Gender differences in dental students' professional expectations and attitudes: a qualitative study

Introduction With the significant increase of women in dentistry, the profile of the dental professional has been altered.Aim To investigate the discourses of future dental surgeons, of both genders, from public and private universities of Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil, to detect whether gender profile differences can influence training and intended future practice.Methods The problem is approached using a qualitative design, with the strategy of collective interviews in focus groups followed by a discourse analysis.Results Women choose dentistry mainly because they like working with people and want to have formal employment in the future. Male discourses show a desire for professional status, worthy business prospects, and the flexibility of being self-employed. The analysis of the university education process revealed that men desire learning that is more technical, besides knowledge on business management, whereas women still complain of current prejudices in the personal relationships that exist with teaching staff and colleagues.Conclusion The teaching process, based on the technique-driven biomedical model, has not reached an ideal standard for the female gender in terms of training, which would be a model based on empathy and good relationships with human beings.