* This is a contributed article and this content does not necessarily represent the views of IBTimes.
There are over 25,000 licensed dentists operating offices all over Canada. Each one is working hard to meet the unique patient needs of an ever-growing population as diverse and complex as the world’s stage.
While having that many dentists sounds like a fantastic solution to the growing demand for services, many Canadians may not know that the pathway to licensure is not always through traditional means.
In many cases, internationally trained dentists (ITDs) receive their education and proficiency in other countries and then take the leap onto Canadian soil.
Among the numerous steps to becoming a citizen, there are added challenges to receiving their licensure under a new government.
With all the red tape, finding a way for these ITDs to achieve a lucrative career for themselves and their families while at the same time providing an excellent service to the Canadian people can be challenging.
That is where the professional benefits of a great company called Prep Doctors come into play.
Prep Doctors is an educational firm specializing in equivalency exam training for ITDs aspiring to practice as dentists in Canada. In addition, it provides continuing education for doctors to perfect their skills and consulting for nonprofits and government organizations.
You can hear about how successful this team is with ITDs through numerous professional offerings — everything from webinars on extracting wisdom teeth to hosting dental equivalency open houses (the most recent hosting over 150 dentists).
The goal of the company is simple: prepare foreign-trained health care professionals to obtain licenses that allow them to practice in Canada, the U.S. and Australia.
The primary way this is achieved is through guidance on the National Dental Examining Board of Canada (NDEB) exams, as well as the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations (JCNDE).
Prep Doctors was founded by a group of internationally trained professionals and Canadian graduates. The team consists of more than 100 professionals with diverse education and backgrounds, as well as Canadian graduates.
The foundation of international professionalism, all focused on lighting the way for other ITDs to succeed, is what sets the company apart. It is consistently offering in-person programs like a recent two-day intensive titled “Practical Orthodontic Skills for Level II Dental Assistants and Dental Hygienists.”
Investing in continuing education and professional development for health care providers is crucial to our society. ITDs must not be left behind as they represent a significant pool of untapped talent that can fill the provider shortages in Canada.
Organizations like Prep Doctors shine a light on an overlooked population segment. They support training over 2,500 dentists and fourth-year Canadian university students annually, with exponential growth over the last few years.
Canada hosts one of the highest rates per population of new immigrants in the world. For over 12 years, Prep Doctors has worked with this population by focusing on those dedicated individuals looking to become dental professionals.
These are people with unique cultures working hard every day to make a living for the future. They bring with them ideals, philosophies and indeed fears about what dentistry is and how it can be provided for their health care.
To address this upsurge in population, it only makes logical sense to hire, train and equip working professionals with proper licensing.
This can be everything from the social media campaign of INBDE questions through a video series to the outstanding 4.9/5 star review on Google. Prep Doctors offers a comprehensive solution to getting the education to pass your exams.
All said and done, the NDEB equivalency process will cost around $90,000 Canadian dollars. Imagine trying to relocate your family to a new country and forking over a fee that high.
Prep Doctors helps with this roadmap by partnering with services like Windmill Microlending to provide financing for ITDs, which covers the costs of obtaining a license. But this is still a significant challenge to making it in the country.
The point is we are in need. Canada is facing a dental professional shortage, and the pandemic didn’t help. The size, scope and simplified process of Prep Doctors reduces these shortage issues by providing easy-to-understand educational guides, training and more.
ITDs want a chance at a life in Canada. They work hard to seize the opportunity to set down roots and become contributing members of one of the foremost societies in the world.
In the words of Nabil Barakat, the CEO of Selex Investment, who joined Prep Doctors as an advisor and investor: “I once met an immigrant physician from Jordan, who had the potential to make a difference in medicine but faced the challenge of obtaining the necessary qualifications to practice in the U.S. Inspired by this, I envisaged a program to empower and qualify immigrants. That was when I discovered the team at Prep Doctors, which not only validates the skills of immigrant dentists seeking to practice in Canada but also provides them with integration in an inclusive community. Prep Doctors has successfully qualified over 10,000 health care professionals, opening doors to a future filled with boundless opportunities and success. I’m thrilled to have played a part in this remarkable journey and satisfied to have helped shape the success of this organization.”
Why not open the doors and support an organization like Prep Doctors?
It more than doubles the chance of testers from 40% to 80% or higher for completing their exams and moving forward in the dental field (as demonstrated in a recent CP24 feature interview).
This is through mock exams, practical experience with modeling and mentorship from trained professionals.
Creating a win-win situation for all of Canada is an exceptional way to welcome people worldwide who are eager to increase the quality of life inside our country.
