lochdaz-of-blantyre

Hi folks,
We're potentially relocation to NY/NJ through my job. Unfortunately we have a small stumbling block in that my wife is a Dentist here in Scotland and qualified as a UK dentist and thus can't practice in the US without long and expensive retraining.

Can anyone advise on what she'd be qualified to do in the US without the need to retrain?

Cheers in advance,
Daz

Englishmum

We had Scottish friends who were on an expat posting in Needham, MA (near Boston) where the husband was a management consultant and the wife was a dentist. They had lived overseas for a few years, Brussels, Singapore and then the US and were raising three children, so she didn't work for some years.

She didn't like the thought of paying more than $100,000 to qualify to work in the US, so after five years (they were both in their early 40s) they returned to Scotland (Crieff, nr Fife). She found work pretty much immediately and now works part-time as a dentist taking NHS patients. They're extremely happy.

We live in NJ, spouse works in NYC....where are you likely to be moving to?

Dan725

Is that really the case? Unreal. I always thought that well trained medical workers were the ones who could world hop anywhere easier than most. Is it the same for doctors??

Englishmum

Yep. It costs a fortune for those in the top ranks of the medical profession to get the certification/requalification to allow them to work in the States.

Actually I know of a case where a top eye surgeon from the Philippines wanted to move to the US to join his wife (she was also from Manila and working as a maths teacher in a deprived area of Newark, NJ - the job was apparently going to help qualify her for a green card eventually).

Anyway, his qualifications are not recognised in the US and he couldn't afford to re-train (and perhaps couldn't raise a large loan without a credit rating). Wages are very low - even for those in top professions - in the Philippines as it is a developing country, especially compared to Western countries.

He actually went back to medical school in Manila to train as a nurse! (Nurses can get green cards). In his 'class' at nursing school 28 other trainees were doctors, all hoping to get that coveted US green card by entering the States as a nurse!

lochdaz-of-blantyre

Well I'll work in Manhattan so anywhere within sensible commuting distance. I like NJ from what I've seen. My wife is also currently an NHS dentist (in Coatbridge).

Everywhere except US and Canada, up until my firm offered my this opportunity we were all set to try and move to Dubai. For some reason they think they're special in the US. For my wife to practice in NJ it would take 24 months and over $120,000. Pointless! Silly when you think she trained as a medic and then a dentist and she can't do either without lots of requalifying. Same for everyone from dental nurses to doctors etc.

She's happy to work at anything and be a "homemaker"...I suggested medical/clinical research?

Any other ideas?

Cheers,
Daz

fatbrit

Medical labs
Teaching

Englishmum

Make a baby!

OTOH there are so many pharmaceutical companies here in NJ: close to where I live is Novartis, then there is Schering-Plough, Pfizer etc. and plenty of others too.

augigi

CRAs are in massive demand, too.

mikethecameraman

When are you coming?
I live in NJ and need a couple of teeth looking at.....

( one is a crown that a US dentist did that still hurts!! )

lochdaz-of-blantyre

Forgive me...what's a CRA?

Daz

augigi

http://www.socra.org/

lochdaz-of-blantyre

There seems to be quite a number of Clinical Research Associate roles out there.

Thanks for that...that might be a good shout.

Daz