The ORE (Overseas Registration Examination) was the only way non-EU overseas graduates could register and work in the UK. It was called the IQE and now since about two years has been called the ORE. It now has been a two-part exam with the first part consisting of the Theory component encompassing all five years of an undergraduate dental syllabus. The second part consists of 4 components viz. Objective Structured Clinical Exam, Dental Manikin exercise, Dental Treatment Planning and Medical Emergencies.
The LDS (Licence in Dental Surgery) is the oldest continuously existing dental qualification in the United Kingdom. It started in 1860, under a charter by HM Queen Victoria in The 1858 Medical Act.It is conducted by the Royal College of Surgeons for the purpose of testing the fitness of persons to practise as dentists and to grant certificates of such fitness.
The biggest question is if both the examinations grant you registration as a dentist in the UK, which one does one go for?
The ORE essentially just gives one a kind of conversion of their native degree to a British qualification. It is a fairly tough exam. The LDS on the other hand is a recognised qualification. That too from one of the most prestigious colleges in the UK, The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The LDS, however is supposed to be a grade lower than a standard BDS degree, but as long as one can register with the qualification who cares?
As a non-EU graduate who has done the ORE and now plans to ho ahead and do the LDS (mainly for academic reasons), my advice to aspirants trying to do the exams to get into the UK is just apply for both the exams. The only hindrance to do both should be monetary. Both the exams are tricky and no one can predict for sure when one can get through. It is the unpredictable nature of these exams that compels me to request fellow colleagues to attempt both the exams. Whichever gets done first is your way towards registration as a dentist.
I do train for ORE part one and part two. You can connect to me for any information on these exams and for any help in preparation. Hope this feedback was helpful.
Click here for my training courses.
For more information on the ORE check out the GDC website www.gdc-uk.org
and for the LDS log on to http://www.rcseng.ac.uk/exams/lds