Education for Foreign–Trained Dentists in the United States: Currently Available Findings and Need for Further Research

Abstract

Foreign-trained dentists interested in seeking employment in the United States face numerous challenges, starting with the fact that their degrees are often not valid for U.S. practice because of international differences in the style of education and clinical practice. A small number of North American dental schools have offered modiied predoctoral programs for graduates of foreign dental schools since the 1970s, and currently, numerous U.S. dental schools offer such educational programs. The purpose of this literature review was to investigate what has been reported about barriers encountered by foreign-trained dentists in seeking professional opportunities in the United States, focusing especially on factors affecting the admissions process into predoctoral and residency programs, the learning process, and employment of foreign-trained dentists in the United States. This study concludes that published indings do not support the generalization that all foreign-trained dentists seeking employment in the United States have had the same barriers, and the authors conclude that there is a need for further research on this topic. Supplemental information can improve the transition of foreign-trained dentists into a culturally diverse environment. In addition, with greater availability of data, the need for the establishment of assistance programs for this population can be assessed.Dr. Veerinder Pannu is a dental resident,

The Hispanic and Latino dentist workforce in the United States

“…In the current policy environment, many states have phased out licensure pathways for foreign‐trained dentists, while reliance on advanced standing or IDPs has risen . This study shows the extraordinarily high debt burden placed on graduates of IDPs, which may dissuade foreign‐trained H/L dentists from seeking US licensure.…”

Foreign-Trained Dentists in the United States: Challenges and Opportunities

“…After title and abstract screening, 29 publications that did not answer the focused question or were duplicates were excluded. In total 18 articles were sought, including nine articles [ 7 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 ] discussing workforce diversity in dentistry ( Table 1 ); and nine articles [ 1 , 2 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 ] discussing licensing process for foreign-trained dentists ( Table 2 ).…”

“…Furthermore, it is pertinent to mention that additional to tuition fees, travelling, relocation and living expenses in the city of the program must be also added to the total costs [ 9 ]. Moreover, scholarships, loans and financial support to foreign-trained dentists are limited [ 10 ].…”

“…Nonimmigrant visas (such as the F-1 student visa) are given under the condition that after gaining the special skill, the visa holder should return to their home country to serve their nation. The U.S. does not offer a direct path to permanent immigration for foreign students; sponsorship by an U.S. employer is required [ 10 ]. The H-1B visa program allows U.S. companies to employ foreign workers in different areas requiring theoretical or technical expertise.…”

“…Instead, foreign-trained dentists were obliged to apply and successfully complete a 2- or 3-year dental educational program in order to become licensed practitioners. These changes were introduced in order to protect the public and ensure that international dentists were adequately trained to meet U.S. standards [ 9 , 10 , 11 ]. Presently, licensing requirements for foreign-trained dentists in the U.S. are strict, confusing, complex and are conferred by individual state licensing boards.…”