kevinkwon84 Posted March 11, 2007 Report Share Posted March 11, 2007 Hi! I'm a student of the university of toronto and am seriously considering to apply to UBC dental school next year. Unlike UofT and UWO, UBC selection methods are pretty comprehensive (e.g.: reference letters, volunteering experiences, personal letters, etc). I do have a lot of volunteering experiences, but not many of them are quite related to the field of dentistry. Can anyone here give me some advice? Should I just randomly visit a dental clinic and ask a dentist there for a volunteering position or something? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tode Posted March 12, 2007 Report Share Posted March 12, 2007 Hi! I'm a student of the university of toronto and am seriously considering to apply to UBC dental school next year. Unlike UofT and UWO, UBC selection methods are pretty comprehensive (e.g.: reference letters, volunteering experiences, personal letters, etc). I do have a lot of volunteering experiences, but not many of them are quite related to the field of dentistry. Can anyone here give me some advice? Should I just randomly visit a dental clinic and ask a dentist there for a volunteering position or something? Hi Kevin, Here is my two cents. I would start with your family dentist and ask him if you could come and shadow him/her. When you have the conversation make it worthwhile to them; in addition to shadowing, offer to help out the assistants with tasks like cleaning the operatory, greeting and seating patients, i.e. anything you can do to help the office run more smoothly. If you don't have a family dentist, you should find one , then you can do the above. In addition to volunteering in a dental office, try to find volunteering / extra-curricular activities (at or away from school) that build and demonstrate your leadership abilities. Good Luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bellaortho Posted March 12, 2007 Report Share Posted March 12, 2007 Hey kevin Do what Tode says! It's a good way to start everything off. It is also good for you because it's one of the final tests to see if you really like what dentistry has to offer. After you do your dentist. I would call a specialty dentist as well. Maybe seeing some maxillofacial surgery or orthodontic work will help enhance your knowledge, experience and your resume as well. It's good to be an all rounder when it comes to volunteering. Volunteering @ a dentist is primary. I would also focus on homeless shelter server or any type of volunteering outside of dentistry. It will show that you have flexibility for volunteering. Best of luck. ________ Uhwh warehouse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinkwon84 Posted March 12, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 12, 2007 aww hey, thanx ppl! really appreciate it. Just out of a curiousity, would dentists (generalists, orthodontists, periodontists, etc) accept people to do some activities in their private clinics? I mean, personally it would feel extremely awkward to randomly go to their clinics and ask for a position. I have volunteered a lot at general hospitals but never at dentists' private clinics.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adversary Posted March 12, 2007 Report Share Posted March 12, 2007 Most likely you won't be able to do any "activities" due to insurance concerns, etc. Most people just observe the ongoings of a dental office. Some people I know end up working for the dental office or assist. However, the latter is rare because it's risky for the dentist - technically against the law. It's perfectly fine for you to ask to observe so you will have a better understanding of what dentistry is like. However, I advise you to talk to the dentists about their struggles and triumphs. For those who think otherwise, Dentistry is very different from Medicine. I know because I have a sibling in Medicine so we both understand each other's career path. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chompers Posted March 13, 2007 Report Share Posted March 13, 2007 hi adversary, is it really against the law to assist? as a volunteer at a dental clinic I was allowed to do some minor assisting (ie. using the saliva ejector and high volume suction). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adversary Posted March 13, 2007 Report Share Posted March 13, 2007 Yes, that's why a Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) requires 8 months training to be certified. You're fine unless something goes wrong and someone decides to sue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sleepyhead Posted March 13, 2007 Report Share Posted March 13, 2007 How long would one shadow a dentist? I went to shadow a dentist for about a week, I originally thought about a month, but after a week, i was convinced that i learnt as much i could and got the experience I needed. just curious about how long some of you guys/girls shadowed a dentist...thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinkwon84 Posted March 13, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2007 What does it mean to "shadow" a dentist? :confused: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Visceral Posted March 13, 2007 Report Share Posted March 13, 2007 Kevin, When I shadowed my dentist I just observed her do her thing for a while. I didn't do anything hands on, but she explained what procedures she was doing and why. I got to see x-rays and whatnot, and she explained why she either referred out for a certain problem or opted to fix it herself. It was also really interesting to see the daily workings of a dental office and understand how instruments are sterilized etc. Ultimately, it was an amazing experience and the thing that gave me the motivation to pursue dentistry above other careers. It was really important for me to get that exposure so I knew that this career was something I wanted to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinkwon84 Posted March 13, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2007 oooo thnx a lot Viscreal! Wow, so shadowing dentists is something very interesting! Hmmm, but I'm a bit curious now. I know through shadowing, I will get to know more about this wonderful profession and it would be, without any doubt, valuable experiences. But what are the other values of shadowing? Would dental schools give me a list to fill out all the shadowings I have done ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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