Work vs Service Hours

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
Get help with your application

Use all the free resources available to you from SDN: articles, guides, expert advising, forums discussions, and school research.

runningonmatcha

Full Member
2+ Year Member
Advertisement - Members don't see this ad
I acquired my dental assisting license my last semester of high school, and since have attained 200 hours of dental shadowing/interning. Additionally, every summer between undergrad I worked at a local medical clinic (non-dental related). I graduated early from undergrad this past December, and have since began working as an orthodontic dental assistant, and am planning on applying this cycle. Although, I have not acquired many community service hours due to covid and many of my classes and organizations meeting remotely for 3/4 of my college experience. I was wondering if a significant lack of community service hours, outweighs the dental and medical clinic experience I have attained?
 
Yeah it is pretty important. A lot of schools have community approaches to dentistry and emphasize this. Try and get involved in anything you are remotely interested that would help out your area. For example, I volunteered at a marine mammal hospital caring for the seals/sea lions and doing necropsies (animal autopsies) once they passed away. Doesn't necessarily need to be dental related