working as a dental assistant

[kimt2234]

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hey everyone,

I am new here and just had a couplde of questions for you veterans out there. I recently was hired with no schooling or experience as a full-time dental assistant and I absolutely love it. I want to go to dental school and become a dentist in and would apply probably in 3-4 years. i am just really burnt ouut right now and would like to work as a dental assistant for awhile to gain experience and just take a break from school for awhile. I have some pre-dental requirements left to take like 1 year of ochem and 1 year of physics and probably 1 or 2 upper level bio classes.

I majored in psych with a gpa of 3.29
and got a master's degree in marriage and family therapy gpa 3.9

My science grades look like

Bio 1-B
Bio 2- C

Chem 1- AB
Chem 2- C

so what's the cum so far, like barely a 3.0 if that.

Just wondering if people have any advice and if you think that working as a dental assistant may help to over shadow my not so stellar science grades and overall undergrad gpa. (of course I realize I have about 6 classes left to take so assuming I don't get anything less than B's in my remaining)

Thanks for the feedback!

 

[remify]

hello.

it's great that you are assisting right now and loving it. a love and dedication to pursue dentistry is vital if you are serious about your future as a dentist. with the classes you have left, it would be best if you could make as many As as possible so offset the current lower GPA.

With dental experience, good GPA, and average-above average DAT scores, you will have no problem getting into D-School.

Good luck.

 

[litlmisa]

Hi,

If you can find your motivation to do another, say, 6 years of school I think that you would really do well. I am a CDA and I will start D school this August. I think that the experience that you get from assisting is far superior than 50 hours of shadowing many have. You will see how a practice is ran, what kind of obstacles you could encounter, how hiring and firing works, and all the aspects of dentistry beyond patent care. You will also see how to do a ton of procedures, and that will make it easier when you are trying to learn how to do them.

It would take you about two years to knock out the prereqs, and get a great GPA, but you could apply as early as next year if you are really motivated.

If you are burnt out as you say, take a year or so off and make sure that dental is what you really want to do. I was able to work part time and do school full time, the assisting on the side helped me stay motivated, like a daily reminder of where I want to be.

Not to nag, but, many who 'take a break' never return to school. The student lifestyle is rough, as we all know. It is much harder after you have lived a 'normal' 9-5 lifestyle.

I wish you the best of luck.

 

[54807]

Hi,

If you can find your motivation to do another, say, 6 years of school I think that you would really do well. I am a CDA and I will start D school this August. I think that the experience that you get from assisting is far superior than 50 hours of shadowing many have. You will see how a practice is ran, what kind of obstacles you could encounter, how hiring and firing works, and all the aspects of dentistry beyond patent care. You will also see how to do a ton of procedures, and that will make it easier when you are trying to learn how to do them.

It would take you about two years to knock out the prereqs, and get a great GPA, but you could apply as early as next year if you are really motivated.

If you are burnt out as you say, take a year or so off and make sure that dental is what you really want to do. I was able to work part time and do school full time, the assisting on the side helped me stay motivated, like a daily reminder of where I want to be.

Not to nag, but, many who 'take a break' never return to school. The student lifestyle is rough, as we all know. It is much harder after you have lived a 'normal' 9-5 lifestyle.

I wish you the best of luck.

O I can't wait for the 9-5 lifestyle! Right now I work every morning as an assistant from 7-2, then go to class in the afternoon and night. It's rough!

Glad you're liking your assistant position. I was hired w/o training as well and it was the best motivational thing to happen to me. I can study easier and I can stay up later working on homework just because I actually know how great it'll be to be the practitioner and not the assistant. Shadowing is aweful as I've said lots of times before...you'll learn soooo much and have so much to talk about at your interviews. Most importantly, you'll have that perspective and background and you KNOW you are making the right choice in pursueing dentistry.

Best of luck!!

 

[kimt2234]

thanks for the replies. yes, I definitely just need a break right now from school to save some money mostly and just enjoy not having to work and balance school at the same time

 

[aggie.teacher]

As much as I love assisting right now, I am soooo ready to go back to school (ie start dental school) It's time to move on. I still have till Aug 2007, so I'll be working for a while and getting great experience - and taking biochem in the fall, but I can't imagine hanging out as an assistant any longer than that. It's not what I'm supposed to do, although it is a great springboard to the other side of the dental chair. 🙂 I think you'll do fine getting into school - you're BCP classes should be plentiful and shining on your transcript with As. Shine on the DAT and do whatever you can to make yourself stand out! Go psychology majors!

 

[kimt2234]

how long have you been assisting?

 

[polarnut]

when you start working as dental assistant, you slowly start to realize dentistry isnt about how smart you are, how knowledgeable you are in anatomy, etc. it's all about manual skills and communication skills.

if, after years of working as dental assistant (for all you starters out there, DA is more than just assisting the dentist. you are also the office janitor who will have to squat and rub blood stains off the floor, stock manager in charge of supplies with supply company, soemtimes even insurance manager), you are still in love with dentistry, by all means, go for it! the adcoms will look at you favoraly even with subpar academic record.

 

[kimt2234]

Wow you just summed up my job! All three of us DA's are office managers, assistants to the dentist for any and everything, equipment stockers and inventory takers, santizers, janitors, and handle all the insurance stuff too, register new patients, scheduling, you name it, all three of us do everything interchangeably.

Great way to learn, but yes it is a lot! But then again, a lot of variety, hard to get n=bored with a lot to do!

I am really nervous about making B's or better in Ochem and physics and the one or two upper level bio classes left to take.

In addition to one year of Bio, what should a person take for extra upper level bio classes. How many should one take? Since I already have 4 classes left, I would only like to take one or two more upper level bio courses max, what makes the most sense?

Thanks again for your feedback!

 

[student253]

When applying for D school, what "looks" better. Volunteering at various places or volunteering at an office and then working there?

 

[icecoast]

hey everyone,

I am new here and just had a couplde of questions for you veterans out there. I recently was hired with no schooling or experience as a full-time dental assistant and I absolutely love it. I want to go to dental school and become a dentist in and would apply probably in 3-4 years. i am just really burnt ouut right now and would like to work as a dental assistant for awhile to gain experience and just take a break from school for awhile. I have some pre-dental requirements left to take like 1 year of ochem and 1 year of physics and probably 1 or 2 upper level bio classes.

I majored in psych with a gpa of 3.29
and got a master's degree in marriage and family therapy gpa 3.9

My science grades look like

Bio 1-B
Bio 2- C

Chem 1- AB
Chem 2- C

so what's the cum so far, like barely a 3.0 if that.

Just wondering if people have any advice and if you think that working as a dental assistant may help to over shadow my not so stellar science grades and overall undergrad gpa. (of course I realize I have about 6 classes left to take so assuming I don't get anything less than B's in my remaining)

Thanks for the feedback!

Hi

1. try to get in some research.. it always helps and can serve as a letter of reference.


2. try looking into summer programs/internships

3. avoid c's but if you already have a few...oh well. just work on the remaining courses.

4. when time comes.... attend some personal statement workshops or ask upperclassmen (pre-dents) about this. it does play a fairly important role. (i got phone calls from a few dent. schools even before i had taken the DAT to see if i was going to complete my application!!)

5. * *** REMEBER**** apply early in the cycle. this is probably the most important for those who do not have stellar DAT scores/GPAs.

hope this helps

 

[kimt2234]

what about the upper level bio courses? which to take and how many?

 

[54807]

When applying for D school, what "looks" better. Volunteering at various places or volunteering at an office and then working there?

I wouldn't say anything "looks" better over the other. I would do whatever it takes to have experiences you can talk about at interviews and on personal statements. And so you know what you're getting into in terms of a dental career. Also, you'll know how important it is to have assistants and how important they are to having a well run practice.

So whether that's in 2 practices or 8, do what it takes.

Good Luck!

 

[the guy]

sorry to bother but i am proof reading someone's essay for this yr and was wondering what is the word limit set

 

[jorUW]

sorry to bother but i am proof reading someone's essay for this yr and was wondering what is the word limit set

It's not a word limit. 4500 character limit including spaces. Hope that helps.

 

[rsg123]

My dental office observation experience played a big part in my acceptance. My grades and DAT were less than stellar.

 

[MU2thDr]

hey everyone,

I am new here and just had a couplde of questions for you veterans out there. I recently was hired with no schooling or experience as a full-time dental assistant and I absolutely love it. I want to go to dental school and become a dentist in and would apply probably in 3-4 years. i am just really burnt ouut right now and would like to work as a dental assistant for awhile to gain experience and just take a break from school for awhile. I have some pre-dental requirements left to take like 1 year of ochem and 1 year of physics and probably 1 or 2 upper level bio classes.

I majored in psych with a gpa of 3.29
and got a master's degree in marriage and family therapy gpa 3.9

My science grades look like

Bio 1-B
Bio 2- C

Chem 1- AB
Chem 2- C

so what's the cum so far, like barely a 3.0 if that.

Just wondering if people have any advice and if you think that working as a dental assistant may help to over shadow my not so stellar science grades and overall undergrad gpa. (of course I realize I have about 6 classes left to take so assuming I don't get anything less than B's in my remaining)

Thanks for the feedback!

If I could ask, what do you suggest when I go looking for an assisting position. I'm a college student with no previous experience, and it just seems like it's a cycle...if you don't have experience you can't get hired, and if you don't get hired anywhere, you can't get experience! I've tried applying to few places but the story is always the same! Any suggestions?

 

[95881]

If I could ask, what do you suggest when I go looking for an assisting position. I'm a college student with no previous experience, and it just seems like it's a cycle...if you don't have experience you can't get hired, and if you don't get hired anywhere, you can't get experience! I've tried applying to few places but the story is always the same! Any suggestions?

I volunteered at a dental clinic. Over time they taught me how to assist. Best of luck!