That all sounds very good! I’d say anything over a 3.0 + all the stuff you’ve don’t should be helpful in making you competitive. If the GPA is below 3, that makes it harder and may require some other interventions to help boost your profile. That’s just a general rule of thumb though. There are always exceptions 😁

Thanks for your reply Julia! With regard to GPA, it's certainly a factor, but certainly not any sort of deal breaker. For those with an average GPA (3.2-3.3), it tends to be a neutral factor, making the programs focus on other metrics. For those with higher GPA, it can only help, but don't make the mistake of relaxing as they typically look at the whole package a candidate is bringing to the table. Finally, for those with lower GPAs around 3.1 or less, there are ways to counter-balance a dental school GPA so that they don't have as strong of a bite when looking at the profile overall. That's too big of a topic to cover in a reply, but maybe that would be a good idea for a separate video. Hope this helps!

@@InternationalDentistCentral wow thank you SO much for that detailed response!I appreciate that very much since I have been trying to find information on that for so long. That would be a great topic for a video!

Sure thing, we'll plan for that!

It's Washington state.

Hi there, a 2.4 is something that can be overcome, though it's not easy. Feel free to reach out to us and we can help guide you with how to approach this.

You're welcome! Yes, we will take note of this 😊

Thanks for your comment! Teaching posts certainly can be hard to come by, especially in cities where competition for those posts is high. If I were truly interested in obtaining a teaching post, I'd probably start by reaching out to professors or even universities to see if they'd appreciate my help as a teaching assistant (free of charge). Teachers are overworked and while some might decline free assistance from a qualified dentist such as yourself, there's likely to be some that would appreciate it. Once you prove yourself a valuable asset to the professor or department, now you have powerful voices on the inside that will vouch for you the next time a new paid position opens up. Another good way of becoming competitive is to get some research (or some more research) under your belt. Again, I'd reach out to professors that do research and offer either your time to help them with their research. They might even be interested in having access to your local clinic or patient-pool if the research was a good fit and your patients were onboard. In this way, you can add their interesting and impressive research projects *onto your CV* and take some credit for that research just because you were involved. Also, you can get a great letter of recommendation at the end which you can use when applying to a US/Canadian dental school. Hope this helps and wishing you the best!

@@InternationalDentistCentral Thank you so much for the advice!

Yes, though most people do it the other way - school first, then residency. You'll likely get into a better residency program if you do school first.

It depends on the state, they set their own rules!

UCLA has a lot of different programs. I’m wondering if you’re referring to their Advanced Clinical Training Programs? Those are not accredited, so you will not get a license after finishing them. Good addition to your resume though. Best of luck!

Absolutely! :)

Hi Lu, thanks so much for your comment! It's a great question, and while there's no simple answer that will work for everyone, let me say this: don't underestimate the importance of gaining real-world dentistry experience in your home country before deciding to come to the US/Canada. Many advanced-standing dental candidates make the mistake of foregoing any work as an associate dentist in their home country after graduation and immediately immigrate to North America. Without at least 1-2 years of experience as a practicing dentist in your home country, you risk being categorized as a less-qualified/experienced candidate when compared to the majority of candidates who apply for advanced standing programs. You may also consider volunteering your time as a dental research assistant at a nearby dental university for a few hours per week while working as an associate dentist in Japan during the few years after your graduation. Another option is to consider finding an internship with a dental tool/equipment manufacturer in Japan, as a lot of high-end dental equipment used all around the world is designed and manufactured there (I've worked with candidates who have interned at Kilgore for example). With such a combo, you're likely to be solidly competitive. Hope this helps!

@@InternationalDentistCentral thank you so much for the detailed response!! It was super helpful!! Now I have a better image of what I can do to achieve practicing in the US. I have participated in two research program during my dental school and I’m currently trying to participate in a third one. Also Yes I do plan on practicing in Japan for 2 years at least before applying for advanced standing program , and from your suggestion I will try to look for any internship that I can participate in dental product company. Thanks again for all the suggestion. Hope I can use your great service when I start to apply for US programs!!

Wonderful to hear that you’re on the right track!

Hey there - thanks for the kind words Dr. Silppa and wishing you nothing but success on your journey to becoming a US dentist!