How I Created My NDEB Profile

Posted on Oct 1, 2021Dec 20, 2023 by ankush

In the pursuit of my dreams, I was often reminded of a quote from Alice in Wonderland. It was the Cheshire cat who said, “Every adventure requires a first step,” my first step was to create a profile with the NDEB. This required getting my credentials verified, and my candidacy approved.

Doesn’t sound very dreamy or adventurous, does it? Well, you’re right. It wasn’t.

The NDEB has a comprehensive list of documents that one must carefully put together to make sure there are no delays in an already long procedure. I was lucky that my academic institution back home, Manipal University, was instantaneous in sending a Confirmation of Degree form and Official Academic Record requested by the NDEB in a sealed, stamped envelope to their main offices in Canada.

The next step was to send in a list of documents from my end, including my original dental degree and internship completion certificate. Just like you, I was very anxious to be sending in my originals. The mere thought of what I would do if they got lost in an international courier, or if they didn’t make it to the right address or back to me, was terrifying. Nevertheless, I had to bite the bullet and have faith in the process. I took coloured photocopies of my originals, got them notarized (to have some form of approved document of my dental degree on me), took one long last look at my hard-earned degree and internship certificate, and prayed to all the gods in the universe for their safety, while crossing all my fingers and toes, and sent my paperwork through a blue dart.

Then eight months, three days and several hours later, the documents had been accepted and my profile approved! Within two weeks of approval, my documents had found their way back to India and were safely in my hands. Better late than never! I had decided to take the AFK as soon as possible and study in Canada instead of staying back and studying at home. With my PR stamped and profile approved by the NDEB, it was now time to hop on the first flight!

Arriving in Canada was a surreal experience. I landed in October 2019 with crisp weather and beautiful brown leaves on trees, courtesy of the fall season. I had been lucky to have an aunt living here in Mississauga, Ont., for many years who graciously took me into her home for as long as I needed. I spent the initial days understanding the public transport system, getting a library card, SIM card, and discovering the neighbourhood. Following this, I started taking classes and began preparing for the AFK exam. But first, to get some inspiration and feel connected to Canadian dentistry, I decided to visit an acquaintance who was a practising dentist. That was a conversation I will never forget.

Dr. Pallak Razdan is a dentist and the Social Media Director at EDMS Dental. She is a contributing Prep Doctors’ writer focusing on her journey to Canada, the NDEB equivalency process, and a broad scope of Canadian dentistry.

How I Immigrated to Canada as a Dentist

Posted on Jul 9, 2021Dec 20, 2023 by ankush

Dreams don’t work unless you do.

Remember, we shared a dream? Receiving a Doctor of Dental Studies degree. Well, I had to work hard to turn it into reality.

The first step towards my vision was to immigrate to Canada through permanent residency (PR).

A quick google search gave me the following prerequisites including:

: – The creation of an Express Entry profile;
: – An equivalency evaluation of my university credentials with World Education Services (WES);; – An IELTS score of 7 or higher;
: – And steady financial resources to undertake the journey.

‌
When deciding to move to a new country, support from my family became the backbone of the transition. Being a young dentist, I couldn’t afford to shoulder the expense of immigration plus the cost of settling in Canada on my own. Fortunately for me, my parents decided to tackle the money monster so I could work towards my DDS dream.

However, that wasn’t all. There was also the dilemma of whether uprooting myself from my comfort zone was necessary? As a practicing dentist, should I give up a clinical practice, everything I worked so hard for from the tender age of 17, and move to a new country where I’d have to recertify and prove my credentials again? What about the settling struggle? Since my degree would be non-accredited, I wouldn’t be able to step foot into a dental office to even be an assistant without first getting an assisting (HARP) license. I had to be ready to do odd jobs to support myself. How would I silence the voice in my head that would constantly tell me, “But you’re a doctor in India, and you’re serving coffee in Canada?” Not to forget the fact that my peers would have finished their Master’s by the time I was only halfway through my licensing.

Would the DDS be worth it all?

The decision wasn’t easy but for me, it had to be made, and I agreed to give myself a fighting chance. Ten years down the line, I did not want to wake up with the regret of not trying just because I was scared of the struggle. Time was going to run its course, and I’d get older anyway. Why not try and achieve something I really wanted in the meantime?

In an attempt to put my best foot forward, I decided to engage with two immigration services to help me with my application process for a PR visa. They were my first contacts with the Canadian world, answered all my doubts patiently, and held my hand every step of the way, making sure there were no complications with my profile. If this was what Canadian culture was all about, boy, was I excited to immigrate!

Once my profile was created, it was time to start working on my supporting documentation. I immediately applied to take my IELTS exam and got in touch with my alma mater, Manipal University, to have my academic records sent to World Education Services. Fortunately, there weren’t any hiccups and my decision to engage in professional services felt right.

Once all the documents had been submitted, the waiting games had begun. From being picked in the draw to my visa application approval, the process took almost 14 months and my peace of mind. Since this wasn’t in anyone’s control, my application was life’s practical lesson in patience and I learned it the hard way!

Before then, I was naive enough to believe that I had weathered the storm. However, the visa was just a wave in a pre-stormy sea.

Little did I know that the real storm was going to be the NDEB…

Dr. Pallak Razdan is a dentist and the Social Media Director at EDMS Dental. She is a contributing Prep Doctors’ writer focusing on her journey to Canada, the NDEB equivalency process, and a broad scope of Canadian dentistry.

Fuelling a Dream: A Journey of 7,000 Miles

Posted on Apr 10, 2021May 3, 2021 by Dr. Pallak Razdan

For me, the journey of seven thousand miles begins with a single step and a dream.

I had a dream of opportunity. One that convinced a 25-year-old young woman to pack her belongings into a suitcase and move by herself across oceans to a country that welcomes every individual with open arms, Canada.

The road ahead seemed vague. Unfortunately, Google Maps couldn’t help me navigate my route, despite advertising themselves as a “world atlas,” so much for technology, huh?

Still, my dream kept me up at night. It made me want to run, climb rocks, swim through filthy ponds, and keep moving forward, even if that meant going down on my hands and knees through trenches.

My dream needed to be fuelled. It kept growing, slowly carving itself into everything I did. I was happy living my life back in India. In 2017, I was a licensed, practising dentist in a city called Hyderabad after completing my BDS. I had an established loyal client base and single-handedly opened three dental clinics for my senior associate in highly reputable hospitals across the city. I had everything I needed, but it felt like something was missing.

I kept dreaming of a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree in Canada. One of the routes to get there was through the National Dental Examining Board of Canada (NDEB). The NDEB equivalency process is a fierce competition amongst dentists from across the world. Needless to say, it requires a vision, a thorough plan, and most importantly, willpower to succeed.

So I moved to Toronto and began studying for the intense exam processes I was about to embark on while simultaneously job hunting to sustain my expenses. Did I mention my dream was an expensive affair?

The search for a transitional job made me run in circles. I worked at many different places before I set foot in the Canadian dental industry as an Indian dentist. I have only recently managed to settle into a position with EDMS Dental that helps me stay relevant, motivated, and inspired. I was blessed to have connected with some great individuals in the field along the way. However, I’ve also had my share of criticism of being told I wasn’t good enough, that I’ll never make it, and worse of all, that Canada didn’t need another foreign-trained dentist.

And yet, I still dream of holding my DDS degree in my hands, owning a clinic of my own, and doing some challenging but amazing dental work — all to experience the feeling of creating smiles and the satisfaction of treating my patients well.

This is my journey, and while my dream is a mighty jump away due to COVID-19 and the impact it has had on the dental equivalency process, I haven’t lost focus or my passion for dentistry.

I’m here, just like you, on a quest to gain my license, and we will do it. As Henry Ford once said, “If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.”

So, if not today, tomorrow! And if not tomorrow, then the day after that. Nevertheless, one day, we’ll do big things soon. Call it a dream.

Dr. Pallak Razdan is a dentist and the Social Media Director at EDMS Dental. She is a contributing Prep Doctors’ writer focusing on her journey to Canada, the NDEB equivalency process, and a broad scope of Canadian dentistry.