I am a foreign trained dentist from India with no perfect setup, no shortcuts, and honestly a lot of self doubt. I know many of you watching this are exactly where I was. From India, Pakistan, Egypt, Iran, Turkey, Mexico, different parts of Africa and so many other countries—you're all trying to figure out how this whole international dentist journey in the USA even works.
The application process is extremely competitive and it doesn't stop at just submitting your CAAPID application. There are bench tests, interviews, ADEA Kira, Casper, rejections, waiting, and starting over again. Some days it feels exhausting and unfair, but this is all part of the journey.
You are not behind. You are not less capable. And you are definitely not alone. If I could push through the uncertainty, the fear, and the days I wanted to give up, so can you. Keep showing up, even on the days it feels heavy. One day you will look back and realize it was all preparing you for exactly where you are meant to be.
