Competencies for the beginning dental practitioner in Canada: a validity survey

As part of the recommended review of the national competencies for beginning general dentists in Canada, a validation survey was distributed to 731 dentists. The survey asked participants to supply demographic information and rate each of the forty-six competencies on a 5-point Likert scale. The response rate was 43.1 percent (315 total usable responses). Self-reported demographic data was used to create respondent subgroups. The participants rated all of the competencies quite high with thirty-six of the forty-six receiving rankings averaging 4.0 or higher on the 5-point scale. No competency received a ranking averaging lower than 3.0. Competencies rated as most important by the entire sample were also rated as most important by all respondent subgroups. The results of this validation survey provide evidence of content validity and reinforce the value of a national competency document that can serve as a reference for curriculum management, program accreditation, and development of certification examinations.