An investigation of dental student practice preferences

This study explored characteristics hypothesized to influence dental student long-range practice preferences. Dental students (N = 264) for this study were selected at random from all dental students in one state who rated practice arrangements they most prefer to be in five years after graduation. The rating instrument was composed of two items measured on 5-point Likert-type scales. The independent variables were student gender, year of dental study, and practice arrangement. The research design was a 2 x 4 x 3 completely randomized, fixed-factor, factorial analysis of variance (ANOVA). The ANOVA model explained 48 percent of the variance in student practice arrangement ratings. Both males and females rated solo ownership as the most favorable practice arrangement. Males rated the solo owner arrangement more favorably than did females, while females had a stronger preference for the employee practice arrangement than did males. Study results have implications for dental educators in their efforts to structure curricula to meet diverse student needs, to assess personnel needs and enhance the accuracy of projections, and to evaluate the effect of practice preferences on the health care system.