Your Shadowing Experience

[thundercat]

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Hi, I'm new to this whole pre-dent thing and am thinking about shadowing a dentist. I want to hear about your shadowing experiences like if you learned anything positive or negative about dentistry from it and how much your dentist let you do...i just want to have some idea of what to expect. Thanks!

 

[critterbug]

Shadowing is just that. Shadowing.

This means you will more than likely *not* be assisting. I have shadowed over 5 dentists and have thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. It is amazing how pracitce philosophy can vary from practice to practice.

Basically, I just stand or sit while the doctor treats the patient, try not to get in the way, and ask as many questions as possible without being too annoying or making the patient uncomfortable. You will learn the most when the dentist has downtime between patients and can spend more time talking with you about dentistry. The last dentist even invited me to join them on their annual mission trip to Mexico

Jsut get out their and do it. Every dentist will be different, TRUST ME. So you never know how your shadowing experience will go until you actually get in there. If the dentist takes a liking to you, other doors may begin to open that will provide you with more oppurtunities to gain experience.

 

[PERFECT3435]

i shadowed my dentist for afew months. after 2 weeks, i started cleaning the instruments and sterilizing them. soon, his wife (assistant) who has had it with her job stepped aside and started having me do things.
slowly, i was able to learn most of the things and after afew months i got hired as his assistant. by now, i am able to guess almost exactly what procedure he will be doing, what instrument will he use next, and what the outcome will be.

i guess, you can see that not only you become more informed, but also will definately find out if this is the feild for you.

nothing ever beats experience!