Best Jobs for Predental Students Before Dental School
Best Jobs for Predental Students Before Dental School
Predental students spend enormous amounts of time thinking about grades, science courses and dental-school applications.
But there is another important question:
What should you do outside the classroom?
Employment can provide income while also exposing students to healthcare, customer service, teamwork and professional environments.
For students who want experience particularly close to dentistry, several jobs are worth investigating.
Dental Assistant
Dental assisting is one of the most directly relevant occupations because assistants work within dental practices.
Depending on qualifications and state regulations, dental assistants may interact with patients, prepare clinical environments and support dentists during the working day.
The advantage for a predental student is obvious: you can experience the dental workplace from the inside.
The disadvantage is that becoming qualified for particular dental-assisting duties may require additional education or credentials. Requirements vary considerably by state.
Dental Office Receptionist
Working at the front desk of a dental practice can also provide substantial exposure to dentistry.
Reception and administrative employees may deal with scheduling, patient communication, insurance issues, treatment coordination and the business side of operating a dental practice.
Someone considering owning a practice one day can learn that dentistry involves much more than clinical procedures.
Dental Laboratory Work
Dental laboratories represent another side of the profession.
Laboratory professionals can work with restorations, prosthetics and other dental products prescribed by dentists.
For students interested in the intersection of dentistry, craftsmanship and technology, exposure to a dental laboratory can broaden their understanding of the field.
Medical Assistant
A predental student doesn't necessarily need to work inside a dental office.
Medical assisting can provide healthcare experience involving patients, clinical environments and professional communication.
However, medical assisting and dental assisting are distinct occupations. A student specifically seeking dental exposure may find a dental environment more directly relevant.
Research Assistant
Universities frequently employ undergraduate students in research laboratories.
Research can be particularly interesting for students attracted to the scientific side of dentistry.
A position involving biology, chemistry, materials science, microbiology or public health may help students understand how scientific research contributes to healthcare.
Is a Dental Job Required for Dental School?
Prospective applicants shouldn't assume they must hold a particular job to qualify for dental school.
Admissions requirements vary.
Students should examine the requirements and recommendations of individual dental schools and use resources from organizations such as ADEA GoDental.
Academic preparation remains critical.
Employment should complement rather than undermine a student's ability to perform well academically.
What About ASDA?
Predental students can also consider joining the American Student Dental Association.
ASDA offers predental membership, giving prospective dental students another way to learn about dental education and connect with the profession.
Working in a dental environment and participating in a professional student organization serve different purposes, but both can increase a student's exposure to dentistry.
Should You Become a Dental Assistant Before Dental School?
Only if the role makes sense for your circumstances and goals.
Don't enroll in dental-assistant training simply because you believe dental schools expect it.
However, if you want to work in dentistry, earn money and obtain firsthand exposure to the dental workplace, dental assisting can be worth investigating.
For New York City students interested specifically in dental assisting, NYSMDA offers dental assistant education in Queens.
