The Nicest Man

Mulan

I just had to share this experience. I have been going to the dentist since August to get some needed work done. I hate the dentist worse than anything on earth, but this time it has been a pretty nice experience. I had to change dental clinics because we got new insurance.

The dentist is a very young man (28) but really good, and we hit it off immediately. His personality and mine are very good together. But...........the man I want to tell about is one of the dental assistants, an older man (late 40's) named Zoran.

Zoran and I have become good friends, and he fights the other assistants when I am there, so he can be the one to work on me, and to chat with me. He is from Yugoslavia, and he and his wife and 5 children have been in this country for 3 years, but he speaks very good English, even though his second language was Russian, and he didn't learn English until he got here. I noticed that the dentist gave Zoran a lot of responsibility, more than the other assistants, when he was working on me. Some things only the dentist can do, legally, but Zoran seemed unusually knowledgable and skilled. I chatted with him one day, while we were waiting for the shot to numb me (takes FOREVER for me) and I learned that in Yugoslavia, he was a dentist at the American Embassy. That is how he was able to get out of his country during the war, because of the diplomatic contacts he had at the embassy.

Zoran is not allowed to be a dentist here, unless he went back to school and took the training all over again. I just don't understand that at all. It seems so WRONG!! He was able to get work immediately as a dental assistant though, but the pay is not as good of course. I asked him if there were any differences in the way the work is done over there, compared to here, and he said it is all exactly the same. No difference. In Yugoslavia he didn't work with a dental assistant, which only slowed the work, but they are not as interested in production there, as they are here.

Yesterday, when he walked me to the front desk, he told me he was leaving that clinic to go to another that paid better. I was so sad because I will really miss him. He has had such an interesting life, and the prospect of seeing him made my trips to the dentist not so terrible. Fortunately I only have two more appointments and I will be done until the regular checkups. He hugged me goodbye, because my next appointment is after he is gone. I asked the gal at the desk for his full name, because I want to send a Christmas card to him and his family. I will take a gift for him later this week, before he leaves. Vodka I think.

I would love to have gotten to know him better and met his family. I wondered for awhile if they were JW's since we seemed to have such a common bond, but he mentioned Halloween and Christmas, one time, and how his children getting excited about the new holidays in this country. He is just the sweetest man!! It's interesting how you can bond with strangers.

Joyzabel

Does Dave know why you are going to the dentist ALOT lately????

Nice experience, Mulan. Yes it is a shame that the U.S. government and its medical/dental requirements to practice in this country are so stringent. I've known of nurses and midwives who were trained in other countries and they had to go back to school completely if they wanted to practice in this country. (Makes you wonder about all the foreign docs and how they got through all the red tape!)

Meeting people that you click with makes life very interesting and rewarding.

Hugs,

j2bf

Southland

I think there should be some type of compromise - like a "refresher" course that you have to pass in order to be considered competent to practice here. I don't think, when all things are considered, medical schools everywhere are equal. For example, is a medical school in Nigeria, Africa going to be of equal quality to Harvard in Massachusetts?

Mulan

Dave has an appointment coming up there too, and I was so anxious for him to meet Zoran too. Nice try, Joy!! He is way too young for me. (kidding)

I just don't understand those laws. I had a return visit once, from Romania, who was married to a man from South Africa. He was a doctor, but worked here as a janitor because he couldn't practice medicine in this country. Another RV was from Turkey (Muslims) and her husband was a surgeon at a local hospital............and he was trained in Turkey. Who can figure?

Zoran said in Yugoslavia, his education was the equivalent of about $5000, and the dentist said he still has outstanding student loans over $100,000, and he had a scholarship. Is it all about money, when a man like Zoran already has the education, and his abilities are recognized here? I just don't get it.

Joyzabel

Mulan, you are no fun to tease.

It would be nice if there was a competency test for people coming into the U.S. And there are refresher classes some professions have available to them.

On the other hand, we don't want a glut of people coming to the U.S.A and taking away jobs from Americans. I know it is not a matter of money, it is politics. .

Many people coming to the U.S.A feel they should just be handed a certificate to practice their profession without jumping through the hoops here. So I can see it both ways, why should foreign trained people get to come to the U.S.A and get the benefits without having to go through the training that is required in this country?

Oh well, the hard part is knowning someone personally and wanting an exception made for them.

j2bf

Mulan

Well, Joy, Dave said "looks like you've made another conquest!" I know he must think I flirt or something. I really don't, but I am interested in people and ask questions and get them to talk about themselves. I know he likes me too, because he said he smiles when he sees my name on the appointment book.

The thing that's hard, even if he had the money to go to school here, is that he has a large family to support, and it takes two incomes in this country. He seems resigned to this, and doesn't complain. I was the one who complained about it being unfair.

herself

I don't understand the problem actually. Many doctors practicing in the USA were trained in foreign countries, but they passed the tests here. We have doctors in the USA who went to medical school in Mexico City. They, for one reason or another, couldn't get into medical school in the US, so applied at the schools in Grenada and in Mexico City and likely other foreign countries.

Is dentistry different? Or are there some countries that the US recognizes and other countries that they won't accept the schooling from?

H.S.

Joyzabel

Mulan, you don't flirt or something, you've just had years and years of listening to other people out in service The good little pioneer that you were. I think it is great getting to know other people and what their lives have been like.

Even though it is sad that this man cannot practice his profession here in the U.S.A. and it does take 2 incomes to make ends meet, look at the bright side. He lives in the U.S.A and not in Yugoslovia. Obviously he is willing to do what he can to live here.

j2bf

Joyzabel

Welcome to the board, herself.

It sounds like you have a medical background (your comments in another post).

Yes the U.S. recognizes some schools with their curriculum in some countries as being able to transfer their credits to schools here or being able to get a license to pracice. I'm sure it is different for every practice and state. I just feel if there is a will there is a way. Which means that some people who come here don't want to take the time or effort or money to get a license here or they can't afford to pursue those options because of needing to live.

Just my 2 cents.

Mulan

look at the bright side. He lives in the U.S.A and not in Yugoslovia. Obviously he is willing to do what he can to live here.

Yes...........good point. He says they love America, and are very sad at what happened to their country, but they knew for a long time they should leave, and were able to do it. Many people weren't. He is very grateful to the people at the American Embassy for helping them all to come here. He doesn't complain..........don't want to give that impression.

The only thing he complains about is his 8 year old daughter not wanting to keep her first language, and he fears she will forget it. He knows the advantage to knowing languages. They loved their country though, and must be homesick. He said he lost many friends in the war, but none of his family.

The Nicest Man

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