Table of Contents
Conditions you have to fulfill
Formal requirements
Dentistry is a very popular field of study, so it is not easy to get a place. Especially the Dentistry NC is a hurdle. We all know that getting good grades in school isn’t everything – but they can help you get admitted to dentistry. But everything is at the beginning: In order to start your studies, you need a higher education entrance qualification for universities. You usually get this through the Abitur, i.e., the general university entrance qualification. However, you also have the option of getting a ticket to study dentistry in a roundabout way, for example through appropriate vocational training or a second-chance qualification.
Personal requirements
You should be aware that the course has to suit you personally. Dentistry studies are very demanding and require a high level of motivation,concentration, receptiveness and willingness to learn. It is also important that you are skilled with your hands and have a steady hand or tact. It’s probably obvious, but we still want to remind you that as a dentist you treat your patients with the appropriate tools in the oral cavity.
In addition, you should not shy away from dealing with people. As a dentist, you are committed to treating your patients in the best possible way, so their well-being should always be the focus of your daily work.
Course of study: How does the dentistry course work?
The dentistry degree consists of two phases: the preclinical phase, from the first to the fifth semester, and the clinical phase, from the sixth to the tenth semester. The standard period of study is therefore ten semesters. This is followed by an examination semester for the state examination, the dental examination. The three major hurdles that need to be overcome during the course of study are the pre- physics, the physical and the already mentioned state examination. There are also oral, written and practical exams in the individual subjects. The course of study is regulated in the licensing regulations for dentists and is therefore largely the same at all universities in Australia.
Once you have passed the state examination, you can apply for a license to practice medicine be asked. But don’t worry, this is purely formal and requires no further examination. If your goal is to do a doctorate, it is advisable to start your dissertation while you are still studying. After completing your doctorate, you are entitled to use the title “Dr. Medical dent.” Nowadays, a doctorate after studying dentistry is no longer necessarily common, especially among younger graduates. This is also not mandatory for your professional activity as a dentist. Incidentally, the professional title dentist may only be used by graduates of a dental degree.
How much does a dentistry course cost?
Studying at a state university is usually free of charge, apart from the semester fees of 200 to 400 dollars. Basically, this also applies to studying dentistry, but there are high material costs. Some universities make materials available to students, while others require students to pay for them themselves. You should ask more details from GAMSAT tutors in this regards, click here and get help now.
Basically, you need dental equipment and instruments for your dentistry studies, but also consumables such as plaster, milling cutters and grinders, model teeth, knives, etc. The material costs can be divided into two areas: For the preclinical part of the study, you need an instrument case. This costs around 1,500 dollars. After the preclinical phase comes the clinical phase. This requires the purchase of a hospital casenecessary that costs 2,500 dollars. The hospital case contains, for example, filling material, forceps and modeling instruments. You can find out which exact materials your two suitcases should contain in the material list of the respective university.
What are the career prospects after graduation?
If you have successfully fought your way through at least eleven semesters of dentistry jungle, you can finally really take off. A degree in dentistry offers many opportunities for a successful career. The majority of students certainly aim to work in a dental practice or even open their own practice, but there are far more opportunities to gain a foothold in this industry. It is also not unimportant to mention that dental research never stands still and therefore continuous further education and training after graduation is essential.
As already mentioned, after the license to practice medicine, which usually takes place immediately after completing your studies, you have many more options that go beyond working in a dental practice. Possible areas of application are, for example:
- nursing homes
- Dental Clinics
- the military
- public bodies, e.g., health authorities
- Pharmaceutical companies (for testing medical drugs)
- research and teaching at universities and research institutions
However, if you decide to work in (your) practice, you should know that in order to work as a panel doctor, you must complete a two-year preparatory period in a dental practice or university dental clinic in addition to your dentistry studies. It may also be interesting to know that, in addition to individual practices, there are more group practices, especially in larger cities. This is because, as you can imagine, having your own practice is not exactly cheap. Therefore, it often happens that group practices have higher quality and more modern equipment because the costs are shared.
If your dream is to work as a specialist in orthodontics, you must complete a three-year training course at a university dental clinic in addition to your studies. As a specialist in oral and maxillofacial surgery, you need a degree in dentistry and a degree in human medicine and several years of further training.
What alternatives are there to studying dentistry?
You already know that places to study dentistry are highly competitive. And we don’t want to sugarcoat it: Unfortunately, you really only become a dentist with a degree in dentistry. But fear not, there are some exciting alternatives that can still get you into the healthcare field.
When it comes to an academic alternative, we think, for example, of the bachelor’s degree courses in Dental Hygienist, Dental Technology and Dental Hygiene as well as Prevention Management.
If you are not necessarily aiming for a degree, you can, for example, complete an apprenticeship as a dental assistant. You may even be able to try it again at some universities afterwards and this time you will be admitted to study dentistry based on the waiting semesters you have accumulated during your training.
