Dental Students’ Perceptions of Dental Specialties and Factors Influencing Specialty and Career Choices

Abstract

The goals of this study were to 1) evaluate dental students' perceptions of dental specialties, 2) identify factors that play an important role in students' decision to pursue specialty training or career choices, and 3) establish a baseline of students' perceptions of the dental ields with the best future in terms of salary, personal and patient quality of life, and overall impact on the dental profession. Surveys were distributed to 494 students at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine. Data were collected from 380 traditional four-year students and thirty advanced standing students. Chi-square tests, multivariate analysis, and logistic regressions were used to determine associations and independent contributions of student demographics to their perceptions of dental specialties and factors inluencing specialty training or career choices. Debt was a statistically signiicant factor (p<0.001) in choosing specialty training or career independent of gender, age, or class year. Enjoyment of providing care in a specialty or ield was identiied as the single most important factor in choosing a specialty career. Half of the respondents had decided not to specialize. Pursuing postdoctoral general dentistry training and private practice in general dentistry were the most commonly reported plans after completion of dental school. Suggestions are made for ways to inform students about specialty training.Dr.

The workforce outcomes of dental graduates from a metropolitan school ‘Rural Clinical Placement Program’ versus a ‘Rural Clinical School’

“…For the employment factors post‐graduation, the interview responses across the three cohorts were similar, and related to job availability, family and personal relationships, seeking good mentorship, clinical training/experience being offered, the partner factor and the lifestyle offered. This correlates with evidence from dentistry and other health disciplines that identified factors that impact on graduate career outcomes as: rural background with family in a rural area, family ties to a community, marital status, seeking an outdoor lifestyle, partners’ background and employment opportunities, availability of mentors, and access to continuing education. Given the reported influence of ‘partners’ in the graduates’ workforce decisions, it is proposed that future research consider asking graduate dentists if their partners are from a rural background and their partner status.…”

A survey of undergraduate orthodontic teaching and factors affecting pursuit of postgraduate training

“…Overall, this survey highlights high levels of satisfaction among students in relation to undergraduate teaching, an appetite for case-based and small-group teaching at undergraduate level, as well as for undertaking short-term orthodontics and clear aligner therapy upon graduation. In keeping with previous research 7,8 finances as well as geographical location may be important considerations affecting the decision to pursue specialist training. A broad cross-section of students was assessed from four Final Year cohorts and a reasonable response rate achieved with the results likely to be indicative experienced undergraduate students within the U.K. more broadly.…”

“…Specifically, fees for postgraduate training within dentistry have increased in recent years and recruitment to specialist training programmes have been aligned with medical models in embracing national recruitment, whereby prospective students may be assigned either to their chosen unit or region, or to a less preferred area pending on ranking within the recruitment process. A previous study involving Canadian dental students highlighted that 33% of students across a cross-section of 10 dental schools admitted that the level of debt would influence career pathway 7,8 . There has however been little assessment of the influence of central recruitment on pursuit of specialist training.…”

Knowledge and clinical behavior on antiresorptive medications and osteonecrosis of the jaws: a cross-sectional study

“…Most of the dentists reported that they learned about the issue during undergraduate courses (49%), possibly in the classroom, with this knowledge being restricted and poorly established by the oral surgeons. According to Dihma et al, it is possible that there is a learning gap in the basic disciplines of oral lesion diagnosis and oral pathology during under-graduate courses, resulting in inadequate exposure to these specialties, which would have a direct reflection on the students' opportunity to treat patients requiring special care dentistry and specific protocols [31].…”

“…Younger oral surgeons reporting that they knew that systemic risk factors related to the use of AM could favor the development of ONJ also learned about AM and ONJ in their post-graduate courses, with 91% of them tending to correctly recognize two or more indications for the use of these drugs. In certain way, these results might be explained by the fact that under-graduate courses do not expose students adequately to more complex cases requiring a multidisciplinary approach, perhaps due to the lack of faculty sufficiently trained in oral pathology and diagnosis, which would increase their clinical experience during the post-graduate period [31]. In fact, younger oral surgeons (age group close to the median) who completed undergraduate courses at public institutions and learned about AM and ONJ by reading scientific articles were more likely (91%) to correctly recognize ONJ in the oral cavity as a side effect.…”