Do you aspire to be a
Dentist?
I studied Dentistry in one
of the Universities (Centro Escolar University) in Manila, Philippines. Here
are some pointers that I can share.
1. How long is the course?
In my home country,
Dentistry is a 6-year course. To have an overview, I have given a breakdown of
what to expect during the course.
1st 2 years: Preparatory
Dentistry. These 2 years consist of basic subject like English,
Algebra, Botany,Biology, etc.
2nd 2 years: Dentistry
Proper. In these years, we studied the basic Dentistry subjects.
Last 2 years: Focuses on the Clinical years and complex
Dentistry subjects as well. The clinical
years would require us to find our own patients to complete our requirements. We treat these patients with the supervision
of our Clinical Instructors.
2. Where do we source our
patients?
There are a number of
options on how to find your patients.
First, your friends or family members who are willing to be treated (or to
be your guinea pig :)) by you. You can
also go to those less fortunate areas in your barangay and ask those families
who need dental treatment. Most of them
will be willing to go with you. In my
experience, I find this the most effective means since I would know where the
patient lives in case I need him or her to come back for a recall appointment.
Another option is to get them from "agents". These agents have sourced patients
themselves, students will look for patients from them and pay them instead of
looking for patients on their own.
3. What is the cost to study Dentistry in the Philippines?
Since times have changed
since I graduated, let me just highlight some of the expenses:
- semestral tuition fees
- fees for school supplies, dental instruments/ equipments/materials
- allowance for personal needs
- allowance to pay your patient's fare and meal (yes! you read it right)
4. What are the schools that
offer Dentistry courses in the Philippines?
You may click on this link: www.finduniversity.ph
5. What is next after the 6-year studies?
In the Philippines, to be
able to practice your profession as a Dentist, you must pass the Licensure
Examination. The exam requires us to
pass both Theoretical and Practical categories. After passing the exams, you
have to register at the Professional Regulation Commision to get your license
to practice.
6. What are some of the Career avenues that you
can do after studying the course?
- Practice as Licensed General Dentist in our country
- Go for further specialized studies
- Be a Dental Professor in Dental Universities
- Work as a Dental Assistant (overseas)
- Venture the Business/ Administrative side of a Dental practice
- Sell Dental Materials/ Equipments
7. What is the difference
between a General Dentist and a Dental Specialist?
General Dentists: Licensed
Dentists whose area of practice are the the general and basic dental treatments
such as prophylaxis, extraction, filling, simple root canals, etc. These pratitioners didn't go for further
specialiazed studies.
Dental Specialists: they are
practitoners who went for specialized studies. They opted to concentrate or
narrow their practice to a specialty.
8. What are the Specialized Fields in Dentistry?
You may click on this link: http://www.ada.org/en/education-careers/careers-in-dentistry/dental-specialties/specialty-definitions
9. What is the difference
between DDS and DMD degrees?
You may click on this link: http://www.ada.org/en/education-careers/careers-in-dentistry/general-dentistry
10. What traits should I
posses to become a Dentist?
I would say my top 3 lists are: Perseverance,
Patience and Persistence :). I believe
that they are also applicable to any other courses you may wish to take.
All the best to all dentists-wanna-be! I hope you picked up some useful information from our list.
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