What should i tell my Mom ?

[Kobebucsfan]

okay so i applied in June with subpar stats

My mom wanted me to go to Antigua dental school or some dental school in the Caribbean. she says the 4 years of undergrad is a waste and i could've just went to the carib. or some Indian dental school instead of doing this whole 4 years of undergrad. she says its cheaper there and once i'm done, all i have to do is come back to the US and take an exam to practice dentistry here. She even told me some of her friends that are dentists and doctors have sent their kids to the caribb. to study there instead of US.


So is it true what she is saying or is there some disadvantages to going to Carib. or other dental schools outside the country.

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[threechins]

From reading previous posts, I have heard licensing is a long process for internationals. I could be wrong. I'll post the links when I find them.
Training outside the US might be different. I suggest going attending here.

 

[lmaozedong1]

Well what if the laws change and you're not able to take the easy way out?

 

[T for Teeth]

okay so i applied in June with subpar stats

My mom wanted me to go to Antigua dental school or some dental school in the Caribbean. she says the 4 years of undergrad is a waste and i could've just went to the carib. or some Indian dental school instead of doing this whole 4 years of undergrad. she says its cheaper there and once i'm done, all i have to do is come back to the US and take an exam to practice dentistry here. She even told me some of her friends that are dentists and doctors have sent their kids to the caribb. to study there instead of US.


So is it true what she is saying or is there some disadvantages to going to Carib. or other dental schools outside the country.

The doctor that i work for, went to dental school in India. Then immigrated to America and had to take a boards exam and got into dental school, but started with 3rd year of dental school. So basically she just did the last 2 years of dental school at NYU.

 

[ecft07]

The doctor that i work for, went to dental school in India. Then immigrated to America and had to take a boards exam and got into dental school, but started with 3rd year of dental school. So basically she just did the last 2 years of dental school at NYU.

Just wondering...is it the same for Australian dental school graduates?

 

[eBayGod]

Just wondering...is it the same for Australian dental school graduates?

Yup it is the same. If you went to dental school outside the US, depending on the state you have to do around 3 years of dental school over again and then you can take the board exam and be done. What the OP is talking about that was over 20 years ago, they changed the laws so you would have to do 2 years of dental school over, and then the laws changed so you have to do 3 years of dental school over.

 

[teethmagnet]

what happens if u dont get in??

i think its a very dumb idea and u might screw yourself over. sorry but i'm just being honest

 

[make you smile]

okay so i applied in June with subpar stats

My mom wanted me to go to Antigua dental school or some dental school in the Caribbean. she says the 4 years of undergrad is a waste and i could've just went to the carib. or some Indian dental school instead of doing this whole 4 years of undergrad. she says its cheaper there and once i'm done, all i have to do is come back to the US and take an exam to practice dentistry here. She even told me some of her friends that are dentists and doctors have sent their kids to the caribb. to study there instead of US.


So is it true what she is saying or is there some disadvantages to going to Carib. or other dental schools outside the country.

If you went to dental school outside the US, you have to give the boards (part 1 for some schools and both for some schools) before entering an Advanced Standing Program here to repeat the clinical years.Then you have to take a license exam that gives you the license to practice in that state.The ASP can be 2 or 3 years long depending on the school you choose to go to.NYU and Temple are 3 years.The remaining ones are 2 years. If you do it here 4 + 4 years. If you go abroad (India) 5 + 2/3 years depending on the fact that you get admission into an ASP in your first try.Otherwise it is longer. If money is not an issue, do it here.

 

[shiftypoptart]

Yeah parents wanted me to a similar school in Guanajuato Mexico when I got out of High School which is certified by the California Board so it would be equivalent to going to a California D school. My parents had connections so I could be one of the few people they accept each year to the special program. Downsides though were that the program was in Spanish of which the Board is in English and It was way far from home. I ended up not going because I was scared and kinda wonder that as I'm going to start my first year of dental school in a few weeks that I would actually be finishing my first year as a Dentist if I went to that school. But all in all I feel like undergrad was a great experience that improved my knowledge of biology which will help in the Board 1 and also let me mature and take on Dental school when I actually felt ready. So in experience to your similar problem there are upsides to finishing faster and sometimes cheaper in one of these schools but your will still have to pass the board + the bench if school is not US accredited ( Dunno what it is exactly, but Dad says its extremely difficult when he took it to get his license to practice in California), You will be less mature (Don't think anybody will trust a 21-22yr old Dentist), and you will miss out on the undergrad experience (Guess this one is what you make of it). So I guess you can use those pros/cons if you want.

 

[dentalWorks]

okay so i applied in June with subpar stats

My mom wanted me to go to Antigua dental school or some dental school in the Caribbean. she says the 4 years of undergrad is a waste and i could've just went to the carib. or some Indian dental school instead of doing this whole 4 years of undergrad. she says its cheaper there and once i'm done, all i have to do is come back to the US and take an exam to practice dentistry here. She even told me some of her friends that are dentists and doctors have sent their kids to the caribb. to study there instead of US.


So is it true what she is saying or is there some disadvantages to going to Carib. or other dental schools outside the country.

I think your mother is confusing Carrib Med schools with dental.
If you earn the dental degree outside of the U.S, you have to come back to U.S and re-evaluate your dental education. You do by entering into an international dental program (most are 3 years now, few are only 2 years). Basically, they either start you with 2nd year dental class (or 3rd if only 2-year program).

In order to gain admission into an international program, you need to take NBDE part 1 (and score well).... its very competitive, my understanding is, even more so than for us pre-dents.

Besides, which dental school in the world is going to accept a student without any pre-dentistry sciences (the biologies and chemistries).... If your talking about going straight from high school into dental school (and wer talking U.S.A high school here), your gonna be soooo lost, its gonna feel like your sitting in a foreign language course.

 

[crax]

tell your mom that going to college is an important life decision which you want to decide on, and while you respect her opinion, things are not always the way that she sees them, as well as not always how you see them. You want to pursue a college education, and would very much expect, and respect her decision to support you!

 

[7 Iron]

okay so i applied in June with subpar stats

My mom wanted me to go to Antigua dental school or some dental school in the Caribbean. she says the 4 years of undergrad is a waste and i could've just went to the carib. or some Indian dental school instead of doing this whole 4 years of undergrad. she says its cheaper there and once i'm done, all i have to do is come back to the US and take an exam to practice dentistry here. She even told me some of her friends that are dentists and doctors have sent their kids to the caribb. to study there instead of US.


So is it true what she is saying or is there some disadvantages to going to Carib. or other dental schools outside the country.

You applied already, so presumably you are at least 3-4 years into undergrad. So either way you've already done undergrad.. right? Isn't it a moot point? At this point you'll be faster going to a US dental school instead of a foreign one, since if you go to a foreign one you'll have to take more years at a US dental school if you come to the US to practice.

 

[Kahr]

Yup it is the same. If you went to dental school outside the US, depending on the state you have to do around 3 years of dental school over again and then you can take the board exam and be done. What the OP is talking about that was over 20 years ago, they changed the laws so you would have to do 2 years of dental school over, and then the laws changed so you have to do 3 years of dental school over.

Does that also apply to the new DDS program at the U. of Melbourne? As I understand it, previously all dental degrees in Australia and NZ were at a similar level as what is given in India (BDS or something). I believe this is also not the case for dental graduates holding a DDS from Japanese universities.

 

[Noble6]

I think your mother is confusing Carrib Med schools with dental.

That

 

[TeethRgreat]

Your mom doesn't know what she's talking about.

When you come back to the US, you still have to go to an international dental program (2-3 years). In addition, you will not be accepted into that program unless you have some experience as a practicing dentist in that foreign country (not a fresh grad).

 

[eBayGod]

Does that also apply to the new DDS program at the U. of Melbourne? As I understand it, previously all dental degrees in Australia and NZ were at a similar level as what is given in India (BDS or something). I believe this is also not the case for dental graduates holding a DDS from Japanese universities.

Yes, anything not done in the US is considered international, even if it is the same degree, doesn't matter the level of the degree.

http://foreigntraineddentists.net/default.aspx for more information

 

[KittySquared]

With all due respect, your mother be trippin'.

You might as well spend the next year and half nailing post-bac classes and reapply with 19+ DATs. Going outta the country is too much hassle and can be extremely complicated.

Nyan~

 

[hollaholla]

Your education is what you make of it. If you have the keen insight to be able to go to school out of the country and learn a lot while saving hundreds of thousands of dollars, well then more power to you.

I know two doctors that have gone to Carribean schools and now are in there fellowship for cardiology and they saved thousands of dollars by going studying abroad.

 

[KittySquared]

I know two doctors that have gone to Carribean schools and now are in there fellowship for cardiology and they saved thousands of dollars by going studying abroad.

Having a dad who is an MD and are colleagues with residency admissions folks at massive hospital system, I can tell you a few things. Those cardiologist from the Caribbean schools are few and far in between. Probably 1 out of several hundred.

The preference is

US MD > US DO > Caribbean

Landing a cardiology subspecialty in internal medicine is far more competitive for a Caribbean graduate than a US MD graduate or even a DO graduate. Those people had to go through hell and back to get into cardiology. Such anecdotal cases should NEVER be used to generalize all people and provide a sense of false hope and ruin peoples' lives.

 

[hollaholla]

I beg to differ KittySquared

You would be surprised how well some students have made it by studying overseas and then entering into the American medical system. I grant you that an American MD is the most prestigious of degrees, but demand in different areas of the country needs to be filled and they will take whoever is qualified, regardless of where they went to school.

Your opinion of classifying DO's as more qualified than Caribbean MD's is a generalization as well. DO's in my opinion are students who will do whatever it takes to practice medicine, and will essentially pay outrageous tuition fees in order to achieve their goal. There is nothing that makes a DO more qualified than a Caribbean MD, in my honest opinion. There is a stigma that follow D.O's., which is well recognized by practicing MD's.

Having a dad who is an MD and are colleagues with residency admissions folks at massive hospital system, I can tell you a few things. Those cardiologist from the Caribbean schools are few and far in between. Probably 1 out of several hundred.

The preference is

US MD > US DO > Caribbean

Landing a cardiology subspecialty in internal medicine is far more competitive for a Caribbean graduate than a US MD graduate or even a DO graduate. Those people had to go through hell and back to get into cardiology. Such anecdotal cases should NEVER be used to generalize all people and provide a sense of false hope and ruin peoples' lives.

 

[KittySquared]

Your opinion of classifying DO's as more qualified than Caribbean MD's is a generalization as well. DO's in my opinion are students who will do whatever it takes to practice medicine, and will essentially pay outrageous tuition fees in order to achieve their goal. There is nothing that makes a DO more qualified than a Caribbean MD, in my honest opinion. There is a stigma that follow D.O's., which is well recognized by practicing MD's.

But listen to this - DOs have the option of applying for MD cardio fellowships as well as DO cardiology fellowships (yes, they are 2 divisions) and thus DOs have more opportunities than Carib MDs to become.

To take an NYCOM DO graduate with stellar USMLE scores > Carib MD when competing for the same specialty. That's the fact of the matter. Why? This is from an admissions office. The DO has twice as many residency places to apply to. The Carib MD has 1/2 as much while competing with US MD grads. Very simple.

There are Carib MDs who receive prestigious residency in the US, but they have a lot less opportunities than US MDs and DOs. They work a lot harder. It does happen, but not everybody can be the next Bill Gates. Just stating facts.

 

[PrlpeRing]

okay so i applied in June with subpar stats

My mom wanted me to go to Antigua dental school or some dental school in the Caribbean. she says the 4 years of undergrad is a waste and i could've just went to the carib. or some Indian dental school instead of doing this whole 4 years of undergrad. she says its cheaper there and once i'm done, all i have to do is come back to the US and take an exam to practice dentistry here. She even told me some of her friends that are dentists and doctors have sent their kids to the caribb. to study there instead of US.


So is it true what she is saying or is there some disadvantages to going to Carib. or other dental schools outside the country.

And when you come back you have to go through a longer process, and will many times have a harder time passing board because caribbean schools are not making you study in a way that will prep you for US boards, then when you become a dentist and tart practicing, other dentist will make you feel like you are not as good because u took the easy way out (even though you might be). I'm not trying to be rude, just real. I love my mom, but mom's dont always know everything. Your mom is not going thru this, you are, therefore even though she may see that this is a long, arduous process, she cannot fully understand how hard and competitive it is to get into dental school, if getting into dental school here is hard and that is just the beginning, I guarantee you all the tests you have to take for accreditation are no joke. I wish you the best and hope you realize this is YOUR choice only. If thing are harder for you in the end YOu are the one that is going to have to figure it out and deal with the problem, Not your mom.
Again, I hope I'm not coming off as being rude, things tend to have a different tone when they are written. Good luck!

 

[dentalWorks]

But listen to this - DOs have the option of applying for MD cardio fellowships as well as DO cardiology fellowships (yes, they are 2 divisions) and thus DOs have more opportunities than Carib MDs to become.

To take an NYCOM DO graduate with stellar USMLE scores > Carib MD when competing for the same specialty. That's the fact of the matter. Why? This is from an admissions office. The DO has twice as many residency places to apply to. The Carib MD has 1/2 as much while competing with US MD grads. Very simple.

There are Carib MDs who receive prestigious residency in the US, but they have a lot less opportunities than US MDs and DOs. They work a lot harder. It does happen, but not everybody can be the next Bill Gates. Just stating facts.

not exactly... many places don't admit this, but alopathic residencies still favor gool-ole MDs (ofc USA graduates) over any DO. There is some prejudice around and from what some doctors tell me, it will never go away. This is especially true when your talking about the most competitive alopathic programs

I do however I agree that MD > DO > carrib MD mostly because of living conditions (yes all 4 years are harsh).

Most of us Americans don't know whats its like to live in a 3rd world country, so switching over is very hard at first (its why carrib med schools have a HUGE drop out rate especially during first year). On top of that, unless your rocking some serious USMLE scores (1 and 2), your odds of landing into a competitive residency are rather low. However, I believe they get into primary care, I only know this cause I've looked into the match lists, sooo many end up in primary care (internal & family med)