Final year dental students' career plans, work patterns, work‐life balance and domestic life in New Zealand and Australia

Abstract

Dental health care plays an essential role in maintaining the wellbeing of New Zealanders and Australians and is considered an important healthcare resource in New Zealand and Australia. With the dental healthcare environment and demands in treatment changing, as well as challenges posed by an ageing population, it is pertinent to gain an insight into new graduates' career aspirations and the factors influencing their decisions in order to maintain and further develop this resource. In 2009, the number of registered dentists in New Zealand was 2439 and nearly one decade later, this number has risen to 2936. 1 According to Australian registration data, there were 21 357 registered dentists in Australia in 2019. 2 With the increasing number of registered dentists, future graduates' career decisions may have an impact on the delivery of oral health services to the population. Previous qualitative and quantitative studies have found that financial stability and gaining professional experience are the key factors influencing dental students' short-term career aspirations. 3 For example, survey of final year dental students in the United Arab Emirates shows

Work situation and prospects of recently graduated dentists in the Netherlands

“…This study confirms previous findings that gaining experience is vitally important for new dentists when they take their first steps in their careers. 18 , 19 , 20 New dentists seem to find it easy to start out in the profession. The difficulties they encounter regard the responsibility of making clinical choices and the work pace.…”

“…Accordingly, undergraduates indicate that gaining experience is an important factor in their choices for the first years of their careers. 18 , 19 , 20 …”

“…Accordingly, undergraduates indicate that gaining experience is an important factor in their choices for the first years of their careers. [18][19][20] Although much is known about the oral health care dental landscape in the Netherlands, knowledge on the preferences and choices of new dentists is limited. Information on these subjects can help dental schools prepare students for daily practice, with regard to dental knowledge and skills as well as related matters such as collaboration and practice management.…”

Leadership and work community – views of graduating dental students

“…Nearly all students made at least some reference to their professional identity and how this is still in the process of forming. Therefore, we concluded that social support aids careerrelated decision-making and professional identity commitment, and support provided in the form of a more experienced colleague as a mentor or a close supervisor would certainly help recent graduates, as several studies have expressed (Stringer and Kerpelman, 2010;Hakkarainen and Mikkola, 2019;Keinänen et al, 2020;Mei et al, 2020). A constructive way of action at work is also linked to the way in which newly graduated dentists feel secure to gather experiences, ask for help and grow professionally.…”

“…Additionally, it has been found that new graduates need social support and supportive communication to build their professional identities, especially when they are entering working life ( Hakkarainen and Mikkola, 2019 ). Graduating dental students have considered mentorship to be one of the most important factors in job selection after graduating ( Stringer and Kerpelman, 2010 ; Li et al , 2018 ; Mei et al , 2020 ). The transition to working life is a major step for any newly graduated dentist ( Hakkarainen and Mikkola, 2019 ), causing stress and uncertainty in both professional and private life ( Di Pierro, 2010 ).…”