Know Nething About Egyptian Dentists??

[~Rana]

Hi, I'm a US citizen thinking of applying to Dental or Medical school very soon...not in the US tho but rather at Cairo University in Cairo, Egypt. 😱 I've finally come to understand how medical school works when people explained it to me in plain english...like what are the steps to the whole process and when you have to take what test. Now, I wanna know how the dental process works. 😕 I will graduate from Egypt in 5 years with my bachleors degree in dentistry...
-is that the DDS?
-as an international graduate what do I have to do after that to practice in the usa *Chicago, Illinois specifically*??
-Do I have to go to school again to finish up something?
-What tests do I have to take?
-Is it better for me to transfer to the usa after 3 yrs. or so *I'm saying 3 yrs. b/c I might be able to leave Cairo (for personal reasons) after 3 years or more from now* rather than to graduate from here?

Thanks for helping! 😉

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[BlueToothHunter]

-is that the DDS?

No, you won't get a DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery). You will get a BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery). No difference in the basic dental training either in the US or Egypt, but the credentials from Egypt won't be "equal" to the US degree in the eyes of State dental board. (However, the universities may look at your Egyptian BDS as a DDS equivalent. But that's where it stops.)

-as an international graduate what do I have to do after that to practice in the usa *Chicago, Illinois specifically*??

You will have to apply for State dental license in Illinois. But presently the dental board of Illinois would require you to obtain two years of supplemental dental education (ie. advanced standing program at an American dental school), before they let you take the clinical regional boards. Other states may allow you to practice in that specialty once you complete your specialty process in an US specialty program.


-Do I have to go to school again to finish up something?

Yes, if you want to work in private practice in ANY state in the US. Most state would require you to get a US dental degree. If you only want to stay as a faculty member in dental school settings (ie. only allowed limited faculty private practice), then you could get away without doing the extra two years of dental school in the US.

-What tests do I have to take?

Assuming that you are asking about taking steps to be a licensed dentist in the US (after your dental education in Egypt), you would have to complete both written Dental Boards parts 1 and 2, perhaps TOEFL (no exceptions to the US citizens), dental school bench tests, and finally clinical board exams. These are all standard exam processes in the US even for the American dental school graduates.

-Is it better for me to transfer to the usa after 3 yrs. or so *I'm saying 3 yrs. b/c I might be able to leave Cairo (for personal reasons) after 3 years or more from now* rather than to graduate from here?

You will never be able to transfer from Cairo to a US dental school in the midst of dental school. Also, I don't understand your question??

 

[~Rana]

Thank you so much for clearing all that up for me. As for my last question, I was planning if I got into the Med school in Cairo...I would come back to the usa after 3 yrs. and transfer into an undergrad program, graduate, take the MCAT's, get into Med School, graduate, do a residency and so forth. So I was wondering if I'm better off doing that *transfer into an undergrad program not anything else because I know you can never transfer into dental or medical school* with Dental school too or should I just stay in Cairo for the entire 5 yrs and graduate with the BDS *and go about the process that you just explained for getting a license*?