Frequently Asked Questions and Answers

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Meggs

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Ok, so this is a FAQ thread to avoid repetitive threads.
-Please feel free to cooperate. Any input will be included under your name.
-Questions are in random order.

PLEASE:
- Read this before you post a new question.
- If you can't find here what you're looking for, please:
- Use the "Search" option. It's located either at the top or the bottom of the forum's main page.
- Read the thread "Links of interest to foreign trained dentist". It contains resourceful links for all of us, including links to former discussed topics.
- If you feel you need or want to bump an old thread, feel free to do it. Go ahead and do so.
- Remember: You'll get more information by reading through old posts, that you would posting the question over and over again, because the people that know the answers don't like typing them all over again.
- PM me to cooperate or to correct any misinformation. Thanks.
- Please, try not to post any comments in this thread, let's keep it as short and neat as possible. Thanks.

What are the basic steps for a foreign trained dentist to become licensed in the US?

Go to the sticky thread "Links of interest to foreign trained dentists", then scroll down until you find the link to "Dentistry in the U.S. - Education/Licensure". Download that document and read it. This will be your single most complete and safe source of information.

Where can I get a list of all Advanced Standing programs for foreign trained dentists?
Where can I get a list of all US post-graduate programs that will admit foreign trained dentists?

Same answer as above.

What's the importance of GPA and scores for admission into schools? Answer thanks to Dentisthusband.

The answer is always the same for this type of question, regardless of the specific attributes that you are asking about :

Higher is better.

You cannot change your grades but you can always raise a score on a standard test such as the TOEFL or Dental Board Exam by re-taking them. I would have thought that your grades would be a major factor in the decision process before I read through most or all of the threads in this forum. But from recent posts I see that most schools care far more about your Board score than anything else. However, it appears from recently accepted candidates, that UCLA placed a pretty high importance upon gpa. So if I were a candidate with limited resources and I had a 2.56 gpa, I probably would not apply to UCLA.

Always keep in mind as you read through the postings of candidates that criteria for acceptance will probably change from one year to the next depending upon competition. Scores that were good enough for an interview offer and even an accpetance this year, may not make the cut next year if a bunch of overqualified candidates apply next year.

Scott


Can a foreign trained dentist work as a dental assistant in the US?

Go to the sticky thread "Links of interest to foreign trained dentists", then scroll down until you find the link to "Getting a dental assistantship". This is a thread in which this topic has been discussed before. Bump it up if you need to.

Does visa status affects admissions?

Read this http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=95601

I need information on finantial aid for non US residents.

Go to the sticky thread "Links of interest to foreign trained dentists", there are plenty of links to finantial aid websites there.
 
What do I need to study for the NBDE part 1 or part 2?
How does the computer version of part 1/part 2 differs from the paper format?
How is part 1/ part 2 graded?

Go to the sticky thread "Links of interest to foreign trained dentists", then scroll down until you find "Threads regarding study aids for NBDE part 1 and part 2". This is a thread collection in which this topic has been discussed before.

How many right answers do I need in part 1 in order to pass the exam?

Score conversion charts will vary each time. Go to the sticky thread "Links of interest to foreign trained dentists", then scroll down until you find "1998 NBDE part 1 released test " link. Open it and click on "Score Conversion". That's for 1998 board, but it should give you an idea of how thinks work.

Where can I buy/sell study material for the NBDE part 1or 2?

- Check the "For Sale & Advertisements" forum for any sales ad.
- Post a wanted ad in the Sales forum.
- Check the ASDA reprints, Dental Decks and Kaplan links in the thread "Links of interest..."
- Try Ebay or some other auction websites.
- If you live near a dental school, try sales boards in local dental schools. Most of them have boards or walls where students posts sales or wanted ad.
 
How do I qualify to take the exam?

If you have graduated from a foreign dental school and passed both National Board Dental Exams I and II on or before Dec. 31, 2003, then you will be eligible to sit for the bench test. As of December 2003, the enabling legislation for the bench test is being revised in the California State legislature. The legislation should be signed into law in February of 2004. After the law takes affect, the procedures for registration for the exam will be published at the California Dental Board website at http://www.dbc.ca.gov/

How do I prepare for the exam?

This is a very rigorous exam and it requires thorough preparation. Even if you have had post-graduate education in prosthodontics you will still need to devote considerable time and energy to your preparation efforts. Do not underestimate the difficulty of this exam! You must drill, drill and drill some more, until you can perform the following procedures to an extremly high standard of proficiency: Amalgam - graded 60% on preparation and 40% on amalgam finish; Cast Restoration, Wax-up and Models - graded 40% on cast preparation, 30% on die and model fabrication and 30% on wax pattern; Cast Restoration (preparation only), graded 100% on the preparation alone and it is usually a PFM crown. What materials do you use for your practice?
1. Columbia Dentoform Model SM-PVR- 860 Typodont along with lots of extra ivorine teeth
2. Handpieces - high speed, low speed contra-angle and lab handpiece
3. Burs - 1/4 round carbide for retention grooves, #55 carbide straight fissure bur 0.8mm, #56 carbide straight fissure bur 0.9mm, #169 and #169L carbides, #170 and #170L carbides, #171L carbide, #330 carbide, #281K carbide finishing bur, #282K carbide finishing bur, #H379F carbide finishing 2.3mm football shape, #7653 carbide finshing bur
4. Amalgam - #2 explorer, Toffelmire band, Tofflemire retainer, amalgam, dental dam, #7 dam clamp, wooden wedges, dam punch, wedget, dam forceps, amalgam carrier, amalgam dish or dappen dish, #1 and #2 amalgam condensers, interproximal carver, 1/2 hollenbeck carver, #3 and #4 ball burnishers, Suter enamel hatchet (10-7-14), wedelstaedt chisel, gingival margin trimmers both left and right, windex with ammonia, cotton pellets, dental floss, articulating paper and scissors
5. Impression materials - impression gun, polyvinyl impression putty ( hand mix material), polyvinyl siloxane wash material (automix for gun), adhesive for polyvinyl siloxane, intra-oral tips for automix gun, upper and lower impression trays
6. Lab work - KO tray kit (Vident), Zapit cyanoacrylate glue, Zapit accelerator, die trim bur #H73E, rubber bowl and spatula, graduated cylinder, vertex hinges for KO trays (Dentsply), die stone in pre-weighed packets, scapel, die saw and spare blades, 7R knife, debubblizer
7. Waxing - 37 wax spatula, PKT#4, PKT#3p, PKT#2, PKT#1, die lube, bunsen burner, inlay casting wax either - blue or green, inlay margin wax - red, sharp red pencil, pencil sharpener, mm graduated ruler, 0.5mm propelling pencil replacement lead refills
8. Compressor - as quiet as you can find.
9. Tackle box to organize all of that stuff!

Good Lord, what do I do with all of that?

Take a review course is the short answer. Right now the only course that is being advertised is at the Duggan Study Institute, see http://www.duggandds.com/. Dr. Stevenson at UCLA has also taught a comprehensive course in the past. When the bench test legislation passes there will probably be additional courses available through other sources. These courses are expensive but they are instrumental to your success. You may spend from $2,500 to $15,000 for a review course, depending upon the duration and intensity of the course. Don't think you can go this alone without some sort of review course. Something as seemingly simple as equilibrating your typodont is a major effort, and you'll feel a whole lot more secure when you can check your efforts with an expert. This is not a commercial pitch for any particular course, just my opinion based upon what I know.

What are my chances of passing this damn exam?

According to the California Dental Board only about 50% of candidates who take the exam for the first time actually recieve a passing grade. The percentage of people passing on subsequent attempts goes up considerably, but I do not know the statistics. I know of a prosthodontics professor at UCSF, who was originally trained in a UK dental school, and who passed the California RT Exam. That professor said that the RT exam was the most dehumanizing and insane event of her professional career. Let that serve as a cautionary tale for anyone who intends to sit for the exam.

Scott
 
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