Work vs Service Hours

[runningonmatcha]

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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?

 

[carsandmedicine]

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