Motivational factors in the choice of postdoctoral general dentistry programs

This study explored the importance of various personal and professional factors that may influence choices concerning postdoctoral training in general dentistry. We sent an eighty-one-question survey to all individuals (N = 1,995) who were registered to participate in the Postdoctoral Dental Matching Program (MATCH) and analyzed 599 returned surveys from those applying to GPR and/or AEGD programs. Approximately twenty questions addressed each of four time periods in the application process. Over half of respondents felt that learning more medicine, increasing their speed with dental procedures, gaining confidence in clinical skills, and treating compromised patients were very important. Over one-third of respondents felt that program location, salary and benefits, program philosophy and faculty, and nondental training experiences were very important. Females felt that thirty-five items were more important than did their male counterparts, whereas males indicated that two items were more important. While there were some differences between applicants to AEGD versus GPR programs, there were far more areas where the applicants to each of these programs shared common concerns. The data suggest that the majority of individuals who consider postgraduate general dentistry programs perceive a lack of experience at the predoctoral level relating to clinical dentistry in general and specifically to their understanding of medical principles and managing compromised patients.