Career advise!

What is your opinion about job/career prospects for a foreign trained dentist with 10 years of experience who takes on a Master of Health Studies course online at Athabasca University or Master of Health Administration online at Univ. of Regina? I believe both courses are offered in collaboration with the Johnson Shoyama Institute of Public Policy. Thank you

 

I'm sure there are better sources for that information than this board. We don't get much information about job prospects for dentists. Consider talking to someone from an ADA chapter.

 

Thank you for your response. However, I am not currently looking at getting back into dental practice. I am inclined towards pursuing a Masters degree. The masters degrees I listed caught my attention, and I want to have some insight into their relevance to the Canadian economy, plus prospects.

 

Thank you for your response.

 

What is your career goal? Foreign trained dentists do practice in Canada but it is difficult. Canada doesn't have bad schools, per se. University of Regina has a better reputation than Athabasca, but Athabasca is a leader in distance education. If you're looking to get into health policy or some kind of NGO work that might be an option but you wouldn't necessarily need additional education to do that either.

 

Good point. "Not necessarily" needing a Canadian degree was overly optimistic. For all its tolerance, Canadian employers can still be very suspicious of those with foreign credentials and work history. (Needing "Canadian experience" is almost a meme at this point.)

 

I am assuming you are a recent immigrant or prospective immigrant. I suggest doing an on-campus masters with a co-op component. The masters alone will not be enough to get a job, although it will boost your points for immigration purposes. If I were a foreign dentist though, my #1 goal would be to go to the US. Much easier to get licensed there as a foreign dentist + pay is sky-high. I used to work for a consulting firm that helped dentists with their finance and operations and remember seeing the unbelievable amount of $$$ coming in to their offices.

 

Have you pinpointed a career or set of possible careers? That should come before selecting a degree.

 

This has been my experience as well. Hence my decision to acquire a reputable Canadian qualification. Thanks

 

I took your advise and someone on LinkedIn got back to me with a favorable response. Thanks

 

I totally understand the need for vetting foreign degrees, so I am willing to do the haul, but I needed to get into the right niche. I find your response helpful. Thanks

 

Yes. I am would like to get into health administration or leadership positions. My intention is to combine my project management skills (I am a PMP) with whatever skills I acquire later to do this. Thanks for your input

 

Oh...that is an interesting angle. I heard (and I am actually experiencing) about the tortuous process of getting licensed as a foreign trained Dentist in Canada. It is energy sapping. I will explore this info you gave me. Thank you