What kind of job shadowing experience do dental schools appreciate?

[Xception]

What should one's job shadowing [experience] with a dentist entail, in order for it to be most fruitful and appreciated by dental schools? I'd appreciate insight into your personal [job shadowing] experiences, too.

Besides observing the dentist, i'm also working full-time as his front desk receptionist. Would my handling administrative stuff be a plus point at all?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Tweetie pie]

administrative would help, but it's mainly the clinical experience that they are looking for to see if you have hand and people skills.

 

[Dan3223]

administrative would help, but it's mainly the clinical experience that they are looking for to see if you have hand and people skills.

Working the front certainly shows people skills...

 

[Tweetie pie]

that's true. That's why I said it will help, but clinical is very important too.

 

[Xception]

I was told that i can only have limited clinical hands-on-experience b/c one needs to be licensed as a dental assistant... ?

How can i get the most of my job shadowing when i'm only a pre-dental student?

 

[Dan3223]

Limited hands on experience is better than no hands on experience.

Just try and do anything they will let you do. You can do a lot without being certified.

 

[SanOnofre2002]

I didn't have any hands-on experience in the 100 or so hours of shadowing I had. If you can find a dentist to let you do anything, that's great but not required. The primary purpose is just to see what they are doing. Try to look for a few specific cases to remember so you can talk about it during your interview. Not that you need to know a bunch about the procedure performed or anything, but when they ask what you thought about the shadowing you can talk enthusiastically about something specific.

 

[caffeinehigh]

The more time you spend in an office the better, regardless of what you're doing.

The more directly involved with the clinical side the better.

The more variety of cases and offices that you shadow in the better.

 

[Suren911]

I've been working as a dental lab assistant for a year. I work on cases and see how they're put into use by my dentist bosses. Is this hot?

 

[airsimon]

they liked that I am a phlebotemist. Hey, handling needles is the hardest part of dentistry