Moving your dental career from overseas to the UK

I've now worked for a year as a private dentist and am currently waiting for approval to practice under the NHS. I originally graduated in 2003 so most of my experience was in Egypt, until 2016 when I qualified as a member of the Royal College of Surgeons in the UK. It was then that I thought it would be a good idea to move my career to the UK.

In 2021 I joined the CoMD’s Master’s in Advanced General Dental Practice. I had already passed part one of the ORE, but at that point I couldn’t sit part two because the pandemic had put a stop to the exams…I eventually sat part two during my second term at the College.

Extensive preparation

Aside from all the training covered by the MSc, the College also helped me to prepare for the exam in lots of ways. Firstly there was a lot of practice on phantom heads, so I had prolonged training over several months. The equipment in the college is almost the same as that used in the ORE, so even during the exam it felt like just another practical session in the college – something particularly helpful for me because I tend to get very anxious. I also found the lectures given by Dr Ziad Al-Ani very, very beneficial to passing the ORE.

Another major benefit of the MSc was the focus on clinical governance and how dentists practising in the UK must comply with the numerous regulations imposed by the different governing bodies, such as the NHS, the GDC and CQC – it’s so important to be aware of all those. I’ve found there is no real difference in actual dentistry techniques between the UK and Egypt, but the legal and regulatory circumstances are significantly different.

Support into work

I’d certainly recommend the CoMD to other dentists looking to practice in the UK, for all the reasons I’ve cited; the fantastic preparation towards the ORE, which is more extensive and extended than compared to other courses, while the parts of the curriculum focused on dentistry and medical legal issues are very beneficial to anyone starting their career in the UK.

The College is also helpful in helping dentists looking for work in the UK too. It offered me lots of support immediately following my registration, but I didn’t really need it because I was offered work really quickly, but the College was very ready to help me.

Looking to the future, I’m now considering joining another CoMD Master’s, this time in Clinical Implantology. I did some implants in Egypt, but only straightforward cases, but now I’d like to develop expertise here, and the MSc will give me additional training before taking my career in that direction.

To find out more visit: MSc in Advanced General Dental Practice - comd.org.uk

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