Career in secondary (hospital)/primary care

(general dental practice)

1. What career opportunity are you hoping to find in the UK?
2. Have you researched the employment situation? Are you building on experience you already possess from your home country?
3. Can any of your existing experience/training be taken into consideration in the UK ?
4. Are you on a specialist list in your home country or do you require further training or exams before coming to the UK.
5. The healthcare system in the UK has changed. It is no longer possible to start an NHS practice in any part of the UK. Local services are managed by LETBE’s.
6. Opportunities for employment may be greater in parts of the country away from the south east and where there are no dental teaching hospitals.

Financial Considerations on Arrival To UK

• How long are you going to give yourself in order to find a post or pass exams?
• You need to be very realistic and work out how long you can afford to be without any income. You are likely to be asked if you have sufficient funds to support yourself when applying for a visa.
• It may be better to come initially to the UK by yourself rather than arriving with a family which puts increased strain on finances.
• If you cannot find a job don’t underestimate the effect of becoming de-skilled, and the effects of depression at not being able to work in the profession for which you trained. 
• Universities in the UK offer postgraduate degree programmes in a variety of dental subjects. The postgraduate courses offered may be at the level of a master’s degree or a doctorate.
• It is not advisable to apply for a postgraduate degree course in the UK immediately after passing your final BDS/Dental Degree examination. Most universities would prefer that applicants for higher degrees have at least two years clinical experience of working as a dentist before applying for a postgraduate degree course.
• In the UK a masters programmes can be a taught course or research based. In addition higher degree programmes can be offered in clinical and non-clinical subjects. A Masters course teaches research methods and is usually taken before considering a PhD programme.

GENERAL CHARGES

In general courses in clinical subjects tend to be more expensive than non clinical subjects. Overseas student charges will be applicable to most candidates and it is important that you also remember to take into consideration the cost of living expenses in the UK. University charges vary between universities so you need to look at each university website to make sure you know what additional expenses are involved (bench fees) and whether the course will provide tuition in the area you wish to study.

GENERAL POINTS TO CONSIDER

1. Your motivation for starting that particular course, where you are hoping to work on completion of the degree, will the degree awarded be of any help in becoming a specialist in that area either in your country or the UK, will the postgraduate degree from the UK be recognised in your home country.
2. In the UK the award of a higher degree in a clinical subject (MSc or PhD) will not mean that you are a specialist in that subject. However, a higher dental degree can form part of specialist training.
3. In the UK trainees in specialist clinical areas are awarded training numbers at the start of training and their training is monitored by the post graduate deanery.
4. A training number is not awarded or applied retrospectively. It is important that you confirm the status of your proposed degree either in the UK or with your own country before starting the course.
5. Be cautious about applying for non dental courses, which may be a lot cheaper, seem to have some links with for example: health services, social care, management, public/allied health sectors or esoteric research in applied science areas or business studies but have no relevance to dentistry you wish to practice either in the UK or to your home country.

For example there would be no point in studying for a degree in health service management in the UK if your real aim is to work and train as a specialist periodontist in your home country or the UK. As a general rule look for universities that have a proven track record of postgraduate dental degrees and ask yourself, will this postgraduate degree be of use in my home country. If you have any questions about courses in the UK or the relevance of a degree in the UK, please contact the NACPDE for advice.

… See Next Slide … 

for the official links to visit