Studying dentistry in Spain? 11 criteria suggested by FEEDUC to help you choose your university in Spain

This is the basic criterion.

• A higher education institution that is not accredited cannot issue a Spanish state diploma that is mandatory to practice the regulated profession of dentist in France.
• To our knowledge, there are no schools in Spain that are not accredited as there are in France. Always be vigilant on this point if you don't want to be disillusioned.
• Always beware of misleading statements. If you have any doubts, do not hesitate to ask the university for the Spanish legal documents that authorize it to deliver its courses in dentistry and that specify that it can officially deliver its courses in Spain.

It is not enough to have found an officially licensed institution of higher learning.

• Secondly, you must make sure that the dental studies are sanctioned by the delivery of the official diploma.
• A school may be authorized for some studies but not issue an official degree for others. In this case they would only issue a "titulo propio".
• You must take dental courses in Spain to obtain a "grado oficial", to register with the Order to practice as a dentist in France.

You will not be able to become a truly competent dentist by taking online courses.

• This job is far too "technical" to be transmitted remotely or to be learned alone.
• It is your future quality as a professional that is at stake, do not take this risk.

Your skills as a dentist will come from your theoretical knowledge AND your practical mastery of your craft.

Make sure that:

• the location of the university clinic is convenient to access.
• The clinic has the necessary and recent equipment to treat patients.
• the organization of this clinic can offer you enough patients to treat during your internship.

Each of the 2 has advantages and disadvantages.

• Theadvantage of the public system is its price, since the studies are financed by the Spanish taxpayers.
• The main disadvantages of the public system are that you are not "always" welcome and that the average required to enter is difficult to achieve for a student who did not attend high school in Spain.
• Theadvantage of the private system is that it is more accessible for those with a good level of Spanish.
• The maindisadvantage is the price which can be high or very high.

• Beware of fake public universities: making you believe that you are a public institution because you are attached to a public university (all private universities are administratively dependent on a public university in Spain) should make you doubt the reliability of the institution and make you question yourself and these schools about the reasons they have for using these false arguments.

It may be a good idea to choose a public university whenyou do not have the budget to finance 5 years of study in a private university to study dentistry in Spain.

• Check the "nota de corte (10-point grade) that allowed you to enter the previous year at the university you are applying to.
• If your 20-point average divided by 2 to find your 10-point average is lower than this, you will likely not be admitted.
• If your grade is + or - the "nota de corte" of previous years have a plan B because you will not know until July if you are among the lucky ones to be admitted.

It can make a big difference whether you choose a Catholic university or a secular university for health studies in Spain.

• Not all Catholic universities are proselytizing.
• Some Catholic universities are very proselytizing and this can change some of the teachings.
• Some Catholic universities do not have the same courses that you can take in France during your studies in the health field.
• By carefully reviewing the syllabus, you can ensure that the courses taught do not conflict with your own values.

There are major differences in tuition fees.

• Also look at the additional fees (file opening fees, compulsory reception fees for foreign students, seat reservation fees, etc.).
• Between one private university and another, prices can vary from one to three.
• Multiply these differences in annual fees by 5 (the length of dental studies in Spain) and you will see that your total budget will not be the same at all.

This choice is also important because it can affect: your travels, the number of languages to master, your monthly budget...

• Make sure you look at what you think are the details at first, for example the region where you will study may require you to learn another language that is co-official in Spain such as Catalan, Basque or Galician in order to be able to access internships (a lot of energy to devote to this additional learning that you will not put on the other knowledge to learn for your dental studies)
• The cost of living is not the same everywhere in Spain where decentralization is very important with salaries, rents, etc. very different from one region to another.

The first of these is the level required in Spanish:

• If you do not have the language skills required by a university to enter its dental program, you should either give up applying or prepare yourself to reach that level.
• It would be useless to apply without having the level, you would just waste your time and energy.
• Instead, devote that energy to improving your Spanish and getting it officially certified.

• If you are afraid of the city, avoid downtown campuses,
• if you are afraid of the countryside, don't study on an isolated campus in the middle of the countryside.

Choosing a lifestyle that suits you can affect your quality of life and sometimes even your academic success.