Travel Expenses for Board Exam for International Students

Laryssa Gama Start Date: Feb 19, 2024 - End Date: Aug 18, 2024
  • Orlando, FL, United States of America

My Travel Story

by: Laryssa Gama Start Date: Feb 19, 2024 - End Date: Aug 18, 2024

Hello, I'm a dental student back in Brazil getting graduated in the middle of the year and I have the dream of revalidating my degree in the U.S. The salary in my home country for dentists is really low as we are not valued here, about US$775 to US$1.050 (dollars monthly). Mainly for recent graduates. And considering the expenses to live and pay for my studies here in Brazil, it's very little for me to save money and go to the U.S. to do all the process of revalidating my degree. I'd be able to do it only myself just about 10/15/20 years from now, if I pay it myself. But it's a really STRONG dream that I have, and I've always been in dental school since the first days of classes with the mindset that I'd revalidate my degree in the USA once I became a dentist in Brazil. But for me to apply to a dental school in the USA, first I need to do the Dental Board exam, and the American Dental Board exam, "INBDE"; costs about US$680 for American Graduates. But for foreigners, like me, there are taxes; and if you search it up you will see that it costs about US$750 plus an additional of US$235 for processing fee. It's a 2 days exam, meaning that I'd need to stay about 4 days in the US at least, which includes the accommodation, flight tickets, food and locomotion at least, as I need to go to the local of the exam at least 1 day before to check where is the place for me to not get lost in the day of the exam, so not arrive late and etc. The exam has about 500 questions. So I need to be prepared in those days. Then after being approved in that exam, I can apply for dental schools in the US on October. So, I'd be more than thankful if you could make one part of my dream of becoming a dentist in the US come true, as I have that dream since elementary school, and since I was little I knew that I wanted to become a dentist. And in elementary school when I started to learn English fluently, I knew that the US was my place to make that dream of mine come true. 

Thank you very much, may God bless the heart of all of you that has read my text 'till here. Thank you!!!



  • Orlando, FL, United States of America