HOW TO

BECOME A
DENTIST IN USA

A Step By Step Guide to Start Working Or

Studying In The USA For Dentists.

By

Sergio F. Calleja Blanco, DDS, MPH.

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 © Copyright (2018) by (Sergio F. Calleja Blanco) - All rights reserved.
It is not legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this
document in either electronic means or printed format. Recording of this
publication is strictly prohibited.

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 This Book is dedicated to:

Dentists and Dental Students.

This book was created by a dentist for dentists and dental students. This

book is dedicated to them. Dental school is one of the most difficult professions to

study, and one of the most fulfilling too. If you are studying dentistry or if you are

a dentist already, your mindset should be the following one: “If I was/am able to

study this profession, I can obtain whatever goal I decide for myself in life” Just by

been part of this profession, you already proved yourself that you are capable to

pursue hard and complex activities. This book is dedicated to you, to continue that

chain of success.

Sergio F. Calleja Blanco, DDS, MPH.

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 Table of Contents

Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1
PART I: Work Options For Dentists In The USA .............................................................. 5
Introduction ............................................................................................................. 6
Chapter One: Working And Studying Paths, Plus Alternatives ............................. 7
Chapter Two: Directly Finding A Job As A Dentist............................................. 10
Chapter Three: Studying To Obtain A USA Dental Degree................................. 18
Chapter Four: Salary And Income Opportunities ................................................. 26
PART II: Obtaining A Dental Degree In The USA .......................................................... 30
Introduction ........................................................................................................... 31
Chapter Five: The Basics ...................................................................................... 32
Chapter Six: Exams You Need to Take ................................................................ 37
Chapter Seven: How To Apply? ........................................................................... 48
Acknowledgments............................................................................................................. 60
About the Author .............................................................................................................. 61

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 Introduction

When I started this journey to become a dentist in the USA many years ago,

the main actions that took me further ahead to finally be accepted at the #1 dental

school in the world, to be accepted at my oral and maxillofacial surgery residency

and to be able to work freely as a dentist in the USA, was to find reliable

information, preparation and believe that it was posible. For the same reason I want

to congratulate you first. I want to tell you, it is an excellent move to be ahead and

find resources like this book or other information to achieve your goal to be able to

work as a dentist in the USA or to study and obtain a dental degree in the USA.

When you are looking for resources and being proactive, finding out what is

needed, it means you are in the right path. Taking the steps forward to obtain

reliable information will set the good and solid foundations you need to be

successful in the following years.

This book was made for dental students and dentist who want to be able to

work or study in the USA. No matter how long or short work experience you may

have. I have meet and helped over the last years dentist and dental students with

long working experience and non-work experience at all. Dentists with high and

Low GPAs, dentist with tons or no research experiences, dentists with a vast

community service experience and others with no experience at all. We all are

different, and anyone can come to study and work as a dentist in the USA. Any

dentist can do it if they really commit and do their best.

 In the next pages you will find a basic guide to help you achieve your goal

to work or study in the USA. I will explain you the different paths to be able to

work as a dentist and the benefits of each. You will be exposed to the steps and the

normal process flow to find and complete all the required materials to be able to

work or study. I tried to keep it as simple as possible, and in a coherent way so you

don’t waste time doing things irrelevant to your main objective. Meanwhile, in the

case you are not yet sure if becoming a dentist in the USA is a good option for you,

I hope this book will clarify the process, the benefits, and results you can obtain in

the long term by taking this decision and making it a reality.

To clarify what we will show you here, I want you to know that here you

will find an easy step by step guide for dentists who have no idea from where to

start this process to become a dentist in the USA. I will explain you the different

and multiple job options besides just a regular general dentist job. I will also show

you in a concise way some information available regarding dentists’ income. This

way you will know how much money you will be able to make, and you can

compare to your home country.

A lot of people thought I was crazy when I decided to start this process.

More than once, I was told that it was going to be impossible or that it was better

to find a stable work around people that I knew back home. All that was supposed

to be easier. That same people now complain that they have not done anything

interesting with their life, these dentists have the same salary for years, they have

not changed for the better. They keep working for the same doctor or corporation

that makes them work extra hours, for a company they see don’t provide the best

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equipment and they feel they can’t provide the best care for their patients. They feel

stuck in the same place for the last 10 years and they have not moved to far

professionally. If you want your life to be fulfilling as a dentist and exceptionally

well lived, you need to move out of your comfort zone. I would encourage you to

follow your instinct and make your dreams come true by taking action and not

waiting for this just happen in life without putting the extra effort. Just the making

of this book alone proves wrong all that people who discouraged me. Similarly, it

made me realize that all the people who supported me, is the people I want to have

close for the rest of my life. Over the last 4 years, before the publication of this

book I have guided multiple dentists in this path to be able to work or study in the

USA with excellent results. I made this book to make all this information available

to more fellow dentists and dental students. And to make this information more

accessible for the current needs of dentists that want to be able to work in different

places in the world.

I would also advise you to start working in your process to become a dentist

in the USA as soon as you start reading this book. If you are not happy with the

way your current dental life is happening, do not wait for changes to happen alone.

Specially, if you have family, children or a heavy current dental practice or job. It

is always better to start as soon as possible. Taking the time to make changes

requires deliberate action, and a purposeful plan will only work while you keep

yourself motivated. Waiting long to decide or commit, will only make this process

more frustrating. With the guide of this book you will be much better prepared to

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do the work that is needed, make the changes required in your life to support your

dream and take the adequate time to prepare to be successful.

Finally, I made this book concise enough, so you will be able to fully read

it in no more than 3-4 hours. And I can assure you that these will be the best 3-4

hours spend for YOUR DENTAL FUTURE and your future dental carrier in the

USA.

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Calleja Blanco / HOW TO BECOME A DENTIST IN USA

PART I:

Work Options For Dentists In The USA

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Calleja Blanco / HOW TO BECOME A DENTIST IN USA

Introduction

The first question to ask yourself is what is the reason you want to become

a USA Licensed Dentist? Are you applying to an International Dentist Program to

get a license and practice (work) in the USA? Do you want to get a better life than

at your country of origin? Do you want to just study and maybe come back to your

home country? Are you trying to make a change in your life by living in USA? Or

are you just wanting to work in the USA without further studying? There is no right

or wrong answer, but it is very important to know the reason you want to work or

study in the USA. It could be for a long or a short time. You can obtain a dental

degree or specialty program in the USA and with both you will be able to work

more freely in the USA. Depending on the path you want to follow, it will make for

different decisions you need to take. The pages in this book have information I have

collected over many years. And information out of the experience to successfully

achieving my goal to study and work in the USA. In the following chapters, I will

explain you the different paths option you have, and we will dig into the specifics

of each one. This way, later you can make an informed decision on what you want

to do, according to your expectations and future aspirations.

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Calleja Blanco / HOW TO BECOME A DENTIST IN USA

Chapter One:

Working And Studying Paths, Plus Alternatives

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THE FOLLOWING PAGES ARE NOT PART OF THE

SAMPLE VERSION

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Calleja Blanco / HOW TO BECOME A DENTIST IN USA

Acknowledgments

I want to thank everyone who has encourage me to obtain my goals in life,

but I would also like to use this opportunity to say thank you to all the people who

was not supportive. Why? Because they gave me the inner power and strength to

prove them wrong. They made my goals a challenge more than just a dream, that

turned out to be a successfully achieved dream.

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Calleja Blanco / HOW TO BECOME A DENTIST IN USA

About the Author

Chilean dentist and social entrepreneur. He has two DDS degrees

(Universidad Mayor and University of Michigan) he completed a Masters in Public

Health and a Master of Implant dentistry. In Chile, he created and participated from

different programs to help people receive subsidized medical and dental treatments.

Since 1992 he has starred in national and international tv commercials and

participated in several social activities. Most of those activities until 2004 were

related to a Boyscouts group, high school projects, and community service.

From 2004 to 2009 (while pursuing his first DDS) he developed and created

with a group of friends many health-related projects. One of the most successful

social projects was an outreach project at Universidad Mayor. There students and

graduated health dentists and physicians help treating scare resources patients at

multiple and isolated locations of Chile. That project is currently active with more

than 150 participants every summer and winter each year. Coming from 8 different

medical fields and helping more than 8.000 people a year. All those years, created

a tremendous learning experience for him.

After graduation from his first dental school, he worked for 3 years in

different hospitals in Chile as an OMFS DDS honorary intern, public health centers,

plus helped as an assistant professor. During this time, he presented and participated

in many national and international dental conferences. At one of the International

ICOMS conferences, he met Dr. Stephen Feinberg, who became one of his most

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Calleja Blanco / HOW TO BECOME A DENTIST IN USA

influential mentors. At that same conference, he gave Sergio a University of

Michigan Tie as a gift and said: “This is the first step to be part of the University

of Michigan”. He made Sergio wear the tie immediately that night and 5 years later

after hard work, applications and strong determination, Sergio was accepted at the

University of Michigan School of Dentistry obtaining his International DDS.

The commitment for the underserved seems to never end, after finishing

school in Michigan, he moved to the Michigan Upper Peninsula to work at a highest

level-5 security Correctional facility and at a Tribal health center to treat patients,

reaffirming his commitment to underserved populations. Aiming to create a better

world for all, he keeps working with projects joining IT, health and social

entrepreneurship concepts. Dividing his time between the practice of dentistry,

entrepreneurship, and reading about oral surgery or the usual weekend book.

Currently, he is pursuing his Oral and Maxillofacial residency at Howard

University.

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