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Final-Year Dental Undergraduate Attitudes towards Specialisation
James Puryer1, Veselina Kostova2, Alisa Kouznetsova3
1School of Oral and Dental Sciences, Bristol Dental Hospital, Lower Maudlin Street, Bristol BS1 2LY, UK. james.puryer@bristol.ac.uk.
Dentistry Journal
|March 23, 2018
Summary
Most UK dental students are interested in postgraduate specialization, with perceived talent being a key driver. However, the lengthy training time deters many, impacting future workforce planning.
Area of Science:
- Dental Education
- Public Health
Background:
- Postgraduate specialization is crucial for addressing complex oral health needs.
- Understanding dental students' career intentions is vital for workforce planning.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore final-year UK dental students' attitudes towards postgraduate specialization.
- To identify factors influencing their decisions to specialize.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional survey was administered to 73 final-year dental students at a UK dental school.
- An anonymous self-report questionnaire assessed attitudes and influencing factors.
- Response rate was 79%.
Main Results:
- Student gender influenced specialization intentions, with more females expressing reluctance (p=0.006).
- 'Talent in the field' was the primary positive influence (37.9%), while training duration was the main deterrent (41.1%).
- Restorative Dentistry (24.1%) and Orthodontics (20.7%) were the most popular specializations.
Conclusions:
- Dental student specialization intentions may not align with population oral health needs.
- Further research is needed to inform dental workforce planning and specialist training programs.
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