Here is One of our Indian Dr. Surinder Singh Khurana, an internationally trained dentist who established himself as a successful dentist in Canada after emigrating from India, today helps others following in his steps get through their licensing process. In addition to his own dentistry practice, he is the director and main instructor at Ontario Simulation Training Centre (OSTC) for Foreign-Trained Dentists.

But his initial days in Canada were fraught with challenges. “We didn’t know anyone in Canada when we came here. “Going to school at the age of 45 and sitting in the class where the majority of the students were in their 20s and getting integrated with them was certainly a challenge,” he says.

Recognizing the difficulties in getting back into a licensed profession like dentistry, Khurana decided he wanted to help other immigrant dentists get back to work, too. “I had started preparing for my exams while I was in India — about a year before I landed in Canada. That helped me crack the [Canadian] dentistry exam in the first attempt,” he explains. “Then, during my studies in London, Ontario, I started helping and guiding other foreign-trained dentists, as I was aware of the prerequisites and the level of clinical skills required. All those students motivated me to start the training centre,” he says.

He, along with his associates who are experienced dentists, give invaluable tips for various preparatory exams in the United States and Canada. They also provide an opportunity to improve a dentist’s clinical skills under supervision, which is a crucial component to practise dentistry in North America.

Khurana and his team take their mission to aid internationally trained dentists a step further by hiring students as part-time instructors after they obtain their licence at his centre.

“Consistent and whole-hearted efforts certainly pay in the long term,” he says.

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