Doctors

The following is written by and according to the U.S. Department of Labor and particular to the education and training required for dentists.

All 50 States and the District of Columbia require dentists to be licensed. To qualify for a license in most States, candidates must graduate from an accredited dental school and pass written and practical examinations.

Education and training. In 2008, there were 57 dental schools in the United States accredited by the American Dental Association's (ADA's) Commission on Dental Accreditation. Dental schools require a minimum of 2 years of college-level predental education prior to admittance. Most dental students have at least a bachelor's degree before entering dental school, although a few applicants are accepted to dental school after 2 or 3 years of college and complete their bachelor's degree while attending dental school. According to the ADA, 85 percent of dental students had a bachelor's degree prior to beginning their dental program in the 2006-07 academic year.

High school and college students who want to become dentists should take courses in biology, chemistry, physics, health, and mathematics. College undergraduates planning on applying to dental school are required to take many science courses. Because of this, some choose a major in a science, such as biology or chemistry, whereas others take the required science coursework while pursuing a major in another subject.

All dental schools require applicants to take the Dental Admissions Test (DAT). When selecting students, schools consider scores earned on the DAT, applicants' grade point averages, and information gathered through recommendations and interviews. Competition for admission to dental school is keen.

Dental school usually lasts 4 academic years. Studies begin with classroom instruction and laboratory work in science, including anatomy, microbiology, biochemistry, and physiology. Beginning courses in clinical sciences, including laboratory techniques, are also completed. During the last 2 years, students treat patients, usually in dental clinics, under the supervision of licensed dentists. Most dental schools award the degree of Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS). Others award an equivalent degree, Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD).

Licensure. Licensing is required to practice as a dentist. In most States, licensure requires passing written and practical examinations in addition to having a degree from an accredited dental school. Candidates may fulfill the written part of the State licensing requirements by passing the National Board Dental Examinations. Individual States or regional testing agencies administer the written or practical examinations.

Individuals can be licensed to practice any of the 9 recognized specialties in all 50 States and the District of Columbia. Requirements include 2 to 4 years of postgraduate education and, in some cases, the completion of a special State examination. A postgraduate residency term also may be required, usually lasting up to 2 years. Most State licenses permit dentists to engage in both general and specialized practice.

Other qualifications. Dentistry requires diagnostic ability and manual skills. Dentists should have good visual memory; excellent judgment regarding space, shape, and color; a high degree of manual dexterity; and scientific ability. Good business sense, self-discipline, and good communication skills are helpful for success in private practice.

Advancement. Dentists and aspiring dentists who want to teach or conduct research full time usually spend an additional 2 to 5 years in advanced dental training, in programs operated by dental schools or hospitals. Many private practitioners also teach part time, including supervising students in dental school clinics.

Some dental school graduates work for established dentists as associates for 1 to 2 years to gain experience and save money to equip an office of their own. Most dental school graduates, however, purchase an established practice or open a new one immediately after graduation.

For the source and more detailed information concerning your request, click on the related links section (U.S. Department of Labor) indicated directly below this answer section.

You can check on a particular license by asking the governmental agency that issued it. You can check on all the licensure and specialty certifications of a physician or surgeon by checking with a third-party certification board.

In the United States, medical licenses are issued by the medical board of each state government. The medical license permits a physician or surgeon to practice medicine within that state. Requirements for a medical license vary somewhat from state to state but generally require a doctorate in medicine from a recognized medical school and a satisfactory residency.

Additionally, physicians and surgeons who specialize in a particular branch of medicine can be certified by an independent board. There are currently twenty-four such voluntary organizations under the umbrella of the American Board of Medical Specialties. To receive certification from these boards, a physician or surgeon pays an annual fee, verifies his or her licenses, verifies his or her training in the specialization, passes an examination in that specialty, and provides evidence of continuing education in that specialty.

Physicians and surgeons around the world follow broadly similar practices. In Mexico, for one example, the license (called the cédula profesional) is issued by the Secretaría de Educación Pública and is maintained in its Registro Nacional de Profesionistas while the certification of forty-seven specializations is overseen by the Comité Normativo Nacional de Consejos de Especialidades Médicas, A.C., a non-governmental association. Throughout Great Britain, the licensing authority is the quasi-governmental General Medical Council, which also maintains specialist registries.

The recent popularity of medical tourism has brought about a certification board at the international level. The International Board of Medicine and Surgery applies the procedures of U.S. public-health organizations as described above to the certification of physicians, surgeons, and dentists anywhere in the world. Because of the distances involved in most medical tourism, IBMS also asks of its certified members that they be financially responsible to their patients in the event of medical complications even after a patient has returned home.