Working environment and specialty of choice chosen by the dental students at Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Objectives:This cross-sectional study was conducted to explore the specialty chosen by the dental students for postgraduate studies and the future aspirations of students in a Saudi Arabia dental college.Materials and Methods:Of the total number of 120 questionnaires that were distributed, 107 subjects responded with selective responses and a response rate of 89%. A descriptive survey was conducted using one of the questionnaires among the students of dentistry at the dental college, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj among male students (men's college) for a period of 2 months. The data were analyzed using the statistical software program, predictive analytics software Statistics version 22.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA).Results:A hundred and seven of the 120 students took part in the study. A passion for orthodontics (42.9%) was reported to be the most important factor that influenced the decision to pursue specialty training in orthodontics followed by intellectual stimulation/challenge (25%). The decision to pursue orthodontics was made by 32.1% of the respondents while in dental school; 35.7% took the decision after completing dental school during private practice and 14.3% during a dental residency, whereas 3.6% had already decided before initiating their dental school studies. Working in a private practice environment was preferred by 11 residents (39.3%). Only four residents indicated that they would most likely be practicing in an academic setting while 10 were undecided.Conclusions:The zest for nonclinical specialties is less among students at Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University's dental college, Saudi Arabia.

Career Development Plans of Dental Students at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Tanzania

“…This decision is probably based on the fact that, there is a possibility of securing employment in the Government soon after graduation, and hence attaining an impending job security privilege. Comparable results were obtained by Sam et al (2016) among Saudi Dental students, where most of their students preferred to work under their Ministry of Health. Regarding the present students' intent to work as academicians, few students (21%) claimed that they intended to work in academics, and even a lesser percentage of students (5%) thought of pursuing academic posts right after they graduate.…”

“…In general, for students with indecisive thoughts and insufficient knowledge about their future career, it is important for institutions to formulate programs that will enlighten students on which career paths to take. Examples of such programs include profession counseling programs (Sam, Alghmlas, Alrashed, & Alaskar, 2016), career presentation forums and mentorship platforms (Nassar, Fairbanks, Flores-Mir, Kilistoff, & Easton, 2016). Concerning the students' plans immediately after graduation, in the current study most students (39%) planned to become Dentists in Tanzania.…”

“…Results from earlier studies, showed a wide range of viewpoints (Freire et al, 2011;Dhima et al, 2012;Aggarwal et al, 2012;dos Santos et al, 2013;Knevel et al, 2015;Sam, 2015;Sam et al, 2016;Nassar et al, 2016) related to career choices of Dental students. Generally, studies have indicated that Dental students' career choices are geared towards the students' own gains than towards the roles they are needed to play in their societies (Chattopadhyay & Chatterjee, 1991;Brand & Chikte, 1997;Vigild & Schwarz, 2001).…”

“…increase (Paquette & Sheets, 2004;Sam et al, 2016;Nassar et al, 2016). The Dental school in Tanzania has been the sole producer of under-and post-graduate Dental professionals in the country, since its conception in 1979.…”

“…Several studies have been performed on career development plans of Dental students worldwide (Freire et al, 2011;Dhima et al, 2012;Aggarwal et al, 2012;dos Santos et al, 2013;Knevel et al, 2015;Sam, 2015;Sam et al, 2016;Nassar et al, 2016), such studies are crucial for planning human resource for health (Knevel, Gussy, Farmer, & Karimi, 2015). Results from earlier studies, showed a wide range of viewpoints (Freire et al, 2011;Dhima et al, 2012;Aggarwal et al, 2012;dos Santos et al, 2013;Knevel et al, 2015;Sam, 2015;Sam et al, 2016;Nassar et al, 2016) related to career choices of Dental students.…”