Rohan
I want to pursue a career as an Dentist. Before that, I am planning to major in Biology in my undergrad studies. What are some great opportunities out there?
I want to pursue a career as an Dentist. Before that, I am planning to major in Biology in my undergrad studies. Meanwhile, i want to start doing volunteer work, apply for internships and jobs but I don't know where to start looking. Should i look for opportunities related to biology or dental medicine? #dentistry #dental-school #orthodontics
3 answers
Steven Bornfeld
Steven’s Answer
If you feel strongly about a career in dentistry, then I'd seek employment or volunteer opportunities in dentistry. If you intend to be a clinician (as opposed to, say, a researcher or academic), then there is no substitute for working in a clinical environment.
This practically means a dental office or clinic. You don't say from where you're writing. My first-hand experience is totally in the U.S., and there may well be many significant differences between general dental practices here and abroad.
The closer you can get to the dentistry the more you'll learn. As a chairside assistant you'll get to know the instruments, techniques and materials. You will have a huge step up on most other applicants.
Try not to accept a volunteer position in a private practice--at least not more than a week or two. Many potential employers will exploit free or cheap labor if they can. Volunteering in the clinic of a voluntary (non-profit) hospital with a dental department may be another route.
The atmosphere in dental offices varies wildly. You should be given opportunities to learn. Like anything else, there are good and bad positions out there, and here I'd go with my gut.
If you have a family dentist that you like, that is a great place to start. If he/she doesn't have a position they may be able to point you in the right direction. You can also get information calling the local dental society.
There are several specialties in dentistry (periodontia, endodontia, orthodontia, pediatric dentistry and others) that you may find interesting, but IMO it's best to get a good overview of general dentistry before you even think about specializing.
And once you've had the opportunity to work in a few clinical settings and dentistry is losing its appeal (assuming you weren't just surrounded by a bunch of losers), well--it's still better to find out now and not after you've spent 4 or 5 years and accumulated a huge financial debt.
Good luck!
Hey Steven, I live in Northern VA and I contacted my dentist and he said that he would be more than happy for me to come in and shadow his practices as well as see what he does. I was wondering how long I should shadow beside him( like couple days or weeks or months or years). I was also wondering how much volunteer experience I could get because I am a rising 10th grader and for the dentistry field, you really need to be certified and professional to do hands-on work. He already notified me saying that he does not offer an internship so that is out of the equation.
Rohan
No one should expect you to do hands-on dentistry. But you can get an idea of the process of getting patients inot the practice, clinical exam, maybe a bit of experience looking at x-rays, see how a treatment plan is put together, and watch some actual clinical procedures. This should not take years to do--and not months either. In a couple or 3 or 4 weeks (and maybe less) you will get a very good idea of the nuts and bolts of a practice. Laws regarding being a chairside assistant vary from state to state, and I'm not sure if certification is required. But while doing some work chairside will be great, it is not necessary in order for you to get a good idea of what dental practice (or at least ONE dental practice) is like.
Steven Bornfeld
Daniela Silva
Daniela’s Answer
Hello Rohan,
A practical way to decide between a career and another is to list the main activities of both professions and see which tasks are (in the careers in question, in this case, biology and dental medicine) that you appreciate most.
Another way is to perform voluntary activities in both professions, and find what is the work environment that you most identified, because is not enough to enjoy a career, you must see if you present the skills needed to practice it in the daily routine.
Basically, that's it. I hope I have help you to reflect on your choice.
Very lucky!
Dear Ms.Silva, Sorry for the confusion but I was asking whether I should volunteer and intern more on the Biology side or the Dental Medicine side. With that said, I just wanted to say that I believe it is hard to do great volunteer and internship service in the Dental Medicine field because you need to be professional and instructed. Also, where should I volunteer if I am leaning more on to the Biology side and vice versa? Thanks, Rohan
Rohan
In case you be more inclined to biology career, it would be interesting to invest in internship programs and / or volunteering in the area. Below are two links: one containing proposals on internship, and the other with volunteer opportunities, both in biology: http://www.internships.com/biology http://www.volunteermatch.org/search/index.jsp?l=US&k=biology Could be this what you're looking for?
Daniela Silva
This is great. I will look in to this.
Rohan
