So, you want to know how I got here?

My foundation was built long before the U.S. journey

My journey did not start with a U.S. application. It started with dentistry in India.

I completed my Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) and later my Master of Dental Surgery (MDS). Through both, I stayed focused on academics and on clinical dentistry side by side, and was fortunate to graduate at the top of my class in each. But grades were never the point for me — they were simply a sign that I was learning the fundamentals properly.

I wanted to become genuinely comfortable with clinical work: diagnosis, treatment planning, restorative procedures, extractions, crowns, endodontics, prosthodontics, patient communication, and managing real patients in real settings. That clinical foundation became essential later.

I built experience, not just qualifications

Over the years I worked across different clinical environments and treated a large number of patients — restorative procedures, root canal treatments, crowns, extractions, dentures, veneers, periodontal procedures, and comprehensive patient care. I also worked in fast-paced clinics where managing several patients and making treatment decisions efficiently was simply part of the day.

Alongside that, I kept learning — conferences, continuing education, hands-on workshops, research, presentations, and teaching. My CV eventually became more than a list of degrees. It became a reflection of what I had actually done.

Then came the U.S. journey

Moving toward dentistry in the United States meant understanding that a dental degree and clinical experience were only one part of the picture. I had to learn the pathway, prepare for the INBDE, understand how to present my academic and clinical background, work through the application process, and prepare myself for interviews.

This was also when I began gaining direct U.S. exposure through shadowing and clinical observerships — observing private practice and DSO settings, assisting chairside, watching new-patient exams, restorative work, extractions, dentures, digital workflows, and treatment planning in a U.S. clinical setting.

Alongside this, I pursued my Master of Science in Kinesiology in the United States and kept building through hands-on courses and continuing education.

INBDE preparation

One of the major milestones in this journey was the INBDE. I used The Study Boards for my preparation, and having a structured resource that kept me focused mattered a great deal.

The biggest lesson from exam preparation: a good resource is only one part of the equation. You still need —

• A realistic study schedule
• Consistency
• Active recall
• Plenty of question practice
• Regular revision
• The ability to identify your weaker areas
• And, most of all, discipline

The goal is not to study for long hours. The goal is to study consistently and intelligently.

Then I prepared for the TOEFL

Right alongside the INBDE, I had to prepare for the TOEFL. It is easy to treat it as a formality after everything else, but it deserves its own focused preparation.

I worked with CaapidUp for my TOEFL preparation, and it made a real difference. Their structured approach to Reading, Listening, Writing, and Speaking gave me a clear plan instead of generic tips, and the mentor feedback on my speaking and writing responses caught things I could not see on my own.

I was able to clear the TOEFL in my first attempt, with a score of 110.

Then I had to learn how to present my profile

This was a completely different challenge. You can have years of education, clinical experience, research, volunteering, teaching, conferences, and certifications — but if your application does not communicate that clearly, the reader may never understand the value of any of it.

Building a profile and presenting a profile are two different skills. I had the experiences. But I still needed to work out: what belongs in my CV, how my experiences should be organized, what my SOP should actually communicate, how to connect my past experience with my future goals, and how to talk about my journey in an interview.

My CAAPID and application preparation

For this part, I worked with CaapidUp. The process was never just about filling out an application — it meant looking at my whole profile and understanding how the different pieces fit together.

Profile review and feedback

My academic, clinical, research, teaching, volunteer, and professional experiences were reviewed together to see the real strengths of my profile and where it could be presented more effectively. Getting outside feedback mattered here — you are often too close to your own journey to see what is actually important. Feedback helped me see my profile the way an evaluator would.

CV development

My CV needed to communicate years of education and experience without turning into a simple pile of information. The focus was on organizing everything — academics, clinical experience, U.S. exposure, research, teaching, continuing education, awards, and community work — so it was easy to follow.

SOP preparation

My SOP was never meant to repeat my CV. It needed to explain the story behind it: why dentistry, why this next step, what experiences shaped me, what I learned, and where I was trying to go. CaapidUp helped me work through that and refine how I told my own story.

Interview preparation

Having a strong CV and SOP is one thing. Being able to talk about your experiences naturally and with confidence is another. Interview preparation meant understanding my own application more deeply, thinking through each experience, preparing for likely questions, and learning to communicate my journey instead of memorizing answers. An interview is not about giving the “perfect” answer — it is about being able to explain your own story.

I kept building while I applied

While working through the application process, I did not stop developing professionally. My journey during this time included U.S. clinical shadowing and observerships, hands-on restorative dentistry workshops, bench-test preparation, continuing education courses, research publications and presentations, teaching and mentoring, community and volunteer service, and professional conferences.

None of this was collected simply to make my CV longer. Every one of these was a chance to become a better dentist and a more well-rounded professional.

Your CV is your story, not just a document

One of the biggest things I learned: do not build your CV just to fill pages. Build experiences that actually mean something to you.

If you have clinical experience, understand it. If you have research, know it well. If you have volunteer experience, know why you did it. If you have teaching experience, understand what it taught you. If you have U.S. exposure, pay close attention to what you observed — because eventually, you may have to talk about all of it.

Your application should not feel like a collection of random achievements. It should feel like one connected story.

What I would tell someone starting today

If you are at the very beginning of this journey, you do not need to have everything figured out right away. Start with the basics.