There comes a moment in every dentist’s life when passion alone no longer feels enough. When years of study, endless clinic sessions, and relentless hard work still leave you questioning, “Is this all my career will ever be?” For many Indian dentists, that moment arrives unannounced. They are hidden behind clinic schedules, EMIs, and unspoken professional fatigue.
Then one day, everything changes.
When the Australian Dental Council results dropped, Dr. Marlyn Borgesi, a practicing dentist from Thane, Mumbai, received news that changed everything. Eight to nine years of clinical practice and a personal crisis forced her to pause mid-preparation. A clinic she set aside to study 12–14 hours a day in the final stretch, and then she cleared the ADC Written Exam on her very first attempt. How incredible!
This is not just an exam success story. It is a story of courage, reinvention, and choosing growth when staying comfortable felt easier. In a tete-a-tete with Dr. Sonal (Programme Manager, Academically) and Dr. Akram Ahmad (International Healthcare Career Coach, Founder & CEO, Academically) she spills it all. Dentists, this is your cue to a globally recognised career. Let’s get inspired.
Why Many Indian Dentists Feel Stuck in Their Careers Today
Dr. Marlyn was candid in her interview. Dentistry in India, she said, has been "a very up and down journey." She ran her own clinic for three years. It sounds like success on paper. But anyone in the profession knows the reality. Low salaries, limited respect, and a professional ceiling that hits you fast.
Dr. Sonal, Academically's Program Manager, put it candidly during the conversation: dental colleges never tell students that options exist beyond India. Seniors push NEET PG as the only path forward. Even that road is brutal, nearly impossible for general category students. It is financially out of reach for middle-class families at private colleges (we're talking ₹50–60 lakhs for MDS).
Those who do complete their MDS often find themselves working as assistant professors at private dental colleges, treating patients for free when classes aren't running. This is nothing but exploitation dressed up as opportunity.
Dr. Marlyn didn't know the ADC exam existed until she stumbled upon Academically on Instagram one random day. This is the awareness problem, and it's costing thousands of Indian dentists their careers. A consultant walked her through the entire process. That conversation started everything.
What Is the Australian Dental Council (ADC) Exam? Complete Pathway Explained
For those unfamiliar, the Australian Dental Council (ADC) assessment is the official pathway for overseas-qualified dentists to become eligible for registration and legally practise dentistry in Australia. The process consists of three sequential stages:
- Initial Assessment:
The document verification stage, where ADC evaluates academic qualifications, internship completion, professional registration status, and supporting credentials to confirm eligibility for the examination pathway.
- ADC Written Examination:
It assesses your dental knowledge, clinical skills, and professional judgement required to practise safely and effectively within Australian healthcare standards.
A computer-based exam is conducted at Pearson VUE centres worldwide (including Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, and other major cities).
The exam spans two days and includes four papers comprising 280 scenario-based multiple-choice questions designed to assess clinical knowledge and decision-making.
- ADC Practical Examination:
Conducted in Melbourne, Australia, over two days, this stage evaluates real-world clinical competence, technical procedures, infection control standards, and patient management skills required for safe dental practice in Australia.
The written exam is offered twice a year, in March and September, so you don't even need to fly to Australia to sit it.
Australia has only 62 full-time working dentists per 100,000 people. In remote areas, the number is far lower. There are currently 3,000+ open positions for registered dentists, an average annual salary of $150,000 AUD, and over 185,000 skilled worker visas available. Australia doesn't just accept internationally trained dentists; it needs them.
ADC Preparation Strategy: Why the Exam Tests Clinical Basics, Not Complexity
Here's something Dr. Marlyn said that should shift your entire perspective on ADC preparation:
"After coming right from the exam, all I understood was. Everything was about the basics. ADC is actually testing what kind of clinician you are. They don't want to know complicated stuff. They just want to know: as a general dentist, how can you handle the situation given to you in a clinic?"
Four clusters of questions, all mixed, and every cluster carries 180 questions. Two hours fly by faster than you expect during the real exam.
Dr. Marlyn pointed to TG (Ten Cate's Oral Histology) as the most impactful resource she used. She could identify which exact line a question was pulled from. She also read 75 cases from the Odell book two to three times, which she called genuinely invaluable.
Her clinical experience of nearly a decade helped her eliminate wrong options and zero in on correct answers, especially for out-of-the-box questions that tested real-world judgment, not textbook memorisation.
The common trap? Students focus on complicated topics and forget their fundamentals. Dr. Marlyn's advice is to think of it like learning A-B-C-D again, but knowing the sequence matters.
How a Structured Coaching Can Help You Restart Your Career
Restart? Yes, you heard it right. Here’s the twist in the story. This is also the part that makes her success even more meaningful.
She originally enrolled with Academically well before her exam date. But in April, personal circumstances forced her to stop. She called Dr. Sonal and said she simply couldn't continue. Most programmes would have left her there.
Instead, Academically paused her academic course access. When she was ready, months later, in September, she picked up exactly where she left off, restarted her preparation, and spent the next six months in focused, intensive study.
She had initially planned to appear in September 2025. Instead, she sat the exam in March 2026 and passed.
Her own words: "I kept my focus on clearing this exam on the first go. We all know this exam is expensive, and putting up money again and again is not easy for everybody." That clarity, combined with structure and support, made all the difference.
Realistic ADC Study Plan: Daily Routine of a First-Attempt Success
Dr. Marlyn dedicatedly prepared for her dental licensure exam. This is the golden study plan that you can replicate to own the success:
- Early preparation phase: 4–5 hours daily, while managing her clinic
- Final 3 months before the exam: 8–10 hours daily, sometimes 12–14 hours
- She temporarily closed her clinic to give the exam everything she had
- She attended every live class, despite her busy schedule
- In Academically's Grand Test, she scored a Grade A
Dr. Sonal noted during the interview that Dr. Marlyn was one of the most sincere students she had worked with. Every time she was told to read something, it got done. No excuses.
Inside the Academically ADC Preparation Programme: Training, Mentorship & Support
Dr. Marlyn's preparation was structured around Academically's ADC Exam Preparation Course, a programme built specifically for overseas-qualified dentists looking to work as a registered dentist in Australia.
Here's what the course includes:
- 14 weeks of intensive live sessions aligned with the ADC exam syllabus
- 100+ hours of live online training, with full recordings available for missed classes
- Extended course access, over a year, covering multiple revision cycles and even multiple attempts if needed
- AI-based mock tests and full-length Grand Tests with detailed performance reports
- One-on-one Q&A sessions with ADC-qualified expert trainers
- Study handouts, question banks with answers, and exam-specific strategy tips
- Community access: a private group with ADC-cleared dentists, mentors, and alumni
- Sessions on career guidance, securing your first dental job in Australia, and settling in
- Support for AHPRA registration, migration, Visa and PR
- Scholarships available, and a free AI mock test to start with
The curriculum covers all 16 modules tested in the ADC exam, from Dental Emergencies and Endodontics to Implants, Pharmacology, Restorative Dentistry, Infection Control, Oral Surgery, and beyond.
Our faculty panel features international dental professionals (including ADC qualified dentists) with 10+ years of experience and who legally practices in Australia and Gulf countries. This gives candidates an edge over others because they get complete mentorship on the basis of Australian healthcare guidelines.
Can You Clear the ADC Exam on the First Attempt?
Dr. Sonal made an important point towards the end of the interview. Students with strong foundational dental education have a significant advantage in the ADC exam. Students who passed through college without building real conceptual understanding often struggle. It is not because the exam is impossible, but because it tests clinical thinking, not rote recall.
If you studied seriously, practiced genuinely, and are willing to put in structured effort, this exam is clearable on the first attempt, as Dr. Marlyn proved.
Dentists! You Can Become the Next Success Story
Dr. Marlyn found Academically on a random Instagram scroll. Today, she's an ADC-cleared dentist on her way to a registered dental career in Australia, a country that is actively waiting for professionals like her.
You could be next.
Browse through the ADC Exam Preparation Course by Academically, live classes, recordings, mock tests, one-on-one mentoring, and end-to-end support from exam to Australia. The best part is, we will also help you secure a job in your dream country based on availability. Jobslly, India’s first healthcare-only job platform, provides just that, making it easy for niche markets.
Are you a BDS or MDS graduate ready to take your dental career global?