Dental school backups?

[NRAI2001]

I was talking to my friend a few days ago and it seems hes doubting if he ll get into dental school. I m interested in medicine and for me there is always the carribean schools if i dont get into the US. Do pre-dents have a similar out of the country option? Like dental school in Europe of Australia?

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[rambo2006]

I was talking to my friend a few days ago and it seems hes doubting if he ll get into dental school. I m interested in medicine and for me there is always the carribean schools if i dont get into the US. Do pre-dents have a similar out of the country option? Like dental school in Europe of Australia?

I've heard of carribean med schools, but they are all about $$$$. they dont teach well. My friend went to one. I havent however heard of any offshore dental school.

 

[Toothinator]

There's no easy way out...

 

[NRAI2001]

I've heard of carribean med schools, but they are all about $$$$. they dont teach well. My friend went to one. I havent however heard of any offshore dental school.

The carribeans are the backup plan for most premed students. Getting in is easy, but graduating is not easy. They have decent teaching, but like any place most of your learning is going to be self taught.

Just wondering if predents have a backup school like that?

 

[786mine]

There's no easy way out...

well said!

 

[evlinhm]

i think ur friend will definitely get into dental school. just tell him to apply reaaaaaaaally early... like as soon as the application starts (around may/early june... i'm not sure). shadowing/volunteering experience at a dental office helps too...

 

[NRAI2001]

i think ur friend will definitely get into dental school. just tell him to apply reaaaaaaaally early... like as soon as the application starts (around may/early june... i'm not sure). shadowing/volunteering experience at a dental office helps too...

Cool

 

[starbright]

ya u can go to india...

 

[iviikoivi]

I'd look into DO schools as well

 

[NRAI2001]

ya u can go to india...

For dental school?

Thats what i suggested to him, to go to india or vietnam (hes vietnamese). But he was ready to give up.

 

[gryffindor]

For dental school?

Thats what i suggested to him, to go to india or vietnam (hes vietnamese). But he was ready to give up.

It won't work. If you want to work in the US, you can only get a license to practice if you have a DDS/DMD from a US or Canadian dental school. Graduates of dental school from any other country have to do more training in the US in order to get a license. In most cases the way they do it is by returning back to a US dental school for 2 - 3 years in the "International Dentist Program" where they will get a DDS/DMD at the end. It is competitive to get a spot in these programs - go read the "International Dentist Forum" on these boards and you will see how much of a struggle it can be for the international dental grads to get in. And you will be paying tuition to be in the program, in some cases very high tuition. If he is struggling to try and get into dental school now, he will have to struggle again when he wants to come back and apply to an international dentist program.

There is no real "back door" route to practice dentistry in the US like there is for medicine. The best option for your friend is to do whatever it takes to get into dental school here, even if it takes a few years - raise GPA/DAT, apply early, apply all over, etc. It would be better than having to do dental school "twice" - once abroad, and again in an international dentist program.

 

[food4thots]

back up plan = dental hygiene, dental lab technician, or dental assisting.

 

[NRAI2001]

It won't work. If you want to work in the US, you can only get a license to practice if you have a DDS/DMD from a US or Canadian dental school. Graduates of dental school from any other country have to do more training in the US in order to get a license. In most cases the way they do it is by returning back to a US dental school for 2 - 3 years in the "International Dentist Program" where they will get a DDS/DMD at the end. It is competitive to get a spot in these programs - go read the "International Dentist Forum" on these boards and you will see how much of a struggle it can be for the international dental grads to get in. And you will be paying tuition to be in the program, in some cases very high tuition. If he is struggling to try and get into dental school now, he will have to struggle again when he wants to come back and apply to an international dentist program.

There is no real "back door" route to practice dentistry in the US like there is for medicine. The best option for your friend is to do whatever it takes to get into dental school here, even if it takes a few years - raise GPA/DAT, apply early, apply all over, etc. It would be better than having to do dental school "twice" - once abroad, and again in an international dentist program.

I know a few people who went to dental school in India (bc they grew up there, not bc they couldnt get into US schools). THey said something about having to work or do some rotations for 1 year, then you can take the licensing exams?? Is that correct?

 

[gryffindor]

I know a few people who went to dental school in India (bc they grew up there, not bc they couldnt get into US schools). THey said something about having to work or do some rotations for 1 year, then you can take the licensing exams?? Is that correct?

This is a question to ask on the "International Dentist" forum. There are many Indian dental school grads on there trying to get licensed in the US.

Also, this document from the ADA appears to answer all the questions you are asking.

http://www.ada.org/prof/prac/licensure/us.pdf

From my understanding, there are 3 ways to get a license in the US if you are not a US/Candian grad:

1) Do 2 - 3 years in an International Dentist Program (IDP) where you will get the DDS/DMD at the end. Now you are eligible to take any licensing exams you want for whichever state you want to practice in. Most foreign dental grads take this route.

2) Do a residency/specialty and then be eligible to practice in only a few states that will allow international dentists who did US specialties to practice. This is more difficult, especially since many hospital based residencies can not accepts foreign dental grads as residents, so that rules out most of Oral Surgery & Pedo spots. University based residencies can usually accept foreign grads, but programs like ortho and endo are already mad competitive among US grads, so the likelihood of a forein grad getting in is much less. This is addressed in that ADA document.

3) Take the California or Minnesota Bench Test and if you pass, you can get a license to only practice in California or Minnesota.

Seriously, for dental, it is not like medicine. I know in medicine, as long as a foreign grad passes the USMLE, he/she can apply for american residencies. You can't do it in dentistry. You have to do well on the National Dental Board Exam (meaning do much better than just pass it) and then go for one of the three options listed above. Also, there are many licensing exams (NERB, WREB, SRTA, CRDTS, several state specific exams) because each state has different licensing exam requirements, although all states require you to pass the National Boards part 1 & 2.

Also, if you are talking to foreign dental grads who set up shop 20+ years ago, the rules were much different then. The ADA/other organizations have made it more difficult for foreign dentists to get licensed here because the training apparently varies a lot among foreign schools and they want practitioners in the US to have a similar background for competency purposes.

 

[NRAI2001]

This is a question to ask on the "International Dentist" forum. There are many Indian dental school grads on there trying to get licensed in the US.

Also, this document from the ADA appears to answer all the questions you are asking.

http://www.ada.org/prof/prac/licensure/us.pdf

From my understanding, there are 3 ways to get a license in the US if you are not a US/Candian grad:

1) Do 2 - 3 years in an International Dentist Program (IDP) where you will get the DDS/DMD at the end. Now you are eligible to take any licensing exams you want for whichever state you want to practice in. Most foreign dental grads take this route.

2) Do a residency/specialty and then be eligible to practice in only a few states that will allow international dentists who did US specialties to practice. This is more difficult, especially since many hospital based residencies can not accepts foreign dental grads as residents, so that rules out most of Oral Surgery & Pedo spots. University based residencies can usually accept foreign grads, but programs like ortho and endo are already mad competitive among US grads, so the likelihood of a forein grad getting in is much less. This is addressed in that ADA document.

3) Take the California or Minnesota Bench Test and if you pass, you can get a license to only practice in California or Minnesota.

Seriously, for dental, it is not like medicine. I know in medicine, as long as a foreign grad passes the USMLE, he/she can apply for american residencies. You can't do it in dentistry. You have to do well on the National Dental Board Exam (meaning do much better than just pass it) and then go for one of the three options listed above. Also, there are many licensing exams (NERB, WREB, SRTA, CRDTS, several state specific exams) because each state has different licensing exam requirements, although all states require you to pass the National Boards part 1 & 2.

Also, if you are talking to foreign dental grads who set up shop 20+ years ago, the rules were much different then. The ADA/other organizations have made it more difficult for foreign dentists to get licensed here because the training apparently varies a lot among foreign schools and they want practitioners in the US to have a similar background for competency purposes.

Wow thanks for the detailed response.

I think the few people I know probably did option 3. This was about 5 years ago. They were studying for some exam at Kaplan as I was studying for the SATs. This was also in California. I know that they did pass and now they have their own practices.

I ll ask this on the Int Forum also.

Thanks again.

 

[busupshot83]

I was talking to my friend a few days ago and it seems hes doubting if he ll get into dental school. I m interested in medicine and for me there is always the carribean schools if i dont get into the US. Do pre-dents have a similar out of the country option? Like dental school in Europe of Australia?

No, there is "out-of-country option" for pre-dents. However, there are numerous careers in the health field that require similar, if not the same, prerequisites as dental school:

medicine
optometry
physical therapy
dietician

To name a few...

 

[Extraction]

I was talking to my friend a few days ago and it seems hes doubting if he ll get into dental school. I m interested in medicine and for me there is always the carribean schools if i dont get into the US. Do pre-dents have a similar out of the country option? Like dental school in Europe of Australia?

I got my dental degree from Sally Struthers off of TV. I am getting a JD next week by correspondance and my MD from Aruba. Do you think I should go to Harvard or Carnagie Mellon for my MBA????

 

[superchris147]

Wow thanks for the detailed response.

I think the few people I know probably did option 3. This was about 5 years ago. They were studying for some exam at Kaplan as I was studying for the SATs. This was also in California. I know that they did pass and now they have their own practices.

I ll ask this on the Int Forum also.

Thanks again.

if your friend really wants a back up i'd say apply early and you have your best bet getting into your in-state school (unless your from california cuz there's so many damn applicants) otherwise for dental schools, back up schools=schools that accept a decent amount of out of state students. there is no real back up school cuz the easiest dental school to get into is very comparable to the average dental school to get into. .02

 

[drhobie7]

back up plan = dental hygiene

grim

 

[starbright]

For dental school?

Thats what i suggested to him, to go to india or vietnam (hes vietnamese). But he was ready to give up.

yess india or reapply

 

[starbright]

It won't work. If you want to work in the US, you can only get a license to practice if you have a DDS/DMD from a US or Canadian dental school. Graduates of dental school from any other country have to do more training in the US in order to get a license. In most cases the way they do it is by returning back to a US dental school for 2 - 3 years in the "International Dentist Program" where they will get a DDS/DMD at the end. It is competitive to get a spot in these programs - go read the "International Dentist Forum" on these boards and you will see how much of a struggle it can be for the international dental grads to get in. And you will be paying tuition to be in the program, in some cases very high tuition. If he is struggling to try and get into dental school now, he will have to struggle again when he wants to come back and apply to an international dentist program.

There is no real "back door" route to practice dentistry in the US like there is for medicine. The best option for your friend is to do whatever it takes to get into dental school here, even if it takes a few years - raise GPA/DAT, apply early, apply all over, etc. It would be better than having to do dental school "twice" - once abroad, and again in an international dentist program.

agreed. if he just reappplys again dental schools love that. shows ur passionate..