What do you do when you "SHADOW"?

[sm1nty]

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Alright, I need help.

I took the first step to set up an appointment to shadow with a dentist down the street from my house, and she's okay with that.

So what do I exactly do when I "shadow" for the first time?
Do I really just follow the dentist around for a day to see she does?
How should I keep out of the way? Should I just blend into the background?

Also, what have you been doing regarding keeping a record of hours? I have no clue! Is there a standard protocol?

I really appreciate any advice you may have for me...thank you in advance!

 

[vaio]

well, when the dentist is tired you can take over 😀 , make sure you count how many patients you treat

 

[HermeytheElf]

The medical profession likes to have fancy words for simple things and "shadowing" is no exception...it involves standing around doing nothing except for making the patients feel uncomfortable. Enjoy.

 

[Sprgrover]

Pretty much what you do whenever you do career shadowing: you stand back and observe the person at work, their work environment, and what sort of tasks they complete. When you go be sure to dress professionally and, yes, follow the dentist around. She may take a more active role with you and explain what she is doing or she may not. In either case, let her initiate conversation when in front of patients (for example, don't gasp or say something that will make the patient worry - that's very bad manners). When the opportunity presents itself be sure to ask her plenty of questions, such as what her feelings are about the profession, the positives and the drawbacks, her experience in dental school, and so on. She's someone that has survived the game and will be a great resource for you. Best of luck!

 

[beredsox2]

Shadowing can be a bit awkward, because sometimes you feel like you are just standing there and gettting in people's way but don't think of it like that. Always keep in mind that you are shadowing for your own good, as you are trying to figure out whether or not dentistry is for you. I actually interacted with the dental assistants more than with the dentists, as they were always doing things around the operatories while the dentists would go away to their office between patients. The main purpose of the shadowing is not to actually do anything but rather get introduced to the dental office environment and see if it is something you want to do.

 

[Shoota39]

dress nice like the mod said, if you are a guy shirt and tie, and if you are going to a hospital or a practice where they scrubs bring a pair of scrubs in a bag and ask the doc what he/she thinks is appropriate. The first time i shadowed EVERYONE was in scrubs i felt way out of place. The next day the doc had a pair waiting for me, it felt pretty awesome that they actually thought of me

 

[berryfremont]

your job is to ASK QUESTIONS..this is what i wished i would have done more of..if you have the type of personality to try and stay out of the way and be nice like I do: change it! Most of the time the dentists are glad that they have someone to talk to about what they are doing. However, they might not think you would care or want to understand things unless you ask. Ask what the instruments are called, why they used a certain chemical, what the terminology refers to (buccal, lingual, oclussal, etc.), and their experience in dental school. Good luck.

 

[ItsGavinC]

Yes, ask questions! Everybody enjoys talking about themselves, and most dentists love talking about the profession. Ask questions about materials, teeth, etc. Don't nag the dentist, but take an active interest in what is happening.

Just standing around will be boring AND you won't get much benefit from it. The goal is to really learn something about the profession.

 

[sumozmom]

Alright, I need help.

I took the first step to set up an appointment to shadow with a dentist down the street from my house, and she's okay with that.

So what do I exactly do when I "shadow" for the first time?
Do I really just follow the dentist around for a day to see she does?
How should I keep out of the way? Should I just blend into the background?

Also, what have you been doing regarding keeping a record of hours? I have no clue! Is there a standard protocol?

I really appreciate any advice you may have for me...thank you in advance!

What i've done at the clinic:
I started In NOV. I go about 3-5 hrs /week.
First I observed and asked ques.
Than I started BreakingDown (cleaning up)
And Setting up.
I get tools for both the dentist and the assistant when they are too busy orif they r right in the middle of a procedure. I get to learn the name of everything in the office.
I learned to develop x-rays.
Now I just started learning to Assist ( a little)

Hope that helps

Make it what u can 🙂

 

[turtmd]

I am in the same situation, I'm going to start shadowing next week...how do you keep track of the hours so that you can prove to the admissions people that you did actually shadowed a dentist? Do you need some kind of paperwork??? please help 😱

 

[ias2512]

Dude...yess...thats the same question i had. How do I prove that I shadowed so many hours??? Anyone...

 

[sarahkate235]

You don't actually have to prove that you shadowed for a certain number of hours. The aadsas application has a section where you can report your shadowing experiences as well as the number of hours you shadowed. At the end of the application you check a box that says the content of the application is accurate to the best of your knowledge. I think dental schools trust that most (hopefully all) applicants will be honest.

 

[polarnut]

Dude...yess...thats the same question i had. How do I prove that I shadowed so many hours??? Anyone...

they'll know. if you say you shadowed 100 hours and they ask you something about acryllic crowns and you sit there bull****ing, they'll know.


when you shadow, just don't act like you're scared. that's what pisses off people the most. if you are gonna observe, observe. ask questions. get in people's way. it's ok. just say "excuse me". walk around. open up drawers and see what materials they are using. if the dentist is giving you bad vibe, go find another office to shadow.

remember, confidence wins you more than ladies!

 

[daughe29]

I shadowed in a husband/wife owned practice last year and it was pretty much what everybody has already said. Just kind of stood back and asked some questions, you do get to talk to patients though sometimes which is pretty cool. What you can do to prove the amount of time you observed is just keep track of it and put it on your ADSAAS app. Also have the dentist you shadowed write you a letter of recommendation so the schools know you're not just making it up.

 

[anesthesia_209]

What would you guys say is a reasonable amount of hours to shadow? How should the hours be spread out?