Can a Vietnamese dental degree be transferred to Australia?

Can a Vietnamese dentist with a degree in dentistry convert to practice dentistry in Australia? The story of a Vietnamese doctor will be valuable experience for those who want to take the exam to convert their degree.

One of the most difficult degree transfer exams

Dr. Truong Phuoc Thien, currently practicing dentistry in Australia, shares his experience transferring his university degree in dentistry from Vietnam to Australia.

Dr. Thien was born in 1987 and graduated from Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy in 2011 with a degree in Dentistry. After 5 years of working in Vietnam, in 2017, he studied for a Master of Nursing Practice at Monash University in Australia. After graduating, he worked as a nurse for a few years but was not satisfied because he could not work to his full potential. He had the intention of becoming a dentist again, so he decided to take the equivalent conversion exam.

Dr Thien said this is one of the most difficult transfer exams in Australia with a 5% pass rate and competition with many dentists from all over the world.

Dr. Truong Phuoc Thien is practicing dentistry in Australia after taking the degree conversion exam.

3 stages of the transition process

The Australian Dental Council (ADC) is the accreditation body for international dentists. The ADC assesses candidates’ knowledge, judgement, clinical skills and professional competence. This process consists of three stages:

Initial assessment

ADC reviews the candidate's qualifications, work experience, registration history and professional license to determine eligibility to take the next theory exam.

The requirement for application is that the applicant must have graduated as a dentist from an ADC-accredited university. Therefore, before you start preparing your application, you should contact ADC to check whether the university you graduated from is on the organization’s list of accepted applications as this list changes over time. In addition, you must have a practicing license issued by the competent authority in Vietnam. Applicants can apply at any time of the year.

Graduated as a dentist from Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy with 5 years of working experience and a full practice license, Dr. Thien easily passed the "parking round".

Theory test

The purpose of the theory test is to determine whether the candidate 'knows how' to practise dentistry in Australia by assessing their knowledge of theory and practice, as well as their clinical judgement and reasoning skills in the field of dentistry.

ADC partners with Pearson VUE to offer the theory test at various test centers around the world. The test is held twice a year, usually in March and September.

The theory exam consists of 280 multiple-choice questions based on information provided in 56 clinical scenarios. Candidates will take the exam on a computer over two consecutive days. The exam is divided into four sections, each with 70 questions. Candidates will have two hours to complete each section. The first two sections will be taken on the first day and the last two sections will be scheduled for the second day.

Questions cover knowledge of endodontics, general medicine, oral medicine and pathology, maxillofacial surgery, pediatric dentistry and orthodontics, periodontics, preventive dentistry, restorative dentistry and other general dental knowledge.

ADC provides documents for candidates to have a comprehensive overview of the format and requirements of the theory test. However, to better prepare, most candidates participate in exam preparation centers.

Doctor Truong Phuoc Thien and family

Practical exam

Candidates must sit a practical examination within 3 years of passing the theory examination. The practical examination is the basis for candidates to demonstrate that they are competent to practice dentistry safely in Australia.

The practical examination assesses candidates on the scope of professional competence equivalent to that of an Australian graduate dentist. This examination is also held over 2 days.

Day 1 tests technical skills including preparation or restoration of teeth involving conservative, endodontic, fixed prosthodontics. Candidates are required to complete 6 exercises on a clinical simulation model.

Day two of the clinical skills assessment focuses on professional competencies in areas such as clinical information gathering, diagnosis and management planning, treatment and clinical assessment. This is a station-based examination, with a total of 10 stations, with candidates allotted a certain amount of time at each station. Each station is a different test involving a clinical scenario or demonstration of clinical skills on models or pre-recorded video-based scenarios.

ADC provides a practical exam handbook and information package to give candidates a complete overview of the format and requirements of the exam. ADC holds approximately 3 practical exams each year.

Candidates should also take practice exams and buy as many models as possible to practice. After passing the practical exam, candidates will be eligible to register to practice dentistry in Australia.

3 Elements to Pass the Conversion Exam

According to Dr. Thien, first of all, you need to be good at English. Before studying abroad in Australia, he had an IELTS score of 8.0. After a while in Australia, he took the PTE test and got a score of 90. During the time preparing for the theory test, he had to read a lot of dental documents in English, including books and specialized magazines. There is also a question and answer section in the practical test. According to Dr. Thien, you must be good at communication to understand the questions correctly and answer coherently, and make sure the examiner understands what you say.

Second, you have the will. Doctor Thien said that his will helped him drive 80 km every day after work to the exam center, and then stay up late at night to work on the model to prepare for the practical exam.

Finally, you must have the financial means. Dr. Thien said he spent a total of about 30,000 Australian dollars (480 million VND) including application fees, theory and practice exams, exam preparation courses at the center, purchasing documents, and purchasing models to practice at home.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/bang-bac-si-rang-ham-mat-o-viet-nam-co-chuyen-doi-sang-uc-duoc-khong-185241027175415545.htm