"Do what you can in both areas and try to be balanced."
"Satisfy your shadowing hours, but hands on volunteering can make you more competitive"
"Volunteer"
This is a great question. We would turn the question back and ask "what is more important to you?". Are you still trying to learn more about dentistry and ensure that it is right for you? In that case you might want to spend some more time shadowing until you've had the experiences that make you certain dentistry is the right career for you. Are you passionate about volunteering? Volunteer! Now are dental schools going to accept one applicant over another simply because more chose to spend more time shadowing than volunteering and another student did the opposite? Probably not. It is all about finding balance on your journey to dental school.
Here are some answers from Instagram users:
"Shadowing"
"Do what you can in both areas and try to be balanced."
"Satisfy your shadowing hours, but hands on volunteering can make you more competitive"
"Volunteer"
This is a great question. We would turn the question back and ask "what is more important to you?". Are you still trying to learn more about dentistry and ensure that it is right for you? In that case you might want to spend some more time shadowing until you've had the experiences that make you certain dentistry is the right career for you. Are you passionate about volunteering? Volunteer! Now are dental schools going to accept one applicant over another simply because more chose to spend more time shadowing than volunteering and another student did the opposite? Probably not. It is all about finding balance on your journey to dental school.
We hope this helps! :)