What is Shadowing and Why is it Important in the Dental Application Process?
There are some young adults in college who have known since their early childhood days what they wanted to do as a career when they became adults. Others enter college and are still undecided about their future. The same is true for the students who are deciding if they want to apply to dental school and pursue a career in dentistry. If you are considering becoming a dentist in the future, it is important that you shadow other members of the dental profession.
What is Shadowing?
Shadowing is the process of observing procedures, learning terminology, observing the office environment, and learning about the professional's journey. It is important to shadow a number of dental professionals as well as dental specialists to get a realistic grasp on what it is like to be a practicing dentist. After shadowing a dentist, it will give you a better idea of what your day and schedule would look like as a dentist. It will help you see if you are passionate about the field and will be committed to the responsibilities of dental school.
Why Is Shadowing Important?
Becoming a dentist is a large undertaking and is not only a financial commitment, but also a huge time commitment. When applying to dental schools, the education establishment wants to know that they are investing in a student who is serious about the profession as well as their future. Shadowing a practicing professional will give you a better idea of what you can expect in your future and also a better idea of which area of study you may want to focus your attention on. For example, through shadowing, you will be able to determine if you would like to be a general practitioner or specialize in a specific field of dentistry.
Where to Start
The best place to begin when looking for a professional to shadow is reaching out to your own dentist. Hopefully they will be willing to allow you to shadow them for a day or they can recommend a colleague or another dentist who may be interested. You can also speak to your school’s advisor.
If you are an undergraduate student and are interested in applying to dental school, be sure to consider applying for the scholarship opportunity provided by Dr. Michael Krochak:
2023 Scholarship Award Details
The Dr. Michael Krochak Pre-Dental Scholarship was developed to encourage young men and women to enter the field of dentistry. The scholarship helps students pursuing careers in dentistry to meet the rising cost of college tuition. The 2023 award applications will be accepted from June 2022 through January 2023. If you are a college junior or senior enrolled in a U.S. accredited college or university and are engaged in pre-dental studies with a 3.3 GPA or better by the end of your sophomore year, you are eligible to apply for this one-time $1,000 scholarship.