Volunteering!!

[toothbrush]

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I have something to ask about the volunteering. What is the difference b/w volunteering and shadowing when u volunteer at a dental clinic? Is it possible to do both at once to complete the application? or u must do the volunteering at big hospitals? I was looking for a spot to volunteer at a hospital but there were so many things to do and fill out and interview so I thought it might as well be better to volunteer at a private office. Any suggestions?? Does it really matter??

 

[pmantz]

I have something to ask about the volunteering. What is the difference b/w volunteering and shadowing when u volunteer at a dental clinic? Is it possible to do both at once to complete the application? or u must do the volunteering at big hospitals? I was looking for a spot to volunteer at a hospital but there were so many things to do and fill out and interview so I thought it might as well be better to volunteer at a private office. Any suggestions?? Does it really matter??

I think it wouldn't hurt you to count volunteering at a dental clinic as both shadowing and volunteering. I do however think it would help you could find some other volunteer activities such as Habitat for Humanity, reading to youngsters, ect. It would look good to the admissions commitee if you had a variety of volunteering, it shows that you not only care about dentistry but other aspects of your community. You want to give the impression that you are a well rounded individual and different volunteer work provide a diverse life experience. A lot of dental schools like to view themselves as not only training future dentists, but future comunity leaders and citizens.

 

[toothbrush]

I think it wouldn't hurt you to count volunteering at a dental clinic as both shadowing and volunteering. I do however think it would help you could find some other volunteer activities such as Habitat for Humanity, reading to youngsters, ect. It would look good to the admissions commitee if you had a variety of volunteering, it shows that you not only care about dentistry but other aspects of your community. You want to give the impression that you are a well rounded individual and different volunteer work provide a diverse life experience. A lot of dental schools like to view themselves as not only training future dentists, but future comunity leaders and citizens.

thanks! one more question.. Ive heard that if you volunteer at a hospital they give u a verication sheet how many hours have worked so far. Is this the same for private offices? How can the dental schools find this out how long Ive worked? I mean what if people lie and say they did 500hours!!

 

[tinman831]

thanks! one more question.. Ive heard that if you volunteer at a hospital they give u a verication sheet how many hours have worked so far. Is this the same for private offices? How can the dental schools find this out how long Ive worked? I mean what if people lie and say they did 500hours!!

You're on the honor system here. You can tell them you've worked a bazillion hours and they'll take your word for it. But all they have to do is make one phone call and if they found out you lied, you're in deep doodoo. Most dental offices don't give you a verification letter but if a school asks that you prove your hours, the dentist can write how many hours you did in your LORs or the school will give you a form for your dentist to fill out.

 

[pmantz]

thanks! one more question.. Ive heard that if you volunteer at a hospital they give u a verication sheet how many hours have worked so far. Is this the same for private offices? How can the dental schools find this out how long Ive worked? I mean what if people lie and say they did 500hours!!

Hospitals probaly have sheets like that for people doing community service as part of a sentence. If you are worried about misrepresenting how much you volunteered don't worry about it, as long as you are being honest, and making resonable guess. Don't worry about any minute discrepencies, as long you didn't knowingly say you did 500 hours when you only did 50.