The professional objectives of canadian dental students

Data from a 1971 national study of Canadian dental education are used as a basis for examining the relative importance which dental students and faculty place on the professional objectives of economic gain and service. Students (N = 1,247) were asked to rank a set of career attributes in terms of their importance both for themselves and for other students. Dental school faculty (N = 510) were asked to assess whether students under emphasized or overemphasized a group of 16 parallel objectives. The results indicate substantial variations between the professional objectives of individual students, those ascribed to others by students, and the faculty's perception of student objectives.