WHAT CAN BE EXPECTED WHEN BECOMING

AN INTERNATIONAL DENTAL STUDENT IN

AUSTRALIA
SHAAN DHALIWAL – CAPSTONE
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?

• This project is an outlook onto my future after graduation

• It outlines the specifics and details on what I can expect

once I move to Australia

• It has given me invaluable knowledge and planning on what

the next 5 years of my life will look like and more
importantly, how to approach it
THE BEGINNING

• An acceptance from the University of

Queensland is REQUIRED
• Canadian dental school applicants MUST apply
through a free third-party service called
OzTREKK
• OzTREKK is a company funded by Australian
Universities to get international students into
their schools
• It benefits both aspiring applicants and themselves

• They help Canadians contact Australian

Universities and send in applications
OBTAINING A STUDENT VISA – SUBCLASS 500
In order to study in Australia, you
must be granted a student visa
from the Australian Department of
Affairs
• A subclass 500 student visa
allows a student to stay in
Australia for up to 5 years of
enrollment in an Australian
University
• According to the Australian
Department of Home Affairs, the
cost for a student visa is
approximately 600 CAD
Requirements for an Australian
With a student visa you can:
student visa:
• Offer letter and accepted offer • Live and study in Australia and
from an accredited Australian attend an Australian university
university • Work 40 hours every fortnight
• Evidence of adequate funds (12 (two weeks) at a part-time job
months of tuition cost, living cost
and travel)
• Overseas health insurance
• Employment history for the past
5 years
• A valid passport
ACCOMMODATIONS AND LIVING

• As an international student in a completely foreign country, living on campus is the best

option
• At the University of Queensland dorm, you receive your own bedroom, 21 meals a week,
access to academic support, pool and gym facilities, and high-speed internet all included at a
fixed cost
• There are different dorms located all around campus, but the only difference between them is
their locations.
• Most dental students are housed in St. John’s college due to its accessibility to the Oral Health
Center (Dental School building)
MAP AND
LIVING
CONDITIONS
 • The University of Queensland is located in Brisbane,
the capital of Queensland
• The third most populated city in Australia after Sydney
and Melbourne

GEOGRAPHY • Brisbane is a coastal city, positioned along the east

coast of the continent
• This is where the great barrier reef is located

• Brisbane, Australia has a time differenc e of 17 hours

ahead of Vancouver
COST BREAKDOWN

• On campus accommodations at UQ cost around

2000$/month (includes rent, food and utilities)

• Mobile phone and internet will cost 120$/month

• Public transport will cost 40$/month

• Tuition for dental school annually costs $70,858

• The cost for books annually is $800

In total, for the 5-year dental program, you will pay an

estimated $487,890 (CAD)
SCHOOL LIFE
AT UQ
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
• The first year of study in UQ’s 5-year dental program consists of introduction to dental practice and oral rehabilitation
• Courses are theory and learning rather than practical work
• Tooth anatomy
• Maintaining a sterile environment
• Courses in anatomy and physiology, immunology, head and neck anatomy, and dental practice

• Second- and third-year studies introduce clinical work on patients, as well as theory learning
• Patients are assigned to students for dental work. General dentistry will be practiced in addition to operative dentistry
• Responsibility for a real person
• Actual treatment

• In the fourth and final years, a type of residency will be completed where you will use what you learn to practice general and cosmetic dentistry
• Rotated placements throughout the immediate community
HOW DOES • Degrees completed in Australia are recognized fully in Canada

AUSTRALIAN • In Australia, you can complete specialized dental programs that

DENTAL allow you to become a dentist in as short as 5 years (ex. UQ).
No undergraduate study is required
SCHOOL • You can go straight out of high school
COMPARE TO • Start clinic work very early and get more hands-on experience
ITS CANADIAN • Cost of tuition is much greater as an international
COUNTERPART? student($70,000/year)

• Canadian Universities (such as UBC) require you to complete 3

years (90 credits) of undergraduate study in sciences and math
before you can even apply to dental school
• After 3 years of undergraduate study and acceptance into dental
school, you need to complete 5 years of dental school
• Tuition is almost half of what it is in Australia ($45,000/month)
• Extremely competitive programs with no guarantee of acceptance
ADAPTING TO LIFE IN
AUSTRALIA
• The Australian school year goes from early February to the beginning of
December

• Australia has a Mediterranean style climate

• It is warm year round
• Summers are hot and winters are mild
• The average temperature year-round is 16 degrees Celsius

• The seasons in Australia are different from that in North America

• Summer spans from December to February
• March to May is Autumn
• June to August is winter
• September to November is spring

• In Australia taxes are included within the costs of items

• Minimum wage in Australia is $19.84

• Australians drive on the left side of the road

• Australians talk differently than Canadians

IMPLICATIONS OF COVID-19 FOR STUDENTS AT
UQ

For semester 1 in 2022 (my year) classes are all expected to

In March 2020, universities in Australia shut down and continued return to in-person instruction
learning online. • Nothing online
• Many international students chose to go back home and do their online studies • Moving and living in Brisbane is going to be required
there • Borders are expected to open at the beginning of 2022
• Students were given a 12.5% covid tuition rebate (reduction in tuition cost) • Only around 10 covid cases a day now

Mar. 2020 2022

Mar. 2021

In March 2021, on campus learning reopened but Australian

borders remained closed
• Those who remained in Australia could go back to class
• International students who went back home had to still do class online unless they
received an exemption from their government and the Australian government
 • “The Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada (CDAC)
recognizes Australian Dental Council accreditation for all general
dentistry degrees”(OzTREKK)
• This means Canadian graduates who studied dentistry in
Australia, can return and practice the same as a graduate
from a Canadian dental school because of the reciprocal
agreement between the Australian and Canadian
governments
TRANSITIONING • Australian dental school is not recognized in the United
States and graduates cannot be licensed there
BACK TO • Before you become certified to work in Canada, you must:

CANADA • Graduate with a degree in dentistry

• Pass the National Dental Examination Board’s written
exam and clinical exam
• Each exam may only be attempted a maximum of 3
times
• Once you have passed both the written exam and the
clinical exam, you receive certification and then you must
register with the College of Dental Surgeons of British
Columbia (CDSBC) in order to start work
 9 things every international student should know about Australia. (2017, October 25). Retrieved April 07, 2021, from
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/student/advice/9-things-every-international-student-should-know-about-australia

Australia unlikely to fully reopen border in 2021, says top official. (2021, January 18). Retrieved April 07, 2021, from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-
55699581

Canadian and AUSTRALIAN dental reciprocal agreement. (2018, December 21). Retrieved April 07, 2021, from https://oztrekk.com/news/canadian-and-australian-
dental-reciprocal-agreement/

Chelsea. (2020, September 03). Canada compared to Australia - from an Aussie living in Canada. Retrieved April 07, 2021, from
https://brbbusylivinglife.com/australia-vs-canada-differences/

COVID-19 student communication. (2021, April 01). Retrieved April 07, 2021, from https://about.uq.edu.au/covid-19-student-communication

APA Dentistry licensing. (2021, February 01). Retrieved April 07, 2021, from https://oztrekk.com/licensing/practicing-dentistry-in-canada/

Dh domestic student fees. (n.d.). Retrieved April 07, 2021, from https://www.dentistry.ubc.ca/dental-hygiene-entry-to-practice/financial-information/dh-domestic-

BIBLIOGRAPHY
student-fees/

Fees and charges for visas. (n.d.). Retrieved April 07, 2021, from https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/fees-and-charges/fees-and-charges-for-other-
services

Intercampus bus service. (2021, April 07). Retrieved April 07, 2021, from https://campuses.uq.edu.au/information-and-services/parking-transport/campus-
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Rivera, L. (n.d.). What you need to know about the seasons in Australia. Retrieved April 07, 2021, from https://www.tripsavvy.com/australian-seasons-1462601

University of Queensland Bachelor of DENTAL Science (Honours). (2021, March 15). Retrieved April 07, 2021, from
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The University of Queensland. (n.d.). Bachelor of dental science (honours) - future students - the university of queensland. Retrieved April 07, 2021, from
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