Dear dentists: Is it worth it?

[Pawstruck]

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Hello all! I'm new here.

I am currently dentist in Lima, Peru. However, I have been trying for the past several years to immigrate somewhere like the US or Canada, where dentists receive more commensurate pay/respect than in my country. I am currently engaged to an American citizen, and we are to be married in December 2016 (wuuuu!). 🙂

Naturally, we've been looking at Advanced Standing programs; the tools here have been very helpful. However, we've been discussing recently if the path to dentistry in the US is worth it.

First, my fiance is 27 and I am 25... so we're not exactly young.

Second, my fiance has $30k debt from his undergrad/master's program. Despite his education, his field promises to pay him very little when he graduates (May 2017): $30-40k annually. Now, the cheaper dental schools I've seen so far (U of Michigan, for example) are around $110,000 all in all. This would mean that once I graduate, in ~2020, our family would have about $140,000 in debt! (For me this is crazy and very scary; we don't have student loans like that in my country!)

Even if we paid a high amount on those loans each month ($800-900?), it could take up to 20+ years to pay them off. I can't imagine just barely paying off my loans when I'm in my late 40's!

So my overall question is this: Is it worth it for you, and why?

I also want to have children soon-ish (before I'm 30), and I have no idea how that would fit in with dental school and etc. I'm really distraught here. I find dentistry very interesting and I love my work back home. (What I don't love is the old "I can't pay, I forgot my wallet" routine and etc...)

My fiance said that maybe I should look into being a dental assistant or something, or even at abandoning the dental field altogether and trying to start a small business. I think I'd be happy doing that, too, but I just don't know! Can you help?

Thanks!

 

[drKJ]

You should look into getting certifications in radiology and assisting, after being a certified assistant and holding an international dental degree I believe you could try applying for dental instructor jobs and positions in the schools. I don't have idea regarding the payscale but I think this way you get to stay in the field and also maintain a good profile if you decide on applying for DDS/AEGD/Speciality/Masters in the future.
But if you also want to start a family in the next 5 years than I think you should definitly try and get into a program like 2 yrs masters within that time frame so that you also get a job and start paying of debt before you plan ahead. And studying after kids, most people do that but your other half has to handle major part of the household expenses and responsibility at that stage so you need to discuss that with your fiance. What you both invision your life in the next 5 years to be.

 

[ourlovestory]

You also should consider the time you need to complete the two parts of the national board NBDE1&2 and probably the TOEFL in order to be able apply to international DDS or Post grade degrees.
When it comes to money, I don't think you are as old as you imagine to continue int this profession. Many many of us are older than you anyways. So I think you will be able to pay back your loans if you work in a good place with good compensation, this all depends on your choice of where you want to live and work.
One last thing, just in case, you can apply for dental hygienist license in Florida with your international credentials after taking the hygiene board test and some few requirements, and this is the only state that offers this option.
Good Luck!

 

[drKJ]

One last thing, just in case, you can apply for dental hygienist license in Florida with your international credentials after taking the hygiene board test and some few requirements, and this is the only state that offers this option.
Good Luck!

hey , I also came across the following info abt international dentists applying a license in state of minnesota. check this out https://mn.gov/boards/dentistry/licensure/nonaccrediteddental.jsp
but it's not brought up anywhere in this forum so im assuming may be its next to impossible thing to do ... do you happen to know anyone who got a license thru this process?

 

[Pawstruck]

Thank you everyone for your responses so far!

It's very kind of you all to say that I'm not old -- time goes very quickly! -- but if I think about it: I'm turning 26 in December, right around the time I'll be in the US. I'll have to take time to study for the NBDE and TOEFL exams, which I'm told are very hard. I'm guessing it will take me about 1 year of studying to prepare for these. Is that wrong? I know they are very big exams. I was a good student in dental school, not perfect, but above average. I'm very worried, though, about the TOEFL and the English translations for NBDE I and II.

 

[ourlovestory]

hey , I also came across the following info abt international dentists applying a license in state of minnesota. check this out https://mn.gov/boards/dentistry/licensure/nonaccrediteddental.jsp
but it's not brought up anywhere in this forum so im assuming may be its next to impossible thing to do ... do you happen to know anyone who got a license thru this process?

This is the first time I learn about this program. Hopefully someone can chime in and add some info.

 

[ourlovestory]

Pawstruck, NBDE1&2 are not hard but require good amount of work and you can find a lot of discussions about them here in this forum. Please note that both parts will be integrated in one exam instead of two, so you better hurry up.
For the TOEFL, if you know it is going to be hard for you, then start building up your English starting today. Also TOEFL is more about strategy and practice, practice, and practice. I'm still in the TOEFL preparation phase and I'm realizing it already.
Good Luck!

 

[osahon7]

You also should consider the time you need to complete the two parts of the national board NBDE1&2 and probably the TOEFL in order to be able apply to international DDS or Post grade degrees.
When it comes to money, I don't think you are as old as you imagine to continue int this profession. Many many of us are older than you anyways. So I think you will be able to pay back your loans if you work in a good place with good compensation, this all depends on your choice of where you want to live and work.
One last thing, just in case, you can apply for dental hygienist license in Florida with your international credentials after taking the hygiene board test and some few requirements, and this is the only state that offers this option.
Good Luck!

Talking about working in a Good place, am a FTD who wishes to work in Places with few Dental specialist like Maine,RI, Vermont and NH immediately After The DDS program! What's my chance of getting A well paid Job in those places? Also have got a mild stutter ( Stutter Blocks) that happens anytime an Anxious, will that after my practice as a Dentist?

 

[gabooncito]

The money is the last thing you have to worry about... once u become a dentist if you are a good dentist, know the system, cut expenses/commodities and work hard, you can pay a 200 or 300k debt in 2 to 3 years... but in reality by the time you get licensed, the interest and payments of the student loans are low enough for you to pay it as you go leaving enough for you to have the life you want as dentist...

The real tough thing of all this if is the process of taking the national boards, TOEFL, applying to schools and getting accepted!!
This make take years ( 3 to 5 years i would say), a lot of sacrifice, patience and persistence.
At times can be very frustrating but is doable.
To me IT IS WORTH IT, but won't be easy.




Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[nbde4dds]

The thruth is, it is a hard and long path. Is it worth it? Absolutely yes, no matter what your age is.
The two year programs are actually around 250k+/- in general, because you will have to apply to more than one program to increase the odds and because the competion is so fierce. Being from Nicaragua myself, I understand; 250k sounds insane and obnoxius however, they are totally payable. If you become a general dentist in the US, you will probably make 100k a year working for a corporate chain clinic, right out of dental school; with your own practice, sky is the limit(even three times as much depending on a lot of factors). The point is, you should not be scared at all. And since most of the interest rates are super low and fixed, and are federal loans, most dentists dont pay their loans right away even if they can. It doesnt make sense because the interest rate is so low.


Now, I do not know where you are going to live, but there are some states that will allow you to work as a dentist if you have a two year general dentistry residency.

Super low interest rates? How much are the rates? I thought it is 8-9%, its not low.

 

[drtoothache87]

You should look into getting certifications in radiology and assisting, after being a certified assistant and holding an international dental degree I believe you could try applying for dental instructor jobs and positions in the schools. I don't have idea regarding the payscale but I think this way you get to stay in the field and also maintain a good profile if you decide on applying for DDS/AEGD/Speciality/Masters in the future.
But if you also want to start a family in the next 5 years than I think you should definitly try and get into a program like 2 yrs masters within that time frame so that you also get a job and start paying of debt before you plan ahead. And studying after kids, most people do that but your other half has to handle major part of the household expenses and responsibility at that stage so you need to discuss that with your fiance. What you both invision your life in the next 5 years to be.

Job as an instructor for dental assisting? Is this after getting an RDA certification and radiology certification?

 

[drKJ]

Job as an instructor for dental assisting? Is this after getting an RDA certification and radiology certification?

Mostly yes depending upon the requirements of the institution that is hiring.

 

[drKJ]

I actually found a post here on sdn where someone was looking for an FTD for dental instructor position. Thats how I found out about it.

 

[drKJ]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...and-washington-pa-area.1198426/#post-17726530
Okay so this was d post, I thought d person posting actually held the position first, I was mistaken.
But there is no mention of any certification requirement. But most likely they wud be required.