{ "version": "https://jsonfeed.org/version/1.1", "title": "Dental Pathways by Dr. Apurva Dabak", "home_page_url": "https://www.apurvadabak.com/", "feed_url": "https://www.apurvadabak.com/feed.json", "description": "Practical guides and mentorship for foreign-trained dentists applying to US Advanced Standing (IDP) DDS programs: profile building, CAAPID, interviews, bench tests and life in dental school.", "language": "en", "authors": [ { "name": "Dr. Apurva Dabak", "url": "https://www.apurvadabak.com/about/" } ], "items": [ { "id": "https://www.apurvadabak.com/blog/a-newbie-to-the-dds-pond/", "url": "https://www.apurvadabak.com/blog/a-newbie-to-the-dds-pond/", "title": "A newbie to the DDS pond", "summary": "New to the US DDS route? What DDS, DMD and Advanced Standing (IDP) programs are, and the first steps foreign-trained dentists should plan before applying.", "content_text": "Hey there! I am Apurva Dabak, your DDS mentor if “D.D.S.” are the words that tickle you and are all you dream about. In this blog, I am going to share all the initial information about DDS. If you are someone who wants to explore this option after you have been trained in your own country, this blog is for you.\n\n## What is DDS?\n\nDoctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) or Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) is a doctorate program of the dental profession. Around the world, these are equivalent to a BDS, DDS (like in South Korea), etc. Specializations in dentistry are called “residencies” in the United States. These residencies may or may not be associated with an MS degree, for example a Master of Science in Prosthodontics or Orthodontics. It varies from university to university.\n\n## What is the IDP or Advanced Standing Program?\n\nA program specifically designed for foreign dental graduates who wish to obtain dental licensure in the United States is called an IDP (International Dental Program or International Dental Pathway), an Advanced Standing Program for Foreign-Trained Dentists, and so on. Each university has come up with its own title for the program.\n\n## First steps\n\nHere are some of the initial steps you will need to think through before you start applying to DDS programs:\n\n- Profile-building strategy\n- Which schools to apply to\n- Entrance exams like TOEFL, ADAT, GRE, etc.\n- Statement of purpose\n- Evaluation letters\n- Financial security\n\nThe entire DDS process is lengthy and strenuous. It tests your patience, perseverance and hard work. Discipline, time management, focus and passion will help you get through any hurdles that come along the way to achieving your DDS!\n\nRegards,\n\nDr. Apurva Dabak, BDS, MPH, DDS", "date_published": "2023-10-29T00:00:00.000Z", "date_modified": "2023-10-29T00:00:00.000Z", "tags": [ "Explore" ] }, { "id": "https://www.apurvadabak.com/blog/first-week-of-dds-program/", "url": "https://www.apurvadabak.com/blog/first-week-of-dds-program/", "title": "Ready, set, go! What to expect in the first week of the DDS program", "summary": "Starting an Advanced Standing DDS program? What happens in the first week, from ID cards and portals to instruments, scrubs, laptops and health insurance.", "content_text": "Hey friends, thanks for tuning in to Dental Pathways. In this blog, I will share what to expect when you start a DDS program. These are general events that most schools arrange for incoming students; however, every school has its peculiarities, and yours may differ from what I share here.\n\n## Access\n\nSchools will arrange for you to get your ID card at the student office. This ID card is used to access clinic and laboratory entrances, and sometimes student lounges and classrooms.\n\n## Email\n\nBy this time, you should have received your institutional email address. Faculty and the school’s student affairs office will mainly communicate with you through this address. It’s a good idea to bookmark it in your browser.\n\n## Institute learning portal\n\nEach institution has its own portal where it shares details about your curriculum. Schedules for clinics, rotations, exams and lectures will be available there. The names differ from school to school. It is extremely important to learn to navigate it, because you will use it throughout your DDS.\n\n## Campus tour\n\nAt the start of the program, the administration will arrange a tour of the clinics, student lounges, laboratories, etc. It’s a good idea to ask about campus transportation between these facilities and your home. Most campuses provide in-house transportation and have this information in their apps.\n\n## Clinic software\n\nEach institution uses a different software system for its clinic. Ask a senior student or IT staff for advice on navigating this overwhelming-looking software. Sometimes a simple internet search or YouTube video will give you plenty of insight into everyday operations.\n\n## Dental instruments\n\nIn the first few weeks, you will receive several boxes full of dental instruments. These usually include restorative, prosthodontic, endodontic, periodontic and handpiece cassettes. You will also get bur blocks, impression dispensers, materials used in the clinics, and articulators. Buy instrument carriers or organizers, because it’s going to get chaotic very soon once you start simulation laboratory exercises!\n\n## Scrubs\n\nSome schools provide scrubs, usually in standard colors decided by the school. You will be asked to choose sizes for your scrubs, lab coat and white coat for the upcoming white coat ceremony. How exciting! In my experience, it’s a good idea to have at least five pairs of scrubs or workwear so you can get through the week without doing laundry. If you live in a colder climate, you might also need an undershirt or a jacket.\n\n## Electronic gadgets\n\nSome schools provide a laptop or iPad. The school’s website will also list the laptop configuration you need if you decide to skip buying from school and use your own. If you use your own, check your student portal and remember to deduct the cost of the device you didn’t purchase! IT staff will usually help you install all the required software.\n\n## Insurance\n\nHealth insurance is mandatory for students. If you have your own coverage, you can waive the insurance provided by your institution, which can save you several hundred dollars each quarter or semester. If you get coverage through school, you’ll pay an additional premium as part of your tuition each term. The benefit of being insured through your institution is that everything stays in sync. For example, vaccines you get are updated in your profile faster than when you use outside health services.\n\n## The first few months\n\nThese are just some examples of how the first few weeks of DDS start off. Prepare yourself for an extremely busy first two to three months. And I know you’ve got this! Try to be as organized as possible and plan your meals and workouts. Managing your nutrition and exercise will put you in a comfortable place when the long hours hit.\n\nI wish you the best of luck and a successful time in this dream program of yours! It will surely fly by.\n\nDr. Apurva Dabak, BDS, MPH, DDS\nUCSF School of Dentistry | UC Berkeley School of Public Health", "date_published": "2023-02-15T00:00:00.000Z", "date_modified": "2023-02-15T00:00:00.000Z", "tags": [ "Start DDS" ] }, { "id": "https://www.apurvadabak.com/blog/practicing-or-pausing/", "url": "https://www.apurvadabak.com/blog/practicing-or-pausing/", "title": "Practicing or pausing?", "summary": "Submitted your dental school applications? How to use the wait for interview invites to prepare for IDP interviews, MMIs and bench (practical) exams.", "content_text": "Hey there! Thanks for visiting my blog at Apurva Dabak’s Dental Pathways. It’s always a pleasure to have fellow dentists from all around the world check out my write-ups.\n\nWhat have you been up to? Practicing or pausing?\n\nThis blog is for all dental school applicants who are done submitting their applications and are now waiting for invites to drop into their inboxes. Perhaps you refreshed your inbox just now.\n\nHere is my take on using this waiting time to your maximum benefit.\n\n## Interview preparation\n\nGather information about the interview styles the schools you applied to use. You want to know whether it is behavioral, ethical, dental-knowledge focused, or in MMI (multiple mini interview) format.\n\nTalk to current students and alumni about their interview experiences. When you speak with them, be as specific as you can so you get the important information.\n\nMake a list of questions you have commonly come across, either yourself or from others.\n\nNext, prepare answers to those commonly asked questions. I like to prepare my answers in bullets and understand what I am saying and why. Then I elaborate on those points in the interview, depending on the question.\n\nOnce you are familiar with your answers, it’s time to practice them! I am more comfortable seeing myself on camera than in a mirror, so I like to practice questions using my phone camera. But talking in front of a mirror is an equally good way to practice.\n\nAnd that’s it! You are ready to rock and roll on interview day. Other ways to prepare are mock interviews with a professional advisor and practice interviews with a friend or family member.\n\n## Bench test preparation\n\nFor schools that conduct bench exams, now is the perfect time to start gearing up. Most bench exam sections can be tackled successfully with continuous, dedicated, perfect practice.\n\nPractice as if every preparation is your way to acceptance. Get your preparations critiqued by professionals so you know where you stand.\n\nAs mentioned earlier, gather information about which exercises to expect at each school and practice accordingly. Some schools conduct a lengthy bench exam with more than five exercises; for those, you also want to practice time management.\n\nThat’s it for today. I do conduct mock interviews. If you are interested, [book a time](/mentorship/) or reach out on Instagram [@apurvadabak](https://www.instagram.com/apurvadabak/).\n\nThanks for tuning in! Good luck!\n\nDr. Apurva Dabak’s Dental Pathways", "date_published": "2022-08-07T00:00:00.000Z", "date_modified": "2022-08-07T00:00:00.000Z", "tags": [ "Interview & bench" ] }, { "id": "https://www.apurvadabak.com/blog/submitting-caapid-application/", "url": "https://www.apurvadabak.com/blog/submitting-caapid-application/", "title": "Submitting your CAAPID application?", "summary": "A final checklist before you submit your CAAPID or supplemental applications. Personal details, SOP limits, letters, school questions, documents and scores.", "content_text": "Hi there! If you are looking for the last check-offs before you hit that submit button, you are in the right place. This blog covers some pointers to remember before you “final submit” your CAAPID or supplemental applications.\n\n## Personal details\n\nNow would be a good time to check your details, like contact information and visa/immigration status, for any updates since you started the application.\n\n## Statement of purpose\n\nAlthough you would like to make more edits to your SOP and you are forcing yourself to get over it, stay within the character or word limit! I remember having to edit for a few more days because I went over the character limit. Word versus character limits make a huge difference; the latter (sometimes!) counts spaces as characters. Add any recent experiences that are significant to you as an applicant and dentist and that showcase your interest in DDS.\n\nThere are two different places where you can enter your SOP or Personal Statement (PS). The PS is a general document, not specific to any school. Keep them separate and add your documents accordingly.\n\n## Letters of recommendation\n\nMake sure you have sent requests to your recommenders. It’s a good idea to remind evaluators if you are waiting on them. Check the deadline in the request you sent; if it has already expired, send another request with an updated deadline.\n\n## Additional questions\n\nSome schools ask questions within CAAPID that need to be answered before you submit. Some might be tough and need extra time. Take your time, and in the meantime, if you have answered all the questions for a particular school, go ahead and submit just that school. Don’t wait until every application is ready. You need to be fast at turning these in!\n\n## Additional documents\n\nThis section is an opportunity to showcase any additional information or proof of knowledge you have gathered over the years. Here you can submit a CV or resume, additional letters of recommendation, certificates, experience letters, etc. If you have a fourth or fifth evaluator who is willing to open their letter and scan it for you, you can submit those scanned letters here. Don’t hesitate to add extra letters, but remember that a variety of evaluators adds more value to your profile.\n\nRead my [Profile Building Guide](/blog/profile-building-guide/) for CV writing and competitive profile strategies.\n\n## Reporting scores\n\nSubmitting scores for the INBDE (or NBDE Parts I & II), TOEFL, ECE or other evaluations, the ADAT, or any other exam a school requires can be a grueling yet important task. The one thing to remember: you can always update these even after you have submitted your application!\n\nThat’s all I have for you to keep track of while submitting your CAAPID applications. Once you are done with this step, read [what to do while you wait for schools to respond](/blog/practicing-or-pausing/). Follow me on Instagram [@apurvadabak](https://www.instagram.com/apurvadabak/), where I share the latest about Dental Pathways, dental school and my life. Take care!", "date_published": "2022-05-25T00:00:00.000Z", "date_modified": "2022-05-25T00:00:00.000Z", "tags": [ "Apply (CAAPID)" ] }, { "id": "https://www.apurvadabak.com/blog/profile-building-guide/", "url": "https://www.apurvadabak.com/blog/profile-building-guide/", "title": "Profile Building Guide", "summary": "How foreign-trained dentists can build a competitive Advanced Standing profile through networking, research, dental assisting, hands-on courses and a strong CV.", "content_text": "Hey there, thanks for checking out my new blog. In case you missed the first session on profile building, here you can find the resources I mentioned in the session and more. I used these resources and found them quite helpful. Read through these and feel free to reach out with questions.\n\nThe COVID pandemic raised many challenges for the dental profession, and especially for DDS aspirants trying to find appropriate opportunities. With those challenges in mind, I put together a list of experiences and exposures that you can build up as part of a competitive dental school application.\n\n## Network or no work\n\nReach out to as many current students, alumni and dentists as you can. Create an informal network of people from the dental schools you are interested in. Every dental school has its own uniqueness in the DDS/IDS curriculum, and that information will be valuable when you interview at those schools. When you come across unique projects or ideas, approach the people working on them and ask about open volunteering or work opportunities. Don’t be shy to reach out; most people are friendly and approachable. What’s the worst that could happen? They say no or don’t respond. No problem, don’t give up!\n\n## Dental schools\n\nDental school websites list many opportunities for pre-dental students and international scholars. As Advanced Standing Program applicants, we are eligible for most of these. I highly recommend going through every dental school’s website thoroughly and approaching faculty, alumni and current students as needed.\n\n## Online didactic courses or certifications\n\nThe Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC has a variety of online courses that I found helpful, along with online master’s and certificate programs. Not many other dental schools offer academic dentistry courses online, but I will update this list as I come across others.\n\n## COVID services\n\nCOVID response teams all over the world opened many public health, leadership and volunteering opportunities. If you are planning to apply for any of these roles, I recommend completing [this free online contact-tracing course by Johns Hopkins](https://www.coursera.org/learn/covid-19-contact-tracing). Some of the roles:\n\n- Case Investigator (CI)\n- Contact Tracer (CT)\n- CICT leadership roles\n- Vaccination site volunteering or paid roles like greeter, coordinator, etc.\n- Tech and back-end roles\n- Vaccination site leadership roles\n- Content creation and public education roles\n\n## Research\n\nResearch with your school, researchers, students, faculty, or your own: research departments at dental schools are one of the best ways to start getting research exposure if you don’t have it already. A few master’s programs include introductory research methodology training in their curriculum. From my personal experience, those projects won’t give you the kind of exposure that is needed in research. The best way to learn how research is conducted is to perform your own! There are many introductory courses on research methodology and biostatistics/data analysis on Coursera.\n\n## Dental auxiliary\n\nWhether you plan on working as a DA or RDA while trying to get into dental school, getting these certificates or completing these courses will give you an edge in finding good jobs in dental offices. The methods you learn will get you used to dental back offices and give you an overall perspective on how a working office runs. Some institutes that offer dental auxiliary courses in Northern California:\n\n- [Dental Advantage](http://www.dentaladvantage.com/)\n- [dental-specialties.com](https://www.dental-specialties.com/)\n- [Fortis](https://www.fortis.edu/)\n- [EFDAA Services](https://efdaaservices.com/)\n\n## Hands-on courses\n\nI was constantly searching for good virtual hands-on courses in dentistry. I joined school before I could take any of them, but here are some available options:\n\n- [Hands Online Live](https://www.handsonlinelive.com/)\n- Stevenson Dental Solutions\n- Dr. Duggan’s courses\n- [Colgate Oral Health Network CE courses](https://www.colgateoralhealthnetwork.com/dental-ce-courses/)\n- [RIPE Global](https://www.ripeglobal.com/)\n\n## Your X factor!\n\nWork on your hobbies, interests and extracurriculars, and look for opportunities that might fit on your resume. For example: starting a food blog, a start-up idea or business, an academic position at an art school, earning a certificate, or winning a photography, hiking or other sports competition. These mentions on your resume will be your X factor, setting you apart from the many ordinary experiences schools and dentists read on applicants’ resumes.\n\n## Digital dentistry\n\nI don’t have much experience with digital dentistry. But if you have opportunities to volunteer, work or learn at any cutting-edge digital dentistry venture, that would be the perfect cherry on the cake.\n\n## Resume\n\nYour CV or resume is going to be one of the most important parts of your application. Here is a resume format I started with while applying to dental schools: the [Boston University Resume Writing Guide](https://www.bu.edu/dental/students/careers/library/resume-writing-guide/).\n\n## Wait and take a deep breath!\n\nAfter all the effort you have put into getting your name to stand out, take a break. Remember, dentistry is not your entire LIFE! Disconnect from CAAPID for a while and try to connect with yourself. You have given your 100% and you have all it takes to be in the seat you have been wanting for the last many months or years. And one day it will be yours!\n\nGood luck,\n\nApurva Dabak, BDS, MPH, DDS", "date_published": "2022-01-24T00:00:00.000Z", "date_modified": "2022-01-24T00:00:00.000Z", "tags": [ "Build your profile" ] }, { "id": "https://www.apurvadabak.com/blog/profile-building-101/", "url": "https://www.apurvadabak.com/blog/profile-building-101/", "title": "Profile Building 101", "summary": "Recording of a profile-building session for foreign-trained dentists. The key parts of a CAAPID application and what makes a strong Advanced Standing profile.", "content_text": "Hey there!\n\nAre you interested in learning my views on how to build your profile as a competitive applicant for Advanced Standing Programs for Foreign-Trained Dentists?\n\nI conducted our first session of the year on January 7, 2022. It was a good session with many talented applicants. I talked about the essential components of CAAPID applications and what factors make up a strong profile, the caveats of a COVID world, and how to navigate some of those challenges to strengthen your profile and get as much exposure as you can. Sounds interesting and fun, right?\n\n## Watch the recording\n\nIf you missed the session, not to worry. You can find the recording here:\n\n**[Profile Building 101 session recording (Google Drive)](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1K7aCrEaGRojAh7jw0U-ubkIlv0Kkocqn?usp=sharing)**\n\nFor the resources mentioned in the session, read the follow-up post, the [Profile Building Guide](/blog/profile-building-guide/).", "date_published": "2022-01-09T00:00:00.000Z", "date_modified": "2023-02-15T00:00:00.000Z", "tags": [ "Build your profile" ] } ] }