Dental Schools have recognised for some time that gaining useful work experience in healthcare is becoming increasingly difficult and are currently working to update current advice. Currently with the advent of the Covid19 Pandemic it is going to be very difficult if not impossible to gain work experience in dental practices and hospital departments.
Dental Schools recognise this and will take this into account when considering applications to dental School.
We will continue to look for knowledge of the profession and investigation of the realities of being a dentist or Dental Care Professional. We want to ensure the best and correct individuals are selected so they have full and fulfilling careers, which can only happen if they have the attributes of a health care professional. This includes values, attitudes and behaviours essential to being a dentist or DCP such as conscientiousness, effective communication and the ability to interact with a wide variety of people (see NHS Constitution).
Things you may consider doing include:
- Speaking with dentists and other members of the dental team
- A number of dental schools offer on-line material or courses such as MOOCs to help you investigate dentistry such as Discover Dentistry
- Work or volunteering involving communication, caring, interaction with people or similar skills
- Having a knowledge of issues from the media and more in depth reading.
It is not how much you have done but more how you have used the opportunities available to you that matters and what you have gained from them in terms of insight into your potential future career.
