confused about NBDE 1

[drhallow]

Hi guys,I'm so happy to find this great forum.Unfortunately I am little confused about NBDE part1.I don't know if anyone can help me or not but please if anyone know the answers help me find out the solution

first,I am a permanent resident of US.I was graudated from a foreign dental school and worked as a surgeon for 2 years at a dental clinic in my hometown.after immigration,I took the TOEFL exam and I got 92.I know this is a very bad score but it is the result of my effort.I don't want to take your time .I am planning to take NBDE 1.I wanna apply for International student program and my first choice is Chicago. I live in Denver and because of my toefl score,I cant apply over there.I was wondering if there are other options beside the international student program for foreign dentists to practice inside US.

secondly,why most of students apply for several universities.is there something I don't know about

thirdly,If I pass the NBDE1, when can I receive the letter from ADA for school dean

thanks a lot

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Amreki]

Hey there, I don't know how much I can help but I'll try. First of all, a score of 100+ is considered a good score and colleges look favorably to those candidates. The great thing about the Toefl exam is that you can re-take it! So get on that asap

Secondly, the reason why students apply to several universities is the competition is tremendous. You must have an open mind and apply to more universities. Hopefully, you'll get into your first choice school, but as I said its very competitive.

Thirdly, there ARE routes to practice in the US without the international program. There are 2-3 states (I don't know which) that actually allow an international dentist to practice after a state exam, however the major states don't. It's also my understanding that if you have done a specialization in your country (say as an orthodontist), then you have to only pass a clinical exam in your state in order to practice your specialization in that state. This does NOT allow you to perform the duties of a general dentist, only what your specialization allows (so if you're an orthodontist, you will not be able to say fill a cavity on the side at your practice).

--this is just from a little bit of cursory research that I've done myself, if someone finds some misinformation in my post, please feel free to correct me--

I don't understand your last comment about the "If i pass NBDE-1" thing and the letter from the ADA. But that is definitely the wrong attitude to have about this exam. In order to get into an international program, aim for a 90+ on this exam. You also only have ONE chance at the NBDE if you pass. Meaning, if you score 75% or higher, that is your score for life. So take the exam seriously and give yourself the best chance to succeed. If you get between 80-90 , its not the end of the world, but the other aspects of your application need to be strong (such as your 2 years of clinical experience, or perhaps some research you have done). Also, maybe its relevant or not, but the NBDE-1 is turning into a pass-fail exam starting january 1st 2012, which will affect how the colleges criteria in accepting students. The universities have not revealed their changing criterias as of yet.

Anways, best of luck. I'm in the same boat as you and so I am no expert. I encourage you to do some research on your own as well. Best of luck!

 

[drhallow]

Thanks for your great help,the last comment is about receiving the NBDE score.I read on ADA web site that after taking the exam,it takes about 4 weeks to receive the scores.will I receive the school dean letter after 4 weeks or it takes more time.any way I will search more on internet to find more information.