Professionalism in Postgraduate Oral Health Education: A Rapid Review

There is no empirical evidence guiding the teaching of professionalism in postgraduate oral health education. Therefore, the objective of this rapid review is to assess the current status of the research literature on professionalism teaching in postgraduate oral health education.

We conducted a rapid review searching four major electronic databases: MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science, for articles published between January 1, 2004, and July 25, 2024, the date of our search. The search targeted qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method studies, as well as reviews focusing on professionalism in postgraduate dental education. Guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, articles were considered eligible for inclusion if they fulfilled the following criteria: 1. The study population consisted of postgraduate dental students. 2. The educational outcomes assessed an aspect of professionalism.

Our search resulted in 1478 publications from databases. Following initial screening of titles and abstracts, 243 articles were selected for full-text review, from which 212 were excluded. A critical appraisal of the remaining articles was conducted after which a total of 21 studies were included. The data extraction yielded findings which can be categorized into four themes: 1. Professionalism Teaching/Curricula (n = 2). 2. Assessment of Professionalism (n = 3). 3. Professionalism Knowledge, Awareness and Attitude (n = 10). 4. Elements of Professionalism (empathy, emotional intelligence, reflection; n = 6).

This rapid review highlights a scarcity of peer-reviewed research on professionalism teaching and curricula in postgraduate oral health education. This does not imply an absence of professionalism teaching in practice, but rather a significant gap in the published scientific evidence base. This gap should be addressed through a cohesive and well-structured approach to professionalism education and its evaluation in postgraduate oral health education.