Membership information 1800 444 542
Dentolegal advice 1800 444 542

Got the travel bug? Develop your dental career abroad

15 September 2016
By Dr Emad Ahangari, a class of 2014 graduate

The travel bug hit me when four friends and I went on a summer backpacking trip to South America in 2013. The most powerful thing that trip taught me is that travellers can be content with nothing but a backpack and some amazing experiences. Once I knew I’d got a taste for travelling, it made sense to use my degree to work and live overseas. I did some research and found that one of the most appealing places to live and register was Canada, so I began studying for the NDEB exams in my final year of study. 

I sat the exams during the same week of our final OSCE for university. I found out I passed the exams during our graduate ball, which was probably one of the happiest moments of my life. 

Looking for jobs online, I found an accounting firm which specialises in physicians and dentists, who were advertising a locum job opportunity on behalf of one of their clients. I sent an email and they were prompt in getting back to me: a job opportunity in the middle of nowhere, in the Rocky Mountains in British Columbia. By chance it happened to be for the president of the Canadian Dental Association. He ended up calling me for a short phone interview, and then agreed to give me a shot as a 3 month locum! I reluctantly handed in my resignation at my amazing job in Brisbane, and off I went into the unknown. 

Most people in Canada have good dental insurance which covers anywhere from 50 - 100% of most of their basic dental care, and sometimes crowns, bridges and more complex stuff with pre-authorisations. This means that money is generally not an issue, and you can provide patients with the best treatment. It is far more common to have CDAs (Certified Dental Assistants), to whom you can delegate virtually any low-risk, non-invasive procedure, including putting on topical anaesthetic, applying rubber dams, taking  x-rays and doing  post op work, as well as polishing teeth after cleans and applying fluoride.  This allows the dentist to manage their time more effectively. I was the only dentist in town, meaning I had to do complex surgicals.  I also had to improvise with splinting teeth and repairing dentures in our makeshift lab at the clinic. The experience was fantastic. I always knew that in dentistry patient communication is vital, but I quickly came to see how immensely true this was when I was out in the middle of nowhere, especially with issues like informed consent. 

As my 3 month contract was coming to an end, the principal dentist wanted me to stay on for another couple of months. I reluctantly declined as I am a city kid and it took 3 months in a rural mountain community to learn that. I applied for a job in Victoria BC and had another phone interview. Within 4 hours I had the job. After a short sabbatical, I flew across the province to the capital of British Columbia on Vancouver Island, and began work for a general dental clinic. Most of our patients were First Nation and I was the only dentist there performing oral surgery procedures. The work, colleagues and patients were great and I continued there for another 7 months. I then decided that it was time to move on. My next stop will be Vancouver and I’m currently looking for work there. 

Working in Canada has been fantastic. Not only have I been given autonomy to perform complex procedures, I have also been graced with very generous and kind employers. Canadian people in British Columbia seem to be welcoming, friendly and progressive, and although every nation has its problems, Canada seems to be a shining example of successful multiculturalism and pluralism, and I believe we have a lot to learn from them. Some of the landscapes here have left me literally speechless, especially the lakes surrounding Banff, and I have made some amazing friends for life. 

In general, I would definitely recommend working and living anywhere you can around the world. You can only benefit from the extra insight of cultures and practises, therefore becoming more rounded as a human being, not just professionally. You also learn a lot about yourself, as you have to pick up and start from scratch, forming new friends and adapting to new social structures.

This trip has definitely been a rollercoaster, but it is by far the best thing I've ever done. If you're thinking about going overseas then don't wait: take advantage of the working visa initiatives for young people in various countries and travel before you settle down! I especially recommend this if you don't have clarity about the next phase of your life. The daunting notion of 'the beginning of the rest of your life' after graduation can be quite heavy on the mind, and there is no better way to give yourself more perspective than to pack up and live overseas for a year or so. 


The dentolegal adviser's perspective
Dr Mike Rutherford, Brisbane office

There is nothing like seeing how other people live and work to bring perspective to our own lives and thoughts. Whether it is to appreciate how lucky we are to live in a wealthy first world country after visiting poorer nations, or to see how we could do things better  here in Australia after witnessing  other cultures deal with work and life in general.

The commonality seems to be an emerging appreciation of how happy other people and you can be without the material things that we seem to value so much in our day to day life. 

You can feel the excitement in Emad’s recounting of his travels and working overseas, and sense that he feels that he is a better person and practitioner for the experience. Go and try it for yourself.


These case studies are based on real events and provided here as guidance. They do not constitute legal advice but are published to help members better understand how they might deal with certain situations. This is just one of the many benefits Dental Protection members enjoy as part of their subscription. 
For more detailed advice on any issues, contact us

© 2010-2024 The Medical Protection Society Limited

DPL Australia Pty Ltd (“DPLA”) is registered in Australia with ABN 24 092 695 933. DPLA is part of the Medical Protection Society Limited (“MPS”) group of companies. MPS is registered in England (No. 00036142) with its registered office at Level 19, The Shard, 32 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9SG. All the benefits of MPS membership are discretionary, as set out in the Memorandum and Articles of Association.

“Dental Protection member” in Australia means a non-indemnity dental member of MPS. Dental Protection members may hold membership independently or in conjunction with membership of the Australian Dental Association (W.A. Branch) Inc. (“ADAWA”).

Dental Protection members who hold membership independently need to apply for, and where applicable maintain, an individual Dental Indemnity Policy underwritten by MDA National Insurance Pty Ltd (“MDA”), ABN 56 058 271 417, AFS

Licence No. 238073. DPLA is a Corporate Authorised Representative of MDA with CAR No. 326134. For such Dental Protection members, by agreement with MDA, DPLA provides point-of-contact member services, case management and colleague-to-colleague support.

Dental Protection members who are also ADAWA members need to apply for, and where applicable maintain, an individual Dental Indemnity Policy underwritten by MDA, which is available in accordance with the provisions of ADAWA membership.

None of ADAWA, DPLA and MPS are insurance companies. Dental Protection® is a registered trademark of MPS.

Before making a decision to buy or hold any products issued by MDANI, please consider your personal circumstances and the Important Information, Policy Wording and any supplementary documentation available by contacting DPLA on 1800 444 542 or via email.

For information on MPS and DPLA’s use of your personal data and your rights, please see our Privacy Notice.