Finding an internship in the dental field is difficult. Most dental internship positions are only available to graduated dental school students. For undergraduate students, positions in the front desk of a dental office are the only opportunities available. Luckily, Enhanced Smiles offers a position for undergraduate college students to perform as a dental assistant and office assistant. The whole purpose of this internship is to better allow students truly understand dentistry and to gauge if the student is right for the dental world.
The primary goal in this internship will be to better my understanding in the dental world. Having already experienced a dental internship during my high school years, this will further improve my knowledge and hone my skills that are needed to become well experienced in dentistry. Some daily duties would be shadowing the dentist, Dr. Pham, taking X-rays to help hygienists and dental assistants, and help out at the front desk when patients arrive for their appointment.
Some general requirements for this internship will be that I have to be currently enrolled in a college and also have a high school diploma. In order to be able to take X-rays on patients, I need a radiation certificate from the Dental Program at Highland School of Technology (which I already have received). Unlike my high school internship, this summer internship will be paid. I will be paid by the hour with a negotiable payment range from $9 to $12 depending on what my primary job in the office will be. The internship schedule is very lenient and easy to work with. It will start on May 23, 2016 and will last until August 5, 2016. Work hours will be from 8am to 5pm on Mondays through Thursdays and 8am to 12pm on Fridays.
This internship has a lot of credibility behind it because this dental office was partnered with my dental program in high school and the dentist also graduated from UNC Chapel Hill’s dental school. This internship, as stated earlier, will help me hone my skills in dentistry and further peak my interest in dentistry.