10 Best Dental Residency Programs for Foreign Trained Dentists

Wondering about the best dental residency programs for foreign trained dentists?  One of the finer features of the higher education system in the United States is its ability to afford opportunities to the brightest pool of students from around the globe to study and make an impact at schools around the country.  These foreign students often end up making some of the most noteworthy contributions of any students in their field, and truly enhance the learning environment for all involved.  Dental programs in the United States are certainly no exception to this rule.  In providing advanced standing programs for foreign-trained dentists, US dental programs around the country invite some of the best and the brightest to share their knowledge and simultaneously continue their own learning journey at some of the finest institutions in the world.  So which dental programs offer the best opportunities for foreign-trained dentists?

To formulate this list, we thought it would make the most sense by creating an initial list of the best dental schools in the country without attaching any specific qualifiers to the list.  The idea behind this is that if the dental school is already renowned as one of the elite programs in the nation, it also stands to reason that any subsidiary programs under the umbrella of the dental school are likely to be exceptional as well.  Thus, if school X is repeatedly recognized as one of the best in its field, program Y, offered by school X is also likely to be among the best available.

With this in mind, we opted to utilize two of the most frequently–referenced lists of superior dental programs in the United States, each list utilizing its own sophisticated algorithm to generate a comprehensive ranking of elite dental programs, as a means of forming our own super list.  In citing each list, we aggregated rankings from the two and sorted schools by their combined score.  This is to say that if a school was ranked number one overall on one list and number five on the other, it received a combined score of six.  The school with the lowest combined score was ranked first overall on our list, the second-lowest score ranked second, and so on.  

Though we only maintained an official list of ten, we kept a few “honorable mentions” around–11th place, 12th place, etc.–in the event that one of the top 10 schools did not offer a dental residency program for foreign-trained dentists.  As it so happened, there were a couple of top 10 schools for whom this was true, allowing a pair of outsiders slip into our list.

Whether you’re an internationally-trained dental student seeking the best option to continue your education, or a US citizen hoping to find a dental program with a bit of diversity, we encourage you to peruse this list and check out some of the best dental residency programs for foreign trained dentists.  While you’re at it, you can check out schools on the other end of the spectrum, and have a look at the least-competitive dental schools in the US.  That’s going to be a lot of information to digest–don’t forget to floss!

10. Columbia College of Dental Medicine

The Columbia College of Dental Medicine offers internationally-trained dental students a custom-designed post-doctoral externship ranging from one month to one year depending on individual needs and interests.  The program that ranks 10th in our list of best dental residency programs for foreign trained dentists, grants participants the opportunity to study, attend and learn in an array of settings, including Prosthodontics, Orthodontics, Implants and Periodontics, and Endodontics.  Though irreplicable in the sense of the invaluable experience that the program affords its participants, the externship does not actually serve as a substitute for time spent in an accredited post-doctoral academic certification program, nor does it make students eligible for board examinations.  Nonetheless, it can serve as a great springboard for those hoping to gain more experience before jumping into an academic post-doctoral program.

9. USC Ostrow School of Dentistry

Designed to provide foreign-trained students with the skills and competencies necessary to ultimately earn their Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree, this two-year program makes its participants eligible to sit for board examinations required for licensure in the field of dentistry.  During this period, students spend the first eight months absorbing ground-level academic and technical procedure-based knowledge before progressing to clinical rotations for the remainder of the program.  To be admitted, applicants must have already earned a relevant dentistry degree abroad (Bachelor of Dentistry, Doctor of Dental Surgery, Doctor of Dental Medicine, etc.), and also must undergo testing to evaluate knowledge in operative dentistry and prosthodontics. And now, let’s see what else we have in our list of best dental residency programs for foreign trained dentists.

8. Florida College of Dentistry

With two distinct programs on offer available for internationally-trained dentists looking to become eligible for licensure, UF’s College of Dentistry affords foreign students a two or four-year track.  The former takes place in Hialeah, Florida and bestows upon its 12 accepted students a certificate of completion with which graduates become eligible to sit for board examinations in the state of Florida only.  The latter program takes place on the school’s Gainesville campus and though a bit more demanding in terms of time commitment, enables those who complete it to become eligible for board examinations in any of the states within the US.  Those applying to the two year program must have a minimum internet-based TOEFL score of 80 and have successfully completed part one of the National Dental Board Examination.  Four-year program applicants are subject to the same TOEFL requirements, but also must earn a minimum score of 15 on the Dental Admission Test (DAT).  By offering two different routes to licensure eligibility, Florida makes twice as strong a case for a spot among the best dental residency programs for foreign trained dentists.

7. BU Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine

Boasting an impressive roster of internationally-trained students from over 20 countries, the Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine’s two-year Advanced Standing program is custom-designed for applicants hoping to ultimately practice dentistry in the US.  Offering a gamut of opportunities for research-based learning–ranging from pancreatic cancer to stem cell biology, mentorship, community outreach, and clinical experience that emphasizes oral health, this Boston-based contender among the best dental residency programs for foreign trained dentists bestows upon its graduates a degree in Doctor of Dental Medicine (DDM).  Students in GSDM progress at their own pace after demonstrating mastery of each procedure, and are required to pass part one of the National Board Dental Examination as well as presenting the international equivalent of the Doctor of Dental Medicine degree as application criteria.

6. University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine

Designed for graduates of foreign dental programs that hope to practice dentistry in the United States, Penn’s Program for Advanced Standing Students (PASS) offers foreign-trained students a two and a half-year program, which, upon completion, grants students eligibility to sit for licensing examinations in any state.  PASS students benefit from being exempt from taking basic science courses when they join second year dental students, and instead are able to participate in unique seminars and pre-clinical laboratory programs.  After completing their second year, students become fully-integrated into the dental school and complete their third and fourth years of study in the fashion as all other dental school students, with exposure to clinical rotations, study abroad options, preceptorships with master clinicians, and externships.

5. University of Washington School of Dentistry

For qualified foreign-trained graduates, the University of Washington International Dentist DDS Program that ranks 5th in our list of best dental residency programs for foreign trained dentists offers the unique opportunity to earn a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree and become eligible for board examinations in all 50 US states.  The two and a half-year program is modeled after a standard clerkship predoctoral program, with classroom lectures and clinical rotations that emphasize direct patient care.  In order to gain admission, applicants must hold a foreign degree from an accredited university that is accepted by the University of Washington, though graduates can ultimately meet requirements for licensure in the state of Washington by earning a degree from one of the school’s graduate programs that provides clinical training.

4. UC San Francisco School of Dentistry

Admitting 28 foreign-trained dentists per year, the UC San Francisco International Dentist Program (IDP) that ranks 4th in our list of best dental residency programs for foreign trained dentists, spans over the course of eight academic quarters (two years), and bestows upon its graduates a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree.  The program, in essence, runs parallel to a standard dental school track, with international students joining third-year students for clinical rotations in their first year, and then immersing themselves in clinical care programs with fourth-year students in their second year.  As a means of satisfying academic requirements, international students attend lab courses as well as lectures in order to supplement any pre-doctoral coursework they may be missing.  In addition to the presentation of a dental degree from a foreign country and a passing score on part one of the National Board examinations, applicants must also be VISA-eligible, score 95 or better on the internet-based TOEFL test, and produce three letters of recommendation.

3. NYU College of Dentistry

Boasting an alumni base that’s over 1300-strong with representation from over 94 countries, NYU College of Dentistry makes a strong case as one of the best dental residency programs for foreign trained dentists by combining pre-clinical and clinical exposure, as well as summer programs that are designed to provide students with a wealth of valuable experience.  Offering experience in a variety of departments ranging from Oral Surgery to Esthetic Dentistry, NYU’s program serves as an excellent option for students that plan to practice outside of the United States, as the program does not qualify participants for licensure eligibility.  Despite this, the program offers one, two, or three-year tracks and affords students exposure to a bounty of research-based elective courses that can broaden student knowledge in the dental field.

2. UCLA School of Dentistry

Foreign-trained dentists looking to continue their dental education and ultimately obtain their Doctor of Dental Surgery degree have the opportunity of enrolling in UCLA’s Professional Program for International Dentists (PPID), a two-year advanced standing program with 20 available slots for international students, which starts in late May and continues for 25 consecutive months.  In training students, the program offers a combination of clinical and classroom-based education, with the aim of ensuring that all graduates are adequately prepared to provide comprehensive dental care in any US state.  In much the same style as UC San Francisco’s international student program, UCLA’s PPID students are integrated into third-year classes with other dentistry students after completing rigorous summer coursework, where they gain exposure to the same research experience and clinical opportunities as a traditional UCLA student.

1. University of Michigan School of Dentistry

Graduates of foreign dental schools have the opportunity to earn their Doctor of Dental Surgery degree at Michigan’s school of dentistry via the Internationally Trained Dentist Program (ITDP).  Beginning in January each year, the 28-month program borrows from the structures of the aforementioned UCLA and UCSF programs, though Michigan’s 20 ITDP students first matriculate into a hybrid semester with second-year students before fully joining third-years in the following semester.  All program applicants are subject to a mandatory interview, as well as an examination utilizing manikins, after which they will receive notifications regarding their admission status.  With a vast array of research and clinical exposure opportunities, Michigan’s ITDP makes a strong case as the outright number one option among the best dental residency programs for foreign trained dentists.