Self-perceived cultural competence skills among graduating dental students in Saudi Arabia

Graduating culturally competent dentists is crucial for providing a high standard of care for patient outcomes and satisfaction. The objectives of this study were to assess the self-perceived cultural competence (CC) among graduating dental students and to explore factors that may influence the development of these competencies.

A cross-sectional survey design was employed, utilizing a self-administered electronic questionnaire. The survey was distributed to graduating dentists at the end of their internship year. The survey included demographic data, academic information, and self-rating of CC skills adapted from the Knowledge, Efficacy, and Practices Instrument rated on a 4-point Likert scale.

Of 660 respondents, the majority (57.3%) were female, and most participants (87.7%) were raised in urban cities. Self-perceived CC was highest for treating patients of the same gender and lowest for patients with special needs. Bilingualism, gender, and school type were significant predictors of CC scores, with female dental providers, graduates of private or international high schools, and bilingual individuals performaing better in treating patients from diverse backgrounds. Clinical rotations in varied settings were reported by 93.2% of students to improve their CC skills.

The findings suggest that experiential exposure to service learning and diverse patient populations has a positive impact on dental students' CC skills. Mastering a second language emerged as a key factor in CC development, with treating patients with special needs identified as an area for further curricular improvement.