Ой что-то мне страшно. Меня взяли в программу с сентября, но больше всего меня пугает поиск пациентов. Даже не знаю, может пойти на restpiratory care.

self-made, I guess it is similar to the Bar, but after this type of exam I don't become a Dentist, rather a Dental Hygienist with a $60 000 salary. But it truly feels as if I am educated and tested as if I am becoming a dentist. :)
By the way, the dentists are exempt from taking clinical boards now, and so are nurses, so why are we singled out?

Fred_in_Westland, thank you. Yes, the pressure is increasing on a daily basis. And the whole situation in the country and the world is not quite optimistic. Hopefully it's not going to get much worse than it is now.

ALI*lu*YA, it's not over till it's over, but I do feel a bit better today. At this point of my life passing this exam and getting my license is extremely important for me.

NewLunatic, I don't think I would attempt suicide over this issue, but it's extremely stressful. And the demands with the pressure are absolutely uncalled for. But I do believe I will survive. :) lol

LanaN, очень сложная программа - этого я отрицать не стану. Но всё возможно, там буквально выживание по дням...главное, не сдаваться. А по поводу этого экзамена, всё шло прекрасно и шло бы так и дальше, если б я вдруг не обнаружила кариес в труднодосягаемых местах в самом начале экзамена. И поэтому мне пришлось в срочном порядке всё переделывать, и естественно стресс возрос, потому что из-за неправильно выбранных зубов я могла просто завалить экзамен. Был момент когда ужасно хотелось встать, всё бросить и просто уйти. Я лично знаю двух человек, отличных студентов и специалистов, которые заваливали этот экзамен, пересдавали его и сейчас успешно работают и говорят, что это всё стоит того. Так что...тебе решать, насколько ты хочешь работать по этой специальности. Удачи.

CRAZY_VENUS, I thought you were studying to be a dentist. The exam does sound way too hard for a hygenist. So what do you need to do to become a dentist? Are you going to? Or will you start working as a hygenist?

self-made, I thought about going into dentistry, actually my family and the dentist I used to work for keep encouraging me to go for it. I could get into the program without a problem. But at this point after being in school non-stop since 1997 for different careers, I don't feel like spending another 4-6 years studying my brains off and getting into $500 000 or so in debt. If it were 2 more years of school I would do it without a doubt. But at this time and point in my life I'll pass. I want to live a life, travel extensively and maybe start a family before I'm 40. :) I'm not that ambitious after all. So hopefully I get my Dental Hygiene license by the end of summer and start working normal hours without weekends and holidays. After all these years with no days off it seems like heaven to me. :) Who knows what I'll decide in about 5-10 years though. :)
How about you? Have you decided about law school in the states yet? Even though you have a degree from Ukraine, do you still have to take some courses before are eligible to apply for the Bar Exam?

CRAZY_VENUS, Yes, 4-6 years after just studying for 10 years sound too long... I am kind of in a similar position right now. It’s the same in States as it is in Canada – in order for me to be admitted to the Bar, I have to study in a local law school for 3 years (full time) + 4th year of articling (like practice, but with a low salary of 40-50K per year). So, that pretty much means another 4 years of studying...That’s why after studying for 5 years in a law school in Ukraine, I’ve decided to just take a 1-year intense Paralegal course and start working in Canada. I didn’t want to study for another 4 years back then and also didn’t have any money to do that. Now I could afford it. But I prefer working – I prefer practical work and making my own money right now instead of waiting for several years to make more. So I am still debating. I am thinking of taking it slow and finding a job with a room for advancement and maybe even tuition reimbursement. I might go to school part-time or evenings while working during the day. I know it will be harder this way, but we’ll see. Right now I am starting to research LSAT and practice for it – I wanna take LSAT and see how smart I am by local standards :)) See how much I will score, and then the score is valid for 5 years, so I can decide later if I want to study or not. It will also depend of when and whether or not I will have a child... I am trying not to rush anything right now, but also trying to stay on the same track and look into the same direction :)

P.S. Is dental education really so costly? 500k for 4-6 years is like 100k a year???

CRAZY_VENUS, I won't be surprised if in a month you tell us that you have the highest rating in this exam! so good luck with that :)
self-made, hmm... are you sure you need to article in the US? I think it's true for Canada but not the US...

self-made, are you planning to take LSAT this coming June? Good luck. I'm sure you will get the highest score. I understand your debate between going for a full blown US law degree and losing your financial freedom for a few years. It's tough. But yes, you can start slowly and do it part-time if it's allowed and see if it's where you desire to be. It's all about your personal life priorities. Tough decisions, but you've already made a lot of decisions like that in your life. So...it's all possible. Especially for you, you are unstoppable, remeber? :)
Dental education is expensive, somewhere within that amount(+/-) depending on a school, just like with the law schools.

Loclier, i wish you were right. :) I don't care(honestly) if I get a passing score of 75, as long as I don't have to experience that horror again. I would give up all of the Honors/awards just to pass this exam and the next one in July, because the employers don't care what your GPA was, as long as you have a license and and are a good professional. :)

Loclier, I am not sure about articling in the US - I just assumed it's the same as in Canada, because the education process and admition process are very similar in the US and Canada. But if US doesnt require articling before being admitted to the Bar, that is good. But the salary of a 1-st year associate is very low here too. But oh well - it all depends on how good you are and how you prove yourself.

CRAZY_VENUS, No, I am not gonna attempt LSAT in June - too close :) Maybe in Oct... And it is hard, damn it :) The hardest part for me is the limited time. I am used to thinking thoroughly and double and even triple checking everything. So it takes me twice as long to get some of their questions done, especially the ones that require making a drawing/scheme. But I am sure I’ll be able to improve my timing – I just need to practice more.
Anyways, good luck to you! And you are right – as long as you get your license and will be able to start working – who cares what the score was. It’s not about trying to prove anything to anyone – it’s about starting your practical career finally.

CRAZY_VENUS, Oh, that's good that they don't care about your GPA. Because in law... oh yeah, your transcript is your pass to a good law firm. But anyway, I wish you get the highest score :)
self-made, as far as I know US is less restrictive than Canada in accrediting foreign lawyers. But I was told that US lawyers work themselves to death more than Canadians.

Исходное сообщение Loclier
self-made, as far as I know US is less restrictive than Canada in accrediting foreign lawyers. But I was told that US lawyers work themselves to death more than Canadians.

Well, it's not really true. It is mostly true for foreign lawyers educated in Common Law System - like in the UK or South Africa etc. As to us, educated in Civil Law System, there is not much difference, unfortunately... There are a few states that might consider admitting LL.M to the bar, but there are often other requirements like having practiced law in your native country for 5-6 years etc. Besides, I am not going to move to a different state just because it would take me less time to become a lawyer there. It would still be hard and would require studying and time and effort and the move is definitely not worth giving up what we have here now. And in Maryland I have to get my JD (3 years full time) to become a lawyer, so... I am thinking...