Just Finished My Bachelor's. Is Going International Worth It?

[DrBigTooth]

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We all know how high the costs are for studying dentistry in the US. Is it worth going to other countries like the UK or Canada to study and come back and become a dentist in the US? I've heard their schools are generally a lot cheaper.

 

[laundry]

We all know how high the costs are for studying dentistry in the US. Is it worth going to other countries like the UK or Canada to study and come back and become a dentist in the US? I've heard their schools are generally a lot cheaper.

Sure, but then you’ll pay double for 2 years of an IDP program in order to practice in the US.

 

[ysoNaCly]

Good luck trying to get into a school in Canada. There's only 12 dental schools in the country (2 of which are french). It's hard enough to get in as a Canadian applicant that many Canadians end up going to American schools.

 

[Anondds87]

Sure, but then you’ll pay double for 2 years of an IDP program in order to practice in the US.

If you go study in canada you will be able to practice in the US after theres no IDP.
Studying in Canada will still involve paying international fees though. However after one year you could apply for permanent residency so you pay domestic fees.
Plus the US dollar is stronger than the CAD so your money will go further.
I think its definitely worth looking into. The UK I dont think is worth it

 

[MG14]

Sure, but then you’ll pay double for 2 years of an IDP program in order to practice in the US.

Not true for Canada

To the OP. All depends on what country. US and Canada have a reciprocating agreement so as long as you take the national boards and proper licensing exam you can practice in the US. I’m currently attending dental school in Canada and was a US applicant and HIGHLY recommend it. I was accepted to a few US schools, state and private, and am saving between 130-180k (not including interest) So way worth it. In fact, I’m paying only 15k more over 4 years than my state school. The school is great, especially for cost, the licensure exam and national boards are tested at my school so honestly is a good route. And more than half the international students from my class are from US. So I’d consider it. You have to do your research and pick the right school. PM me if you’d like more info about my school. Can’t say much for the others.

 

[deleted923283]

I defer to @MG14 regarding Canada because I don't know much about it, except that getting acceptance is much more difficult than in the US.

As to every other country, you would be required to pass all the US dental boards ($) BEFORE applying, you would have to apply to every international program you could and interview because the acceptance rates are incredibly low, like <1% ($$), then you would have to pay for D3 and D4 at premium international student rates ($$$). Also keep in mind, in most countries, medicine and dentistry are part of a college education, meaning students begin following secondary school (high school equivalent). I'm only familiar with Germany where it is 6 years. So you are losing time and money, ignoring the fact that you have a large probability of not being accepted to an international program when you return to the states. You are also depending on the current country laws and educational policies set in January 2020 to remain as is. These could easily change during your 4-6 years abroad studying. As an example, look at all the poor international students who went to the UK to study medicine so they could work in other parts of Europe.

 

[iqi123]

I'm a dual UK/US citizen and thought about establish residency in the UK for a year then applying to UK dental schools to get resident (cheaper) tuition. The issue with UK schools is they offer dentistry as a 5 year Bachelors of Dental Surgery (BDS) aka, not a graduate degree. In the UK you come straight out of school at 18 and then graduate at 23 as a dentist as opposed to the US version of 4 years undergrad and 4 years of dental school. The issue is, if you try to come back to the US to practice then you will have to go to a 2 year international conversion program. In this 2 year program you basically repeat years 3+4 of dental school in order to be awarded a dental degree that will allow to practice in the states. I think though, there are a few states in the South like Texas, Florida, Virginia that if you want to practice there do not require you to do the 2 year conversion program. If you get a UK degree you're better off staying in the UK/rest of Europe that follows the BDS model, or the Middle East (rich ME countries want to increase medical tourism). In conclusion: probably not worth it if you want to come back to the US.

 

[Anondds87]

I'm a dual UK/US citizen and thought about establish residency in the UK for a year then applying to UK dental schools to get resident (cheaper) tuition. The issue with UK schools is they offer dentistry as a 5 year Bachelors of Dental Surgery (BDS) aka, not a graduate degree. In the UK you come straight out of school at 18 and then graduate at 23 as a dentist as opposed to the US version of 4 years undergrad and 4 years of dental school. The issue is, if you try to come back to the US to practice then you will have to go to a 2 year international conversion program. In this 2 year program you basically repeat years 3+4 of dental school in order to be awarded a dental degree that will allow to practice in the states. I think though, there are a few states in the South like Texas, Florida, Virginia that if you want to practice there do not require you to do the 2 year conversion program. If you get a UK degree you're better off staying in the UK/rest of Europe that follows the BDS model, or the Middle East (rich ME countries want to increase medical tourism). In conclusion: probably not worth it if you want to come back to the US.

What is it like working in the middle east? I cant ever find reliable info online about salaries etc. Some salaries posted are ridiculously low that I cant see how it's legit

 

[dentistrydmd]

Sure, but then you’ll pay double for 2 years of an IDP program in order to practice in the US.

This is incorrect.

All Canadian schools are ADEA Accredited and vice versa for US schools due to the reciprocal agreement between Canada and the US. This is unique to Canada and the US. You will still need the board exams to be licensed (and state specific requirements) which you would need regardless if you graduated from a US dental school. A degree from Canada is recognized in the same way as a US degree. The only thing like other posts have mentioned is that Canadian schools are extremely competitive. However, if you have a good GPA (the primary determinant to acceptance and getting an interview), I would say it is worth applying. The most US receptive Canadian schools would be University of British Columbia, McGill University, University of Toronto, and Dalhousie University, which are all great schools.