Indian Dental Students’ Perspectives on Dental Education and Their Future Professional Career: A Cross-Sectional Questionnaire Based Survey

Abstract

Objectives: Investigating career intentions of dental students provides a better understanding of their role in society and contributes to the debate on existing dental education and practice. As an emerging workforce, they have very different professional expectations than those who are already in professional authority and also leading in practice. The objective of this study was to investigate Indian dental students’ perceptions on their career decisions after completing a Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS). Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out among third year and final year dental students; interns and fresh graduates from two Dental Educational Institutions in Davangere city, Karnataka, India. A validated close ended questionnaire was administered to 528 subjects. Results: The response rate was 82.19%. Of the 434 respondents, 40.8% have plans for preparing for the Post-Graduate entrance exam after their Bachelor degree. Around 51.2% stated future earnings as the most important factor that influences the career choice after BDS. About 55.5% feel that the hands-on experience and overall training provided in the curriculum is not sufficient. Conclusion: Career related aspirations and intentions varied widely among the participants. Discontent regarding duration of the curriculum, overall training experience and earnings was evident from the study. Policy makers should consider revising the curriculum to tailor the needs of the students so that these obstacles would not affect the provision of oral health care.