Transcription
Hi everyone, this is Dr. Abbas Naqvi. And we have been receiving several queries over the past few months regarding immigrating and settling in Canada, especially from a dentist's perspective. So, let me tell you, first thing first, that we are making this video so that you cannot say tomorrow that no one told you this before.
So, the first point to understand is that coming to Canada and working here or settling here as a dentist are two completely separate processes. For example, if you're applying for immigration, there's a point system, whatever system that is. I'm not an immigration expert, but it is completely independent of your integration process, which is your National Dental Examining Board exams or the equivalency process or the Advanced Placement Lidia's programs. The two processes are not related in any way, except that you have to plan for them simultaneously. And this is what I'm going to talk about today.
The second thing is that some people think that they cannot undertake or they cannot initiate the integration process unless the immigration process is complete or unless they are physically here in Canada. Let me tell you that that is also not true. So, the most important part of today's discussion is how do these two processes, which is immigration and integration, relate to one another and how can you make the best use of your time to make sure that your integration process is as uneventful and as less bumpy as possible.
And the third aspect of this is what will we do once we get there? By default, dentists are programmed to look for everything dental. Here is where also you might need to just think out of the box, but first, understand the context of the whole situation. So, the first thing that the immigration and integration are completely separate processes. The second thing is that once your immigration process has taken a meaningful turn, meaning you've received your ITA, as they call it, invitation to apply, or any stage where you are sure that now this is going to happen, what you need to do is create your NDEB profile and get your paperwork done while you are in your home country. Because once you are in Canada, getting that paperwork done is a nightmare. So, try to get that done. Start, start your profile and paperwork. Try to complete it before you come to Canada.
And not just that, start preparing for the first exam, which is Assessment of Fundamental Knowledge. And you can take online courses by the side to prepare for those exams. And by the time you are right in Canada, you should be ready to take that first exam at the earliest possible time. So, that saves you a lot of time. That saves you a lot of money, because the time and money that you would be spending over here while living here would be far more than what you are spending from your home country.
The second part is how the Canadian system works, how the Canadian dentistry works. So, if you're coming from wherever in the world, keep in mind that dentistry is a highly regulated profession. However, there are some rules that you might be able to take if you are good at what you do. The only problem is dentistry is highly competitive. And the creme de la creme of the world, the best professionals of the world, come together to compete in a country that is the size, in terms of population, is that of two major cities in any South Asian or Asian country. So, it's a very small market. Keep that in mind. You're competing against the best. So, you may not initially or immediately get what you're looking for, but you must be mentally prepared to be patient for at least a couple of years. And trust me, you will be fine.
So, think out of the box. Don't fixate yourself on studying hygiene or assisting. There are several other things you could be doing for for a couple of years, especially if you follow the plan that I'm suggesting. That start early, get your paperwork done, start your AFK preparation done before you come to Canada. You would be a couple of steps ahead of the herd when you land here. And that will give you an opportunity to move forward and finish your process as early as possible. Obviously, there's some luck and planning involved in this, and there is some attrition in the process. But trust me, if you really understand from a numerical, from a statistical, from a practical standpoint, it's not all doom and gloom. So, prepare yourself well.
And if you have any questions, feel free to ask us. As far as our Spock is concerned, feel free to reach out for your immigration questions, and we will be happy to answer them.