Why do internationally trained dentists come to study at U of T Dentistry? IDAPP White Coat 2020
The International Dentist Advanced Placement Program (IDAPP) class of 2020 donned White Coats on January 29, signalling their intentions to “provide ethical and considerate health care, always putting the patient first,” said dean of the Faculty of Dentistry, Daniel Haas, in part of the oath.
A tight-knit group of 26 who obtained their first dental degrees in other parts of the world, the IDAPP students are no strangers to patient care. Each of these students has previously associated or owned their own practices, built up a clientele and begun their lives as dental professionals. Their decision to enter the program signals an intention to refresh their skills and knowledge, and train for licensing in Canada.
That also includes taking on the standards of care demanded by the dental profession and its licensing body in Ontario – an extremely high standard of ethics and professional care. It’s a commitment that is symbolized by the White Coat ceremony, in which students don their white coats for the first time and give their oath of commitment to their future patients, a ceremony that all new dental students entering the Faculty take part in.
So what motivates internationally trained dentists to undertake the IDAPP at U of T Dentistry?
According to Youssef Azer, a student in the IDAPP class of 2020, it’s about breaking boundaries. Having obtained his BDS in Cairo in 2017, Azer felt that he had already accomplished all he could in his former city. He decided to move to Canada, leaving everything he knew behind. For Azer, the training offered at U of T Dentistry opens up new opportunities to push himself further, to “break the plateau” he felt he had reached as a professional.
Saman Salehizalani is excited that the foundational knowledge he gains through the IDAPP will allow him to apply new concepts and foundational learning into his practice. Having moved from Iran in 2014, Salehizalani, like Azer, is already contemplating applying to the graduate specialty program in Orthodontics after obtaining his DDS.
U of T’s reputation in world-class specialty training was a draw for other students, as well. IDAPP class president Freddy Mistry had already obtained a BDS and a specialty master’s degree in maxillofacial surgery from Bangalore in 2016. “I want to be a surgeon again,” says Mistry, who plans to pursue the specialty post-graduation.
IDAPP students are excited about entering practice in Canada, and Alaa Zourob is no exception. She arrived via the United Arab Emirates three years ago, joining her family, who have been in Canada for many more. Zourob didn’t enjoy the level of competition among young and new dentists for patients at her previous practice, a push that she felt led to declining standards of patient care.
Zourob appreciates the way dentistry is perceived here in Canada, and the profession’s rigorous standards are something she embraces wholeheartedly. “Here, dentistry is treated with a level of seriousness. It’s a medical profession,” Zourob says.
IDAPP begins in January each year and enter the DDS 3 class upon successful completion of the program in June.
Photos: students at IDAPP White Coat ceremony, 2020 (Jeff Comber)