collageInternational dentists who wish to relocate to the United States are interested in learning about the various options available to foreign-trained dentists who want to further their study or practice dentistry in the United States. By offering a list of the many D.D.S. and residency programs available for international dentists, we hope to make the path to US dental school for foreign-trained dentists more clear. In this article, we’ll also go over the visa requirements for foreign-trained dentists who want to pursue dental residency programs, which vary depending on the program and the state.
dental residency programs in canada
Ever wondered if there are available dental residency programs for foreign-trained dentists in the US? Are you curious as to how dental schools accept international students?
The need for dentists in the USA is increasing. According to an article from the Journal of Dental Education, five thousand areas have been designated Oral Health Professionals Shortage Areas by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The aging U.S. population will increase the need for dentists in two ways: many older dentists will retire, and the larger cohort of older patients will need oral health care services. In addition, the U.S. population is becoming increasingly diverse, and individuals with limited English proficiency often have poorer health, creating the need for health care practitioners with multilingual skills. Hence, the future need for dentists in the United States creates opportunities for international dentists to pursue dental careers in this country. That is why there is a variety of the dental residency programs for foreign trained dentists.
To meet the need for more dentists, several dental schools have opened in the last five years, and existing schools are expanding their class sizes. US dental schools have become more welcoming towards international dentists as more schools are creating avenues for incorporating them through programs like D.D.S., residency, masters and fellowships. All these thing make pathways for foreign-trained dentists more diverse and easier to reach. What you need now is to get information about the roadmap to US dental school.
Different Pathways for Foreign-Trained Dentists
Dental schools accepting international students in two main types of program. The programs which an international dentist can take are the DDS program and residency program.
To earn a DDS/DMD degree in the US, international dentists must join an advanced standing program or join a traditional DDS program (the latter means they will have to start at year 1 with the rest of incoming dental students and complete the entire program (usually 4 years).
The advanced standing program for foreign trained dentists does not focus on a specialization but rather all subjects taught in a dental school. It is basically a bridge course making an international dentist equivalent to any US-trained dentist in. With this program, you will repeat two years of dental training to be eligible for dental licensure in the US.
A dental residency programs for foreign trained dentists on the other hand, provides education and training in a specific subject. This is similar to how a post-graduation program would be in your home country. Admissions to a residency program are facilitated via the National Matching Service which makes it more competitive.
Advanced standing program for international dentists/ D.D.S/ D.M.D.
Thirty-six dental schools out of sixty-six dental schools accepting international students, These dental schools in the US offer opportunities to foreign-trained dentists to participate in a usually 24-month long D.D.S program (advanced standing program). There are different pathways for foreign-trained dentists but students usually join the second-year class by participating in all ongoing preclinical and laboratory courses and participate in an additional, specially-designed preclinical laboratory/seminar program.
Following the successful completion of the second year, students are fully integrated into the class where they take part in all academic and clinical experiences in the third and fourth years of dental school. In the advanced standing program for foreign trained dentists, the class size varies for each university with the highest as Boston University which admits 85 international dentists each year. Annually, there are about 500- 600 seats for 3000 applicants. Entry requirements include passing scores on the National Board Dental Examination (NBDE) Part I and/or Part II and the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), graduation from a foreign dental school, and prior transcripts. Several advanced standing programs also require that applicants undergo a psychomotor bench test, case presentations, and a formal interview as part of the application process.
The acceptance into a dental school varies upon the citizenship/visa requirement.
Schools that accept candidates on B1/B2 visa and offer student visa F1 to study in the university are:
- University of Michigan
- Boston University
- University of California, Los Angeles
- University of Southern California
- University of Pennsylvania
- Indiana University
- Howard University
- University of Colorado
- University of Pacific
- Virginia Commonwealth University
- Rutgers University
- University of Washington
- University of Pittsburgh
- University of San Antonio
- University of Southern Illinois
- University of Buffalo
- Loma Linda University
- Temple University
Related Article: University of Buffalo IDP Interview Preparation
Schools that only accept candidates with Green card and Permanent resident status are:
- University of Illinois at Chicago
- University of Alabama
- New York University
- University of Oklahoma
- University of Florida
- Tufts University
Minnesota is the only state which currently accepts licensure applications from international students without additional training. They will evaluate each application and make the decision as to who qualifies.
Dental residency programs for international students in USA
An international dentist could join an accredited post-graduate program and apply a license thereafter instead of going back to school. This is not an option for most states however, as most of the states require international dentists to graduate from an accredited US dental school.
Pathways for foreign-trained dentists: Listed below are the states to which an internationally-trained dentist may apply for licensure after completion of an ADA accredited residency program, as per specific requirements of each state:
- Connecticut
- Illinois
- Michigan
- Mississippi
- Oregon
- Texas
- Wisconsin
- Massachusetts
Program types for Dental Specialities and General Dentistry
- Dental Public Health
- Endodontics
- Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology
- Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology
- Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
- Oral Medicine
- Orthodontics
- Pediatric Dentistry
- Periodontics
- Prosthodontics
- Maxillofacial Prosthetics
- Advanced Education in General Dentistry
- General Practice Residency
Disadvantages of dental residency programs for foreign trained dentists
- License to practice dentistry is limited to only a few states
- It is difficult to get accustomed to the US ways of practicing dentistry since you weren’t educated here
- There is no salary for internationally-trained residents in most universities.
Universities that accept non-US residents international dentists
AEGD programs for international dentists
- University of Connecticut
- Nova Southeastern University
- University of Maryland
- Boston University
- Temple University, Kornberg School of Dentistry
Dental Public Health
- A.T. Still Univ.- Arizona School of Dentistry
- Harvard School of Dental Medicine
- Boston University
Endodontics
- USC Ostrow School of Dentistry
- Loma Linda University
- Georgia Health Sciences University
- University of Illinois at Chicago
- Indiana University
- University of Louisville
- Louisiana State University School of Dentistry
- University of Maryland
- Boston University
- Harvard School of Dental Medicine
- Tufts University
- New York University College of Dentistry
- University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill
- Temple University, Kornberg School of Dentistry
- University of Pennsylvania
- University of Texas School of Dentistry at Houston
- Baylor College of Dentistry/Texas A&M Health Science Center
- West Virginia University
Related Article: Loma Linda University Bench Test Course
GPR
- Howard University
- Tufts University
- MetroHealth Medical Center
- Abington Memorial Hospital
Geriatric Dentistry
- USC Ostrow School of Dentistry
- Harvard School of Dental Medicine
Implantology
- Harvard School of Dental Medicine
Operative Dentistry
- USC Ostrow School of Dentistry
- Boston University
- University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill
Oral Medicine
- Harvard School of Dental Medicine
- University of Pennsylvania
Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology
- University of Florida
- Harvard School of Dental Medicine
Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology
- University of Connecticut
- University of Iowa
- University of Northern Carolina
- University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
- University of Washington
Graduate from accredited dental school preferred
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
- University of Florida, Jacksonville
- University of Maryland, Baltimore
- University of Maryland, MD – Integrated OMS Residency
- Tufts University
- Boston University
- University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill
- University of Puerto Rico
Orthodontics
- University of Alabama at Birmingham
- University of California, San Francisco
- University of the Pacific, San Francisco
- University of Connecticut
- Washington Hospital Center
- Nova Southeastern University
- Indiana University
- University of Louisville
- University of Kentucky
- Louisiana State University School of Dentistry
- University of Maryland
- Harvard School of Dental Medicine
- Tufts University
- Boston University
- University of Detroit Mercy Dental School
- University of Michigan
- University of Nebraska Medical Center
- Rutgers School of Dental Medicine
- New York University College of Dentistry
- University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill
- The Ohio State University
- Temple University, Kornberg School of Dentistry
- University of Pennsylvania
- University of Puerto Rico
- Medical University of South Carolina
- University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
- Baylor College of Dentistry/Texas A&M Health Science Center
- University of Washington
- West Virginia University
Pediatric Dentistry
- University of Alabama at Birmingham
- USC Ostrow School of Dentistry
- University of California, San Francisco
- Loma Linda University
- University of Connecitcut
- Nova Southeastern University
- Louisiana State University School of Dentistry
- University of Maryland
- Boston University
- Children’s Hospital, Boston
- Tufts University
- Rutgers School of Dental Medicine
- University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill
- University of Puerto Rico
- University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
- University of Washington
Periodontics
- University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Loma Linda University
- USC Ostrow School of Dentistry
- University of California, San Francisco
- Nova Southeastern University
- University of Louisville
- Louisiana State University School of Dentistry
- Tufts University
- Boston University
- Stony Brook University – School of Dental Medicine
- University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill
- Temple University, Kornberg School of Dentistry
- University of Pennsylvania
Periodontics Prosthesis
- University of Pennsylvania
Prosthodontics
- University of Alabama at Birmingham
- University of California, San Francisco
- University of Connecticut
- Nova Southeastern University
- University of Illinois at Chicago
- Indiana University
- University of Louisville
- Louisiana State University School of Dentistry
- University of Maryland
- Harvard School of Dental Medicine
- Tufts University
- Boston University
- University of Rochester Eastman Dental Center
- New York University College of Dentistry
- Ohio State University
- University of Pittsburgh
- University of Tennessee Health Science Center, College of Dentistry, Memphis
- Baylor College of Dentistry/Texas A&M Health Science Center
- Marquette University
The upside of residency programs is that they are usually a cheaper option than going to school, and depending on the program, you might actually get paid a stipend. Also if you go for a specialty, you’ll be a specialist when you complete the program and more likely to start at higher pay when you begin to work.
All information on pathways for foreign-trained dentists is subject to change, so please verify all information before putting it to use. Make sure you look into any specific requirements of the particular school of interest before applying. Have a question about dental schools accepting international students or the roadmap to US dental school? Do let us know in the comments section and we will be happy to help you! Good luck
Internationally trained dentists: how to train or practice in Canada
If you have trained as a dentist in a country not recognised by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada (CDAC) or the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) and wish to practice or train in Canada, we can offer you two options.
1. To gain a licence to practice dentistry in Canada: the International Dentist Advanced Placement Program (IDAPP)
You must complete the Doctor in Dental Surgery (DDS) to be able to take the national licensing exam (National Dental Examining Board) to become a practicing dentist.
If you are already qualified in another country, you can join the International Dentist Advanced Placement Program (IDAPP), which places you in the third year of the four-year DDS.
- Find out more and how to apply.
2. Practice as a specialist dentist in Canada: Dental Specialty Assessment and Training Program (DSATP)
You can join the DSATP if you are a graduate of a non-accredited dental specialty program and want to practice specialty clinical dental practice in Canada, such as endodontics or orthodontics.
- Find out more and how to apply.
Continuing Dental Education
All courses offered by the CDE Department are available to all dentists, regardless of where you have trained.
You can only participate in treating patients if you have a Canadian licence, if you do not have one, you can join as an observer.
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