Direct entry Medical, dentistry and Vet schools, often have statements about work experience. Obviously, they do not expect you conduct a root canal or open heart surgery…or even assist. They appreciate local laws and traditions may not facilitate work experience. University of Glasgow offers this guidance:

While it might not be practical to undertake shadowing in a Dental setting at present, applicants may still be able to secure alternative forms of shadowing or voluntary work in other sectors that would still demonstrate the attributes in our BDS Person Specification 2022 Entry

Our new Futurelearn course Becoming a Dentist offers prospective applicants the chance to better understand what it’s like to be a dental student and what a career in Dentistry could hold.

Other options you may wish to consider

Click here to explore ways to increase your medical knowledge. 

Ultimately, work experience is more than just experiencing a particular job, but growing a set of skills and attributes. Again from Glasgow:

Important Characteristics

Applicants also need to demonstrate characteristics which are important for the dental profession including being able to:

• Be diligent and ethical

• Demonstrate having a caring nature, are empathetic and respectful of the views of others

• Demonstrate good communication skills

• Work in a team and have the capacity to act as a leader

• Be self critical and self motivating

• Capable of independent thinking

• Plan and think on the spot and enjoy problem solving

• Show strong evidence of manual dexterity, creativity and spatial awareness

Our interview process has been designed to test these characteristics.