an office and tell them who you are and the situation. You're a predent, you'd like to learn more about the field and you'd like to observe. Almost every dentist can remember what it was like trying to get into dental school and most realize it has gotten tougher, so they are usually very open to helping future dentists.
This is pretty much how I started, and eventually I started going in regular to observe at the office. then they hired me to do a little extra work on the side. Word got out to my own dentist through the RDA and front office staff talking to the dtaff at my dentist's office, and now I work there too...it's weird how things just happen.
You could also check to see if your school has pre-med/pre-dental advisors or committee members with existing contacts to dentists. Otherwise, I agree - open up the yellow pages, call the office and ask if they let predental students shadow practicing dentists. Then when you show up, wear something semi-professional/office casual.
Thoughts on shadowing for people new to the environment - do not use the word "blood", do not ask how many times they've done this procedure, try to avoid talking to patients if the Dentist is not there at the same time and comfortable with you speaking with patients, stay out of the way, show up on time, thank them for letting you shadow. Remember that in the end, you're likely to need a LOR from the Dentist.
Thoughts on shadowing for people new to the environment - do not use the word "blood", do not ask how many times they've done this procedure, try to avoid talking to patients if the Dentist is not there at the same time and comfortable with you speaking with patients, stay out of the way, show up on time, thank them for letting you shadow. Remember that in the end, you're likely to need a LOR from the Dentist.