For years, the Netherlands has had to deal with a big shortage of dentists. The annual amount of graduates is too low and dental clinics find it more and more difficult to find qualified personnel. What is a worrying situation for the Netherlands is an interesting opportunity for dentists from a broad who are considering a career in Dutch dentistry.
Due to the shortage of dentists, there are plenty of vacancies. In addition, the standard of dentistry practised in the Netherlands is high, and due to the good balance between work and private life in the Netherlands, you will have enough time to also enjoy your life outside of the dental clinic. This offers dentists a favorable quality of life that you’d be hard-pressed to find in many other European countries.
Of course, moving from one country to another is no small task. First, there is the challenge posed by the language: the Dutch government has mandated that every dentist who works in the Netherlands without supervision is to speak Dutch at B2 level or higher. So in order to be included in the Dutch medical registry (BIG), dentists have to pass a Dutch language exam first. While this is advantageous to Dutch clinics and patients, it may be seen as a big hurdle for foreign dentists.
Then there is the job itself. How do I find the right dental clinic? What’s the bureaucratic process? How do I find a house in the Netherlands? Which insurances do I have to apply for and where can I get a Dutch bank account? In short, there is a lot of paperwork that needs to be taken care of if a successful start in the Netherlands is to be made possible.
This is where the expertise of BGB Dentistry comes in. With ten years of experience and 300 dentists from all over the EU whom we have helped, we are a certified educator specialized in preparing foreign EU dentists for the Dutch dentistry market. Within a timeframe of 20 weeks, we make sure that the dentist speaks Dutch at the required level and is ready to start working in a Dutch dental clinic.
We achieve this by letting our dentists enter our dentistry-oriented, 20-week language program, consisting of 10 weeks of e-learning followed by an all-inclusive course of another 10 weeks at our BGB Academy in Austria.
During this period, dentists learn both general Dutch and professional Dutch specific to the area of dentistry. This means that, after successfully concluding the course, they can communicate with their Dutch colleagues and patients on a respectable level.
While the dentist focuses on the language during the course, BGB works to pave the way for a comfortable start in the Netherlands. We do this by finding the dentist a suitable Dutch clinic to work at, as well as taking care of all administrative aspects of the move to the Netherlands.
On the final course day, the dentist does the language exam. If they pass, the BIG registration will be started immediately. This also puts the minds of our affiliated clinic owners at rest, as they know they will not have to wait long before their new colleague will obtain the necessary professional recognition.
After concluding the course, the dentist will commence working as soon as possible in their new dental clinic. By means of a short internship of 3-4 weeks, the dentist is introduced in the clinic, and both sides can take their time to see if the match is fully mutual. BGB arranges the housing for the dentists during this internship.
When there is mutual approval, the dentist will become a fully-fledged part of the clinic, allowing them to finally start building their Dutch dentistry career. BGB also helps the dentist find permanent housing, which will further allow them to start their new life here.
But BGB’s guidance doesn’t stop there: every 6 months, they evaluate together with the dentist to oversee the progress of their career. In addition, BGB offers ways for dentists to develop themselves professionally, for example by organizing masterclasses about topics in the area of dentistry, and supporting dentists with the financing of their own courses (abroad).
In short, they do not only help the dentists move to the Netherlands, but they also aim to do all within our reach in order to let the dentist grow professionally and personally after they’ve arrived here.
Are you an EU dentist and are you considering a career in the Netherlands? Feel free to contact Arjen (arjen@bgbdentistry.nl) and he will invite you for an online introduction!
This article was published as a guest blog at De Startende Tandarts.com
