Foreign-trained dentist licensure considerations
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The information provided in this letter is intended for you if you are one of the following:
? Foreign-trained general dentist
? Foreign-trained dental specialist
The Committee has determined that minimal requirements for licensure examination eligibility include the following: (1) that your dental education is equivalent to or greater than that of a dental education provided at a school that is accredited by the American Dental Association?s Commission on Accreditation, (2) that you graduated with at least a 2.0 Grade Point Average (GPA), (3) that failed courses were passed the second time they were taken, and (4) that you have actively practiced dentistry or have graduated from a dental program within the past five years. You must meet these minimum requirements to be considered for licensure.
The Board of Dentistry has chosen an evaluation service that will assess your education completed at a foreign school. The Credentials Committee of the Board will use the report to determine whether your education is equivalent to an accredited program. Please contact Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. (ECE) at (414) 289-3400, or
www.ece.org and request their Application for Evaluation of Foreign Educational Credentials. Please submit your completed application form and all requested documents to ECE. On your application, you must request that a subject analysis report be sent directly to the Minnesota Board of Dentistry.
While you are waiting for the subject analysis report to be sent to our Committee, please submit the following documents to our office. These documents will become part of your permanent file with the Board and will not be returned to you. Please note that all photocopies that you send should be certified by a notary public to be true copies of the original documents and have the signature and stamp of the notary public. Photocopies that are not notarized will not be considered by the Committee:
? The document titled ?Affidavit of Applicant? that is included with this letter (please sign before a notary public), and the foreign-trained dentist questionnaire.
? A personal letter, curriculum vitae, or r?sum? that describes what you have been doing professionally since graduation from dental school. Please give specific dates and information.
? Notarized photocopies of proof of actively practicing dentistry within the past five years (tax statements, patient billings, etc.)
? A notarized photocopy of your dental diploma and an original or notarized photocopy of its official translation if it is not in English.
? Notarized photocopies of all diplomas or certificates that you have been awarded for advanced education in dentistry and original or notarized photocopies of official translations when originals are not in English.
? Complete a continuing dental education minimum six hour course in infection control that emphasizes current Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines and submit your course completion certificate with the course description, book, and/or handouts. The course must be completed within the five years prior to application. Please contact the Board if you are unsure whether the course you have selected will meet the Committee?s request.
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? A notarized photocopy of proof of passing the TOEFL or MELAB English proficiency examination within the past two years. For information contact:
Educational Testing Service English Language Institute
TOEFL Exam UMI - MELAB Office
(609) 921-9000 (734) 764-2416
www.toefl.org www.lsa.umich.edu/eli/index.htm
Minimum: Total Listening TWE (Minimum score of 80 with a mean score
Computer: 213 21 5 of 85 in Part II, Listening.)
Written: 550 55 5
? You may choose to submit additional documents for consideration by the Board. Please have all photocopies notarized as true copies of the original documents. When originals are not in English, please include the original or notarized photocopy of an official translation.
EXAMINATIONS
If you have passed any of the following exams, please submit proof to the Committee. If you have not completed any of these exams, in your personal letter please request the Committee?s permission to take the unfinished exam(s). The Committee is primarily concerned with evaluating your education; if you do not submit the following documents, evaluation of your education will not be delayed. However, proof of passing these exams must be received before your license can be issued.
? A notarized photocopy of your National Board Examination score, Parts I and II. This examination is offered throughout the United States and Canada. For information contact:
American Dental Association
Commission on National Board Examination
211 East Chicago Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
tel: (800) 621-8099
web:
www.ada.org
? A notarized photocopy of your passing score on the clinical examination administered by either the Central Regional Dental Testing Service (CRDTS) or the Western Regional Examining Board (WREB). To be accepted for licensure application, CRDTS must be passed within the five years prior to application and WREB must be passed in 2001 and thereafter. For information contact:
Central Regional Dental Testing Service Western Regional Examining Board
(785) 273-0380 (602) 944-3315
www.crdts.org www.wreb.org
? Minnesota Jurisprudence Examination: A notarized photocopy of your passing score on the Minnesota Jurisprudence Examination is required if the exam was passed after April 1, 2002. If you completed the exam prior to April 1, 2002, please indicate in your personal letter the month and the year the examination was passed. If you need to take this exam, you may call the Board at (612) 617-2259 and request that information regarding the Minnesota Jurisprudence Examination be mailed to you.
They are saying that they actually licensed some foreign trained dentists through this process
So I'm really thinking about this option now that most doors are closing....I would also advise you to get the most current info directly from the board as this is still like general guidelines that they may change
Here is the link for the Minnesota Board of Dentistry:
http://www.dentalboard.state.mn.us/
Hope this helps
smilemaker
