Dentists

You might be able to gain an awareness of the demands of dentistry by observing a dentist at work. Training for and then working as a dental hygienist, dental assistant, or dental laboratory technician might lead to continued study in dentistry. Because of the nature of dentistry, developing good manual dexterity through sculpting or metalworking would be helpful to the prospective dentist. Volunteer or get a part-time job in a dental office to see what the work environment is like. If you can't find a position in a dental office, consider volunteering in any medical environment to gain a feel for medical work. Even if you volunteer at a local hospital, for example, you'll be able to work around medical staff and discover firsthand how it feels to help people. Finally, check out the American Dental Association's career Web site, https://www.ada.org/resources/careers, for more information.

Consider joining HOSA-Future Health Professionals, a national membership organization for high school and college students who are interested in pursuing careers in health care. HOSA offers competitions for aspiring dental professionals, including a Dental Terminology competition and a Dental Science event. Learn more at https://hosa.org/competition.

High school students who are interested in careers in dentistry and current dental students should consider joining the American Student Dental Association (https://www.asdanet.org), which provides many useful educational and career resources.

Participate in information interviews with dentists. In such an interview—which can be conducted in-person, on the phone, or through video-conferencing technology—you will get the opportunity to ask dentists about their educational training, job duties, work environment, likes and dislikes about their careers, and other topics that will help you to learn more about the field. Ask your school counselor or a teacher to help you set up information interviews.