Perceptions of Business Skill Development by Graduates of the University of Michigan Dental School

Abstract

Many graduating dentists leave dental school feeling that they are not prepared to start and run a dental practice. The aim of this pilot study was to explore the knowledge and perceptions dental graduates have in the area of practice management. A twenty-item survey was mailed in the fall of 2008 to nearly half of the University of Michigan dental school alumni who had graduated between the years of 1997 and 2007. Respondents were asked about their demographics, practice characteristics, and perceptions of knowledge/experience regarding practice management skills at the present time as well as at graduation. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The majority of respondents were general practitioners (84 percent) aged thirty to thirty-nine practicing between six and ten years with practice incomes reported to be greater than $300,000 per year (79 percent). Most dentists reported being either an owner or co-owner of the practice (57 percent), and 33 percent reported being an associate in the practice. Upon graduation, 7 percent of the respondents felt that they had a strong knowledge of accounting or human resource issues; this perception increased to 47 percent at the present time. Similarly, less than 6 percent of respondents felt they understood issues pertaining to dental insurance upon graduation; this perception increased to 68 percent after having spent time in the workforce. In contrast to the large increase in knowledge/experience in business aspects of dentistry that had accrued since graduation, most alumni reported only a 7 percent increase in their knowledge of the legal aspects of dental practice. Results from this study indicate that interventions are needed to increase graduating dentists' knowledge of practice management and close the gap between their knowledge and its application in real life. The majority of alumni believed there is a need to improve the curriculum focused on these aspects of dental practice.

A cross-sectional study of dentists about the need for a practice management course in undergraduate dental program

“…Further, a literature review of previous studies was conducted to evaluate different topics related to practice management course. [ 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 14 15 18 ]…”

“…They improved these skills over the years during dental practice, hence stressing the need to improve such deficiencies in dental curriculum. [ 9 ] In France, undergraduate students pointed out time management and handling of administrative tasks as the main challenges at the start of their career. [ 10 ] More than half of dentists in the Netherland reported that they were not prepared for the management of dental staff, the organization of practice, legal aspects of dentistry, and matters related to dental insurance.…”

A qualitative study on the administration and management competencies in a Brazilian dental school

“…Although these subjects have been specifically designed for the development of A&M competencies, they do not seem to be sufficient to provide the necessary autonomy to the future dental professional, particularly taking into consideration the amplitude and depth of knowledge required to face the contemporary work market 5 . This is a reality observed not only in the dental course in question, but also in other dental graduation courses in both this country and abroad 3,4,14,15 .…”

“…Possibly, some students did not see the relevance of their education in management practice during their years at college because they are focused on acquiring the necessary technical skills to practice the profession 17 . Even though some aspects of management practice are provided by the institution during their clinical education, only when they enter the work market they begin to understand that there are other areas of their practice that also require development 3 . Part of the poor interest in A&M contents in the dental course was attributed to the fact that teachers were dentists rather than accountants or administrators.…”

Comparing Practice Management Courses in Canadian Dental Schools

“…In one study, dental residents identified three critical areas of training for practice preparation: management, multidisciplinary coordination, and total quality management 27 . In Barber et al's survey, the majority of one dental school's alumni supported the need for interventions to increase graduating students’ knowledge and application of PM 28 . A report published in 2010 noted that recent graduates of one school assessed themselves best at integrity and worst at managing conflict 29 …”