The options after your internship are to get work experience, join government service or go for a Master’s in dental surgery (MDS). There are over 100 dental colleges offering specialisations in the two-year MDS programme. What puts off many possible candidates is that most colleges have just two-three seats in each specialisation, and the competition is quite stiff. You can consider options abroad but it is twice as difficult, involving a lengthy and complicated procedure. As in India, more candidates apply to US dental schools than can be accepted. State-aided dental schools give preference to residents. Chances may be better at a private dental college. The cost of dental education in the US is about $25,000 or more per year, and there is little likelihood of you receiving aid or scholarships. Moreover, for DDS, which is the basic dental degree in the US, you should have done four years of undergraduate work. At least two years of pre-dental study in a US college/university is a prerequisite for dental schools, and all American dental schools require applicants for admission to the first-year class to take the Dental Admission Test, administered by the American Dental Association (ADA). You can get more details from www.ada.org and www.aadexam.org. If looking to take a post-graduate or advanced dental degree, you will need to pass one or both parts of the National Board Dental Examination. While about half of US dental schools offer admission at an advanced level for international dentists wishing to pursue an American first professional degree, there is no single process for admission to these institutes. Some speciality areas,like oral surgery and periodontics, require that dentists complete at least the last two years of professional study at a university there and earn a first professional degree at an ADA-accredited institute. For more information, you can contact USIEF (US-India Educational foundation in India, www.usief.org.in). I would advise you to start your internship and work for a couple of years while you try for entry to an MDS programme, even if it takes time and effort. Once you have completed the MDS, you would be in a good position to set up your practice. Usha Albuquerque

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