Your dental degree opens doors to many interesting places and gives various other career options to make use of it, from practising as a dentist to teaching, being involved in research, hospital management and much more.
A dream to spend our lives serving the people is what makes us accomplish all the hurdles in order to achieve an honourable degree. A dental degree is the permit to be able to spread smiles around. Even though it is a privilege to become a dentist, nowadays, patients proactively browse the internet looking for the highest form of degree a dentist can hold for a specific treatment.
But despite all this, there are various options for a dentist to make the most of their bachelor’s degree.
Where to Hunt for a Dentist Job
A fresh dental graduate can look for jobs at various platforms:
● Your network of professional contacts from your dental school.
● Dental hospitals publish job openings for associates and licensed dentists.
● Local dental groups or societies have job boards.
● Dental colleges have openings for lecturer posts.
● Career/job fairs in the healthcare or dental fields.
● Private dental clinic setups.
● Dental illustrator job.
● Pursuing digital dentistry, CAD/CAM etc.
● Online dental teaching job platforms.
Ways to Utilize Your Dental Degree
Other than dental jobs, there are many other non-dental options one can go for as a job where a bachelor’s degree in dentistry may help a lot:
● Health improvement practitioner.
● Health manager.
● Higher education lecturer.
● Medical sales representative.
● Primary or secondary school teacher.
● Medical writer.
● Teaching laboratory technician.
● Medical advisor.
● Research assistant or associate.
Continuing Education and Residency
Many dentists get the opportunity to continue their education and pursue the field of their choice; one of the first choices is a fellowship. Many fresh graduates prepare for the Part 1 exam of FCPS, i.e. Fellowship of College of Physicians and Surgeons, and upon clearing that, apply for residency in various dental hospitals.
Many go for acquiring Masters in Dental Surgery, which can be in basic or clinical subjects.
MPhil and masters in dental subjects can also be pursued, which leads to job opportunities on the academic side.
Nowadays, Masters in Business Administration(MBA), Health Management, Masters in Public Health(MPH), and Masters in Epidemiology after a BDS degree are trending. One can get great job opportunities with these degrees as a plus, such as in hospital management and in the field of research.
Starting Your Own Dental Clinic
Starting your own dental endeavour is one of the best options one can go for. The earlier one starts their own dental clinic set up, the better it proves to be fruitful in the long run. One gets to learn the business side of dentistry and the opportunity to enjoy being your own boss.
Exploring Research Realm
Research is something anyone from any field can pursue, and it has a lot of scope in Pakistan since a lot has yet to be done in this field. One can apply for research associate or research assistant jobs or other clinical research jobs at various hospitals and institutes using undergrad research experience or additional clinical research courses along with a dental degree.
Pursuing Career Abroad
There are many great opportunities abroad in countries like the USA, UK, UAE, Australia and more. Many scholarships are available that let you pursue higher education in these countries and grow your profile as a dentist.
Conclusion!
Your dental degree opens doors to many interesting places and gives various options to make use of it, from practising as a dentist to teaching, being involved in research, hospital management and much more. Hence, opportunities are many; one must be vigilant to grab them and make hay while the sun shines.
