In October, dentist Eni Muco was unsuccessful in booking part one of the overseas registration exam (ORE) for the sixth time. Here, she explains how ORE difficulties have impacted her career and family life – and why urgent change is necessary.
I qualified in 2013 from the University of Medical Dentistry in Tirana, Albania. I opened my own practice in 2014 where I worked until 2021, which is when I came to the UK. My husband was already living in the UK at the time and we had got to the point where we were asking where we should create a life together. I thought it would be good to come to the UK to see a different perspective of dentistry.
Before coming over, I had some knowledge but the overseas registration exam (ORE) wasn’t as popular as it is now. After arriving in the UK, I found out some more information such as passing Part 1 and then Part 2. I thought it didn’t seem too hard – it was simply going to test me on my knowledge and some practical skills too. I felt confident. But I had no idea about the booking system and how it was conducted.
Financial pressures
I joined the candidate list in 2023 and I am yet to book an exam. In October, it was my sixth unsuccessful attempt at booking an exam for part one.
When you arrive in the UK as a dentist, you have pride and dignity, especially as a business owner, and you feel very capable of your skills. You feel that everything is possible! For this reason, when I didn’t book the ORE part one the first time around, I wasn’t feeling that bad. But when it happened a few times, I started thinking that it was really strange that it required so much time and effort. It started to have an impact on my family and my relationship with my husband.
Preparing for the ORE also requires a lot of studying, which inevitability puts on financial pressure. What’s more, my husband also has to take care of our toddler, which has often required him to take annual leave. As a couple, the lack of certainty around the exam made life completely unpredictable and we faced a lot of uncertainty.
Why the ORE booking system ‘does not make sense’
We have thought many times about giving up on the process and moving back to Albania. I’ve spent many nights crying and feeling a lot of anxiety around the situation. You do start to compare yourself to other candidates who were successful in booking the exam. You ask yourself, ‘Why them? Why not me?’ It brings you the feeling that you are not good enough.
For me, there are a few things that can help to improve the process. The first is making sure that priority is given to those who live in the UK already – those already contributing to the UK economy through taxes, living expenses, nursery costs. Ireland has a system like this – a certain percentage of places are allocated to those already living in the country.
I also think that when we apply for an ORE place, we should go onto a candidate list. This would mean that places can then be allocated based on the time that an individual joined the list, making the process a lot fairer and not simply being down to who clicked a button fastest. I know somebody who booked a place successfully on their first attempt in January this year, whereas I have been trying since February 2023. It doesn’t make sense.
Finally, I do believe in making provisional registration more widely available. This would not only help to maintain the skills of those waiting to take the ORE but also strengthen the NHS. I also appreciate that patient safety is very important in the UK so properly implemented supervision would be crucial.
You can sign the petition below:
Make the ORE booking system fairer for dentists
Signatures (88%)
Goal
Make the overseas registration exam (ORE) booking system fairer for dentists
We call on the General Dental Council (GDC) to reform the booking system for the overseas registration exam (ORE) to make it fairer and more supportive of internationally-trained dentists.
Currently, securing a place for ORE Part 1 and Part 2 is like getting festival tickets — the system favours ‘fastest-finger first’, with how long a dentist has been trying to book a place carrying no weight. Dentists must repeatedly refresh the webpage and compete in a stressful, luck-based race to book an exam. We feel this approach:
– Penalises perseverance: Those who have already invested time, money and effort in previous attempts are not given priority
– Causes unnecessary stress: Candidates face months or years of uncertainty while waiting for an exam slot
– Wastes talent: Skilled overseas dentists are unable to practise – even as the UK faces critical dental workforce shortages.
We propose a fairer system where priority is given to candidates who have previously attempted to book the ORE – allowing the process to be truly first come, first served.
Reforming the booking system is an effective short-term step that can be implemented quickly to relieve pressure on candidates and the dental workforce.
We acknowledge that broader, complementary action is also necessary, including the continued growth of available ORE places, and investment in UK dental schools and training capacities.
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