possible for american dental graduate to get into oral surgery in europe?

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Hello all
I was wondering if this is possible, and I am refering to residency programs? and if so what are the requirements? assuming no language barrier exist.

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Here's what I've heard talking to some European OMFS'ers and a few other European trained Dentists & Medical/Surgical Specialists.

In most (probably all) Western European countries, OMFS is really a "medical specialty" with dental roots... The EU countries have adopted similar laws to the US with regards to "foreign trained/non-EU" grads. At the very least you'd have to pass your licensing and dental boards for the EU country you would go to. And you would probably have to go to Medical School as well. Finally they'd also make you do some extra years of dental or medical training.

I'm Greek, and to practice Maxillofacial Surgery in Greece you have to have an MD as well as your DDS or DMD. You have to pass all of the dental and medical national and specialty boards etc.

Those doctors that are "oral surgeons" in Europe without medical degrees are really some sort of mix between "exodontists/hospital dentists/implantologists/periodontists."

This month's JOMS has an interesting article on what it is like to train as an OMFS in the UK... a nice 18 year journey...:sleep: :sleep:
 
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I will be reading the article tonight...
but I guess I should say "opaaaa" for your great and heart shattering response...

Thanks for your input
 
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I'll get to the article, but if you don't mind, can you outline those 18 years for me please? That's bona fide crazy.
 
In most (probably all) Western European countries, OMFS is really a "medical specialty" with dental roots...

As someone training in Europe I'd like to comment on that. There are big differences between countries. The general rule is that the further south in Europe you go, the more MD oriented OMS becomes. In many southern European countries OMS is a medical speciality with only a few OMSs having a DDS/DMD as well.

Because the countries within the EU are trying to establish a common training pathway for OMS, there is a dental element to OMS training in all EU countries, but it varies from a non-clinical course of 3 or 4 months duration to actually sitting through the later years of dental school and earning a DDS/DMD.

In the northern part of Europe (for example UK, Germany, Swiss, Austria) OMS is more dentally oriented, but it requires a medical degree. In this part of Europe, most OMSs go to dental school first, then med school but doing it the other way around is not uncommon Few European countries have the same well structured recidency programs as the US, with med school integrated into the program. I think Holland is the only exception. In most European countries future OMSs will have to put themselves through med school and dental school first and then apply for recidency, but once you have the double degree, you're pretty much guarantied a spot in recidency.

Those doctors that are "oral surgeons" in Europe without medical degrees are really some sort of mix between "exodontists/hospital dentists/implantologists/periodontists."

This may be true in the southern part of Europe.

In the Scandinavian countries (where yours truly is training) OMS has basically the same scope as OMS in the US. It is a dental speciality, with no obligation to have done med school.

I'm afraid I'm not much help when it comes to requirements. I'd assume you'd be able to get a dental licence in most of the Scandinavian countries, but you'd probably have to sit through an exam. Maybe take a short course at a dental school? You would have to take a language test.
 
I'll get to the article, but if you don't mind, can you outline those 18 years for me please? That's bona fide crazy.

5 years dental school + 2 years SHO in an OMFS unit + 5 years med school + 1 year internship + 5 years recidency = 18 years

Some only do 3 years of med school thus reducing it to 16 years.
 
5 years dental school + 2 years SHO in an OMFS unit + 5 years med school + 1 year internship + 5 years recidency = 18 years

Some only do 3 years of med school thus reducing it to 16 years.

hmm... the interesting thing about this route is that the 5+1 years of med school and internship seem to take one away from dental/OMS training altogether. (i wonder if they moonlight :cool: )

i wonder how much of the 5 year residency is done in g-surg and other rotations.

then again, don't they start dental school right after high school? if so, then they really aren't that long.. it'd be 4 yrs college+4 years dental school+ 6 years OMFS = 16 years after high school in the American route.
 
My advice, just do not even think about going to OMS in Europe if you have US dental degree.
 
To go to the UK, you need to have really bad teeth so you will fit in....
 
I'd assume you'd be able to get a dental licence in most of the Scandinavian countries, but you'd probably have to sit through an exam. You would have to take a language test.


What language would the test be in? Viking, is it? :D
 
To go to the UK, you need to have really bad teeth so you will fit in....


Haha they are probably saying in europe to go to do OMFS in the USA you have to look like your fat avatar to fit in!

:laugh:
 
hmm... the interesting thing about this route is that the 5+1 years of med school and internship seem to take one away from dental/OMS training altogether. (i wonder if they moonlight :cool: )

i wonder how much of the 5 year residency is done in g-surg and other rotations.

then again, don't they start dental school right after high school? if so, then they really aren't that long.. it'd be 4 yrs college+4 years dental school+ 6 years OMFS = 16 years after high school in the American route.

Way to go Einstein. I knew my opinion of Stanford was correct.

:thumbup::laugh::cool::eek::eek::cool::laugh::thumbup:
 
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