Choice of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery as a Specialization and Career Path: An Undergraduate Perspective

Undergraduates pursuing dentistry choose from nine specialties to further theireducation and career path. Oral Surgery is the specialty which forms a bridge between medicine and dentistry. Do they get adequate insight into this subject to make an informed decision on pursuing this field? What inspires them to choose this path?

To analyze the attitude and reason among students pursuing Bachelor's degree in dentistry and general dental practitioners towards choosing Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMFS) as a post-graduation specialization.

An online questionnaire was circulated among final year dental students, interns and general dental practitioners from all over India. It consisted of 3 sections which emphasized on their interest towards pursuing post-graduation, their attitude towards OMFS as a specialty and a career option.

A total of 1145 responses were obtained through the survey, it was observed that majority (86%) of participants were interested to pursue MDS. 66% selected OMFS as their first choice in pursuing post-graduation. It was also noted that out of 87% of total female participants in the study 62.9% of them were interested in OMFS.

Previous studies have shown that students voluntarily chose OMFS as a specialization. In our study the major reasons to pursue OMFS by participants was deep interest towards this subject, financial benefit and to gain knowledge and clinical experience.

OMFS had a positive impact and an exposure at an under-graduate level inspired participants to pursue this subject as a specialization and considering it as a career option.