A Review of Pediatric Dentistry Program Websites: What Are Applicants Learning About Our Programs?

Abstract

The purpose of this study was twofold: 1) to examine website content provided by U.S. and Canadian pediatric dentistry residency programs, and 2) to understand aspects of program websites that dental students report to be related to their interests. Sixty-eight program websites were reviewed by five interprofessional evaluators. A thirty-six-item evaluation form was organized into 1) program descriptive items listed on the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) website (n=21); 2) additional program descriptive items not listed on the AAPD website but of interest (n=9); and 3) items related to website interface design (n=5). We also surveyed fifty-four dental students regarding their interest in various aspects of program descriptions. The results of this study suggest that pediatric dentistry residency programs in general tend to provide identical or less information than what is listed on the AAPD website. The majority of respondents (76 percent) reported that residency program websites would be their first source of information about advanced programs. The greatest gap between the available website information and students' interests exists in these areas: stipend and tuition information, state licensure, and program strengths. Pediatric dentistry residency programs underutilize websites as a marketing and recruitment tool and should incorporate more information in areas of students' priority interests.

Benefits of Externships with Pediatric Dentistry Programs for Potential Residents: Program Directors’ and Current Residents’ Perceptions

“…The websites of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) 1 and the American Dental Education Association's (ADEA) Postdoctoral Application Support Service (PASS) provide a great deal of information 2 . Most individual programs’ websites, however, do not offer sufficient information about the topics that candidates are particularly interested in such as stipend and tuition information or program strengths 3 …”