I'm torn between medicine and dentistry!

If any say ''If you give your details, we'll get back to you'' ... don't bother, they never do. I just cut them off and move onto the next one.

Aw really. Though I don't see why you would give them a CV. It's hardly a paid job, all you will be doing is sitting at the other side of the room and watching. Likewise, I don't see why they would refuse work experience as patients never seem to care if some watches, like at all.
If you manage to talk to the actual dentist rather than just the receptionist they are more likely to say yes.

Aw really. Though I don't see why you would give them a CV. It's hardly a paid job, all you will be doing is sitting at the other side of the room and watching. Likewise, I don't see why they would refuse work experience as patients never seem to care if some watches, like at all.

Medicine. Although I'm being biased when I say that because I want to study medicine too!

Patient confidentiality/protection, health and safety lots of things to hurt yourself on, you're not immunised.

They're basically responsible for you in what is a dangerous environment to someone untrained and not immunised.

Whereas in my day I was allowed to aspirate and mix alginate for funsies.

They're just covering their own backs.

Hi everyone

I have a genuine like for teeth and have wanted to become a dentist for a while. I would love to give people great smiles, I especially like the cosmetic aspect.

However, I also have a strong interest in medicine. I have watched junior doctors on the BBC and a documentary on the sick kids in Great Ormond Street Hospital and I'd love to work in an environment like that.

I don't fancy being stuck in the same room with someone all week though, I prefer the hospital working environment. Managing my own practice for dentistry also appeals to me though.

I'm going for 10 months work experience, four hours a week at a private cosmetic dentist and one week in a hospital. Hopefully this will help me decide as I feel the time has come where I need to Persue one of these careers with 100% enthusiasm.

I'm not in it for the money either!

OP, if you're basing your decision to study medicine on a TV documentary, then don't. I've watched both them shows and yes, it does give an insight but I think, especially the BBC3 one, is slightly fabricated to make it viewer friendly.

Just my opinion.

Whilst yeah they definitely shouldn't base it purely on a tv documentary, def need to get some work experience, I actually thought the bbc 3 documentary was pretty accurate about junior doctors jobs, showed the paper work and everything. The most fabricated bits about it were the personalities and how they were portrayed (having met one I can see there was a lot of selective editing for how they were designed to come across on tv) and their f1/f2 accomadation - plush much! (but thats cause I think they get free accomadation for being on the show). The actual job didn't look far off from what I've seen f1's do.

In 2006 when I did work experience, I also used to mix alginates, sterilise instruments and aspirate. Since the GDC said (I think it ws in 2007 or 2008) that nurses must also be registered with to practice, the majority of dentists don't allow hands on stuff in the surgery. I'm glad I had the experience back then though.

Hi everyone

I have a genuine like for teeth and have wanted to become a dentist for a while. I would love to give people great smiles, I especially like the cosmetic aspect.

However, I also have a strong interest in medicine. I have watched junior doctors on the BBC and a documentary on the sick kids in Great Ormond Street Hospital and I'd love to work in an environment like that.

I don't fancy being stuck in the same room with someone all week though, I prefer the hospital working environment. Managing my own practice for dentistry also appeals to me though.


I'm not in it for the money either!

At first all I did was go to many practices dressed smart, with copies of my CV. I was rejected by all of them. Then I emailed a bunch of practices and was accepted by one of them.

Moral of the story: Work experience is a bitch.

I cannot speak for dental experience,but i have had to get work experience in vets and the way to get loads i found is if you have no reply after about 2 weeks ring the places and say you emailed, wrote etc 2 weeks ago and you were wondering whether they were able to offer you work experience. it shows how serious you are, as most people would just wait and hope - but they will like that you have taken an active approach to gaining work experience.
good luck and i hope you manage to get some more work ex

I cannot speak for dental experience,but i have had to get work experience in vets and the way to get loads i found is if you have no reply after about 2 weeks ring the places and say you emailed, wrote etc 2 weeks ago and you were wondering whether they were able to offer you work experience. it shows how serious you are, as most people would just wait and hope - but they will like that you have taken an active approach to gaining work experience.
good luck and i hope you manage to get some more work ex

How do you get work ex in the NHS anyway?

you could do reconstructive dentistry... basically a dentist who then practises medical plastic surgery...

i believe oxford offers it, though i may be wrong????

Ask them at gun point. Seriously.

It is becoming increasingly hard to get work experience. Have you called up the places a few days after sending the emails? They may have forgotten to reply, or couldn't be bothered, in which case calling them up would show that you're committed and may convince them to give you experience.