Professional Studies in the US for Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, Veterinary, and Law

Professions such as dentistry, law, medicine, nursing and veterinary medicine have unique paths of study in the US. Below, a brief summary of each path is provided along with resources for additional information.

Dentistry

Students who plan to go into dentistry can obtain a four-year bachelor's degree in any field, as long as they take the minimum prerequisite courses in biological sciences, physics, chemistry, humanities, mathematics, and behavioral and social sciences. Graduates of institutions accredited by either the United States Department of Education (USDE) or Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) are often preferred by dental schools.

Upon earning their bachelor's degree, students who are pursuing dentistry at universities and colleges in the US must complete four additional years of study in order to earn either their DDS (doctor of dental surgery) or DMD (doctor of dental medicine) degree. Two of those years are spent studying medical sciences, and two are in clinical orientation. It is highly recommended that students attend a dental school which has been accredited by the American Dental Association.

Anyone can apply to dental school, but only about half are accepted due to intense competition. The American Dental Education Association recently reported that only about 10% of first-year dental students were foreign nationals. In order to do as much as they can to get into a good US dental school, international student applicants should:

• Obtain at least two years of undergraduate study at a US-accredited college or university
• Have a strong undergraduate academic record
• Demonstrate proficiency in the English language
• Achieve a satisfactory score on the Dental Admission Test (DAT) (determined by individual dental schools)
• Consider private dental schools which are not supported by state taxes, and therefore more willing to accept out-of-state or foreign national applicants

In order to obtain a license to practice in a given state, graduates who have earned their first professional degree (DMD or DDS) must meet specific requirements of the state. These requirements may include passing the National Board Dental Examination as well as a clinical examination designated by the State.

Additional training at dental schools or hospitals can lead to a master's or doctoral degree, preparing dentists for careers in teaching or research. Only about 4 percent of students who enroll in general practice residencies are foreign nationals, while about half of specialty residencies (especially those at dental schools) are given to internationally-educated dentists.

Medicine

To get into medical school in the US, applicants must have a bachelor's degree, preferably from an institution accredited by the USDE or CHEA. The degree can be in almost any field, but the minimum prerequisite courses in chemistry, biological sciences, mathematics, social and behavioral sciences, and humanities must be completed.

Students seeking their MD (doctor of medicine) degree should plan to take four years of combined classroom experience and clinical work. State taxes often fund medical schools - especially public ones - so admissions are most often granted to permanent residents of the same state. At the same time, getting into medical school is highly competitive. Therefore, only about half of medical school applicants who are US citizens get accepted. Less than 3 percent of foreign nationals get into med school, and in most cases they have obtained their undergraduate degree at a US college or university.

Additional admission requirements for medical school can include:

• An excellent undergraduate academic record
• Demonstrated fluency in English
• Work experience and volunteer commitments
• A satisfactory score on the standardized entrance examination Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)

Once graduates have earned their first professional degree, they may seek additional graduate-level degrees in particular medical specialties. These programs, called residencies, are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Foreign nationals who have already earned their first degree in medicine in their own country find it considerably easier to get into these programs.

Residency programs must make sure that international applicants who graduated from medical schools in countries other than the US and Canada have qualifications comparable to US medical school graduates. Therefore, all foreign national residency applicants (and any graduate of a medical school not accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education) who will be working with patients must complete the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) certification program.

Some states require that foreign nationals also pass the USMLE Step 3 medical licensing examination in order to participate in a residency. Residents who will not be providing care to patients are not required to have ECFMG certification. Foreign medical graduates are also eligible to apply for research grants to work in hospitals, independent research centers and universities.

In order to practice medicine anywhere in the US, physicians must have received their MD from a medical program accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education. They must also have completed a residency or graduate-level medical education, and passed state exams for licensure.

Nursing

In the US, prospective nurses begin their career path by obtaining a bachelor's degree in nursing. Once they have met licensure requirements of the state in which they intend to practice, they are considered RNs (registered nurses).

Although licensure requirements vary from state to state, all states include the NCLEX-RN licensing examination. Prior to taking the NCLEX-RN, nurses who received their education outside of the US may also be required to pass a certification program administered by the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS).

Graduate programs provide additional training in an area of specialty for nurses. Some programs (in particular, those that train nurses in providing care to patients) require that their students are licensed by the state or be certified with CGFNS. In many states, a limited license may be granted for educational purposes. Application for temporary nonimmigrant visas (H-1A) or permanent visas also requires CGFNS certification.

Veterinary Medicine

Aspiring veterinarians must first obtain a bachelor's degree in any field that provides sufficient prerequisite courses in the sciences and mathematics. Graduates then seek to find an available slot in one of the 27 schools of veterinary medicine in the US. Competition is intense (more intense than getting into medical school), with only about a third of applicants being accepted. Because most US veterinary schools are state-supported, preference is given to permanent residents of the state where the school is located -- therefore international applicants rarely get in.

Quality of an applicant's undergraduate record, and score on one of the Veterinary Aptitude Test, Medical College Admission Test or Graduate Record Examination standardized assessment tests are often used to help select candidates. After completing four years of veterinary school, graduates earn their DVM or VMD (doctor of veterinary medicine) as their first professional degree.

Competition to get into a graduate program in animal science is less intense. Although graduates will not be certified for veterinary practice, they may be qualified to work with animals in university research or teaching, government positions or roles in agricultural industries.

Veterinarians who received their education in other countries often seek master's or doctoral degree programs at US veterinary schools in order to further careers in teaching, research or working for pharmaceutical companies. Residency training for board certification in a specialty combines study and clinical practice over three years.

In every US state, veterinarians must be licensed through the American Veterinary Medical Association before they can practice. In order for internationally-trained veterinarians to legally practice in most states, they must be certified by the AVMA's Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates (ECFVG).

Law

After obtaining a bachelor's degree in any field, a future lawyer in the US seeks the JD (juris doctor) degree. Competition for admission is fierce, and the best candidates have done outstanding undergraduate work, are fluent in English, and have scored satisfactorily on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) standardized assessment examination.

JD programs, which last three years, focus primarily on the US legal system. Federal and state systems are founded on the British system of common law (except Louisiana which has a different system based on French legal code.) JD programs do not vary according to specialty. Because the coursework in a JD program does not go into depth about differences in legal systems around the world, pursuing a JD is likely of little benefit to an international student.

In order to practice law in a given state, requirements established by the state must be met including passing the bar examination.

Foreign nationals will find that the MCL (master of comparative law), also called the MCJ (master of comparative jurisprudence) is a law degree more appropriate for international lawyers. These one-year programs go into depth about the similarities and differences between the legal systems in the US and other countries. The LLM (master of laws) degree is available in several specialties or as a customized program, which may be appropriate for foreign national lawyers, as would programs in international business law or international law.

Admission requirements for masters-level degrees include a first professional degree in law, strong academic performance, demonstrated proficiency in English, and letters of reference.

Doctoral-level law programs admit just a few promising applicants who seek to become faculty members at law schools. Applicants who have completed a masters-level program at a law school in the US are most likely to be accepted.

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