I'm a foreign-trained dentist from Saint Petersburg, Russia, and just a few years ago, I had no idea how the U.S. dental licensing system worked. I moved here with a dream and no roadmap — and I had to figure everything out from scratch.
Despite the odds, I got accepted into three top Advanced Standing Programs in my very first application cycle:
📍 USC, NYU, and Rutgers — and was waitlisted at Loma Linda University.
My journey wasn't easy. I studied hard, worked long hours, and stayed focused — and I believe you can do the same.
Here's a quick snapshot of what helped me stand out:
- ✅ Strategic approach: applied to only 7 carefully chosen programs (not 24+)
- ✅ TOEFL scores: 107 and 105
- ✅ INBDE: passed on the first attempt
- ✅ GPA: 3.5 (U.S. converted)
- ✅ Clinical experience: 6 years of practice + 1 year teaching in my home country
- ✅ U.S. experience: Registered Dental Assistant (RDA) license + work in U.S. dental clinics
- ✅ Leadership: Led hands-on workshops in my home country and presented at U.S. dental conferences
- ✅ Innovation: Leadership role at a U.S.-based dental startup focused on AI-driven surgical technologies
- ✅ U.S. Dental Meetups: Organised and led networking and educational events for dental professionals.
- ✅ Early CAAPID application: Submitted in March
- ✅ Strong preparation/hand skills