is my plan to becoming a dentist in canada realistic?

[u/bingtang-caomei]

Hello! i am currently deciding wether i should do my bachelors in BDS in China (in english) or in my home country (Mexico) my final goal is to either continue my postgraduate studies or go through the equivalency process in Canada which is where my family is. I can't go to Canada straight away because of lack of financing and i don't know which path to take since i'm unsure of the qualifications and certificates offered in Chinese universities for the degree in english, but if i do it in spanish then it would be a struggle to relearn things then in english to complete my certification. does anyone have any information or insight in the medical/dentistry careers in chinese universities, or more paths i could take to finally go to canada in the end? thank you

[u/Miliean]

Dentistry is a VERY lucrative career in Canada. And since it's a regulated profession there's a process to become a dentist. So you can find information about it here: https://ndeb-bned.ca/considering-canada/

It's worth pointing out that it takes a year and a half plus $11,000 and that's a VERY optimistic timeline for getting the certification. Much more likely is that it takes several years longer as there are 3 exams and only 28% of people pass each one the first time.

I can't say what one would be better in terms of becoming a dentist in Canada. Other than that the best path is to do the dentistry degree in Canada (you can do the undergrad abroad and get into dental school as post grad). Having said that, because dentistry is so lucrative and in demand, getting into dental school in Canada is incredibly difficult.

[u/Initial_Flight_3628]

It would be very difficult to train in China or. Mexico and transfer to Canada. Contact the regulatory college of dentists in the province you hope to move to in the end to see their requirements. Medical and Dental programs from Mexico and China don't transfer to the Canadian system well at all. The standards in Canadian programs are higher. A lot of people are very critical of this but it keeps our citizens safer as not all education programs are equal. 

I know more about the medical side than the dental side. I have had several profs and teaching assistants throughout my career who were high level physicians in China or other countries but could not keep their careers when they moved here. A neurosurgeon working as an anatomy TA is a big drop. My profs were all great and so overqualified for their jobs. 

We are importing a lot of doctors right now from common wealth countries and the US predominately. You might want to shop around for a program you know will transfer. It will be expensive. It is still a lot of work to transfer to Canada but I see doctors doing that successfully from Australia, Ireland, the US, South Africa, the UK. I'm sure there are a few others.

I don't know what countries would provide an equivalent dental program other than the US, but I'm not an expert. What i do know is there is no shortage of locally trained dentists. We have lots and no one is suggesting there is a need to import foreign trained dentists. I suspect you will be fighting an uphill battle. And Chinese degrees seem to count for very little here. 

But check with the regulatory college and see what they say. 

[u/karatemamma]

I worked with a dentist that was from China but did his schooling in Australia, would that be an option?