Working in dental assisting with studying for DAT

[deleted767759]

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Hi all,

I need some advice from members who may have worked part time while studying for their DAT. I have 2 potential opportunities to work as a dental assistant , part time while I study for my DAT I will be taking in 2 months. My question is, although many suggest it's better to put off work and focus on the DAT alone, has anyone ever worked part time and was still able to study efficiently? I know everybody differs - but I would like some advice on whether or not it's doable. I want to focus solely on studying, however, this opportunity I have is a plus for my interviews, and CV for dental schools. I still have about a week to decide, but I'm in somewhat of a dilemma.

Thanks!

 

[Mcat__cat!!!]

It sounds like you’ve made your decision! You know yourself best. I had a full time job when I studied for the exam, and it turn out fine.

 

[LegendaryPanda]

I worked full time and studied 3 months for the DAT. I'm not going to lie, it's going to be hard. I wished that I could have put off work, but I don't have much vacation time. I did end up taking about 4-5 days off to get in some extra studying.

I was only able to study about 2 hours per night and about 6 on a weekend. The other weekend I had to go shadow and run errands such as grocery shopping/etc. Some days I felt like I couldn't focus and took those days off, but the number of those days could be counted on one hand. In the end, I did pretty well, 23AA/30PAT but I would have absolutely crushed it 24+ if I didn't work full time as there were things that I was still shaky on or outright didn't know (Taxonomy/Plants/NMR)

I'm not trying to scare you, but the grind is real. If you can push off your work, I'd say go for it. Part time is ok, but full time is a real struggle.

 

[doc toothache]

Gpa and DAT are king and queen when it comes to getting a foot in the door. Dental assisting is not awarded bonus points.

 

[ncide]

I worked 44-50 hours a week as a DA and was able to do well on the DAT. Just takes discipline and good time management.

 

[deleted980501]

Taking extended time off to do nothing but study for an exam is a luxury. Plenty of people have scored well while working fulltime. It's definitely possible.

I studied while working fulltime and took a week off before the exam. Just take the exam when you're comfortable and prepare to do well on the exam. Don't give yourself arbitrary deadlines, most important thing is knowing what works for you and high scores.