Self-perceived work preparedness of the graduating dental students (original) (raw)

Final Year Dental Students’ Perception of Readiness to Practice

A questionnaire survey was conducted involving the final year dental students of 2007/2008 academic session in Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) to investigate their perceived readiness to face their career as Dental Surgeons. This survey was constructed based on the 25 core competencies in the Doctor in Dental Surgery (DDS) programme, which encompasses scientific knowledge, clinical skills and generic skills. Feedback from 92 students found that majority of them were confident and ready with the basic competencies to begin their career. However, the students felt less confident in some aspects including clinical emergency management and maxillofacial surgery; using information technology resources and critical thinking. Findings from this survey will be used to improve the quality of curriculum and strengthen the learning outcomes of DDS programme in UKM.

Western Australian dental graduates' perception of preparedness to practice: a five-year follow-up

Journal of Dental …, 2007

The School of Dentistry in Western Australia developed a pregraduation intern year in which final-year students, having completed their didactic education, undertook a focused clinical experiential program (CEP) over an extended year. This program was implemented for the first time in 2002. The aim of this study was to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the curriculum as perceived by graduates and to compare the perceptions of those graduates who did the CEP to those who did not. A survey with questions based on the graduate outcomes of the dental school was mailed to all graduates from 2000, 2001 (did not complete CEP), and 2004 (completed CEP). The response rate was 66 percent (n=57) and included twenty-nine respondents who graduated before implementation of the CEP and twenty-eight who completed the CEP. Most respondents (80 percent) were in the twenty to twenty-nine age group, and there were slightly more males (53 percent). Learning outcome items with the highest mean scores were practicing universal precautions (4.2), behaving ethically (4.2), and demonstrating a satisfactory level of core dental knowledge (4.2). Practical skills outcomes with the highest scores were amalgam restorations (4.

Dentistry students’ self-assessment of their practical skills – a survey study

2020

Introduction: Young dentist after graduation often have to perform a wide range of dental treatments without any assistance. Objectives: The aim of the study was to assess dental education in different medical universities in Poland. Material and methods: A paper-pencil survey was carried out among fifth-year students of dentistry in 8 medical universities. The questionnaire assessed a self-perceived confidence in clinical skills and evaluated the level of preparation for independent work in general dental practice. Each respondent completed the given questionnaire independently in the allocated time. Results: Out of 500 participants, only 98 (19.6%) considered themself well-prepared for independent work after graduation. The students felt mostly unready for endodontic treatment with rotary instruments (79.4%) and warm gutta-percha (89.2%) as well as for preparing teeth for fixed dentures (77.2%). Most students felt well-prepared for direct filling restoration (83.6%) and tooth extraction (79.8%). About half of the students considered themself prepared for using a rubber dam (48.2%), making complete denture (58.6%), and teeth splinting (43.6%). Conclusions: Dental students feel well-prepared for those procedures, which they repeated multiple times during their education. That is why clinical preparation is significant in the conditions of medical simulation for all clinical procedures, which young dentists will perform in their future work.

Self-Perceived Preparedness of KFU Dental Graduates to Practice Dentistry: A Cross-Sectional Study

Advances in Medical Education and Practice

Assessing graduates' performance is essential to identify the strengths and weaknesses in dental education. This study examined the self-perceived preparedness of dental graduates at King Faisal University (KFU), Saudi Arabia, using the Dental Undergraduates Preparedness Assessment Scale (DU-PAS). Materials and Methods: Using a cross-sectional design, this study assesses dental graduates' preparedness. This assessment measures various skills and attributes expected of dental graduates based on the DU-PAS. From January to April 2021, an electronic form was distributed to 102 eligible dental graduates of KFU. The response rate was 92.15%. The total preparedness score ranged from 0 to 100. The questionnaire consisted of two parts, the first investigating preparedness in clinical procedures (24 items) and the second investigating preparedness regarding cognition, communication, and professionalism skills (26 items). Data are analyzed using SPSS Descriptive analysis using frequencies and percentages. Results: The study included 94 participants, all of them male, with a response rate of 92.4%, who graduated from the College of Dentistry KFU in Saudi Arabia. The participants' median age was 25. The mean DU-PAS score for the participants was 79.08 (SD ±12.15; range, 47.84-100). The mean score for Part A of the scale, which comprises the clinical skills, was 84.55 (SD ±13.56; range, 43.75-100). It revealed that participants felt they had no experience with the four procedures. The mean score for Part B of the scale comprising cognitive and behavioural attributes was 73.60 (SD ±16.29; range, 36.54-100). More than one-third of the participants reported limited experience in attributes related to items B30 (suspected oral cancer, 36.2%), and B33 (evaluating new dental materials, 22.3%). Conclusion: In this study, dental graduates of KFU reported a high level of self-perceived confidence in their skills. Consequently, they will be able to integrate seamlessly into general dental practice. However, the participants' feedback reflects certain deficiencies in practising specific clinical procedures.

Competence profiles in undergraduate dental education: a comparison between theory and reality

BMC Oral Health

Background: Competence profiles are purposed to provide a blueprint in support to develop and/or benchmark the learning outcomes of undergraduate dental curricula. This study aims to investigate whether a competence profile as proposed by academic-and clinical experts is able to represent the real clinical reality. Methods: A questionnaire was developed including questions about gender and age, perception about required competences, and educational organisation and was distributed among Flemish dentists via email and on paper during a symposium. The data was analysed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square and non-parametric Mann-Whitney U-tests. Results: A total of 312 questionnaires were completed (=6.5% of dentist population, with similar gender and age characteristics). All competences in the European competence profile were rated between 7.2 and 9.4 on a 10-point scale. In dentists under 50 years, females rated the importance of identifying/managing anxiety and abnormal patient behaviour; and promoting/improving oral health as significantly higher than males. In dentists of 50 years and above, females rated 8 competences significantly higher than males, including obtaining/recording a complete history; identifying/managing anxiety and abnormal patient behaviour; obtaining/interpreting radiography; identifying temporomandibular and associated disorders; identifying orthodontic needs; awareness of own limitations/when to refer; managing dental urgencies; and basic-life-support/defibrillation. Clinical practice management was most frequently reported as additional competence to address in dental education. Furthermore, the respondents suggested an undergraduate dental curriculum based on 34% theoretical education, 26% preclinical skills training, and 40% clinical education and 86% agreed with a duration of 5 years. Finally, the respondents also illustrated the dynamic nature of dentistry including a reduction of amalgam fillings, a shift from individual practice to group practices, an increased administrative load, and more assertive patients. Conclusion: Findings in the present study suggest the validation of the proposed competences for graduating European dentists within the clinical reality of dental professionals in daily practice. Nevertheless, the results have also demonstrated heterogeneity regarding gender and age within the dentist population and emphasised a continuously evolving dental profession and required competences. Hence, to maintain high quality of dental care, a strategy should be developed in which dental curricula are continuously benchmarked against an evolving clinical reality.

Preparedness for practice of newly qualified dental professionals in Australia - educator, employer, and consumer perspectives

BMC Medical Education

Background Limited data regarding the perspectives of other observers (i.e. those who educate, employ or receive care from) of new graduates’ preparedness to practice is available. The present study aimed to explore perceptions of different observers regarding the preparedness to practice and work readiness of newly qualified dental professionals. This broader range of perspectives is crucial to inform the development of educational programs, including continuing professional development, for newly qualified dental professionals, by clarifying the skills, knowledge and behaviours expected by the dental profession and wider public. Results Nineteen individual qualitative interviews were undertaken. Interview participants included clinical demonstrators (n = 9; 2 Oral Health Therapists; 5 Dentists; and 2 Prosthetists), dental course convenors (n = 4), representatives of large employers (n = 2), and consumers (n = 4). According to this diverse group of respondents, dental students rece...

The undergraduate preparation of dentists: Confidence levels of final year dental students at the School of Dentistry in Cardiff

British Dental Journal, 2016

readiness to graduate was measured by written and oral examination combined with the completion of a target number of clinical procedures. This method of assessment is increasingly being replaced by competence based methods where students are required to demonstrate the achievement of a number of learning outcomes defined by the General Dental Council. 1 European guidance is also provided in the form of competencies under seven domains. 2 This change in approach has caused some concern as once competence has been reached, it could be argued there is little incentive for the student to continue refining the skill in a variety of different contexts. Anecdotal evidence confirms this concern in the general dental population. 3,4 The belief that performing a procedure a number of times increases not only expertise, but also confidence is common. Conversely, experience alone may not improve performance unless this experience is structured.

Preparedness of undergraduate dental students in the United Kingdom: a national study

British dental journal, 2017

Aims To evaluate the self-perceived preparedness of final year dental undergraduate students in the United Kingdom.Methods Dental undergraduate students in their final year were invited by email through the Dental Schools Council (DSC) to provide their responses to an online preparedness assessment scale. The data analysis was carried out using the RUMM2030 software which is specifically designed for Rasch analysis, a measurement model based on item response theory.Results Students felt adequately prepared to carry out simple clinical procedures and communication skills. However, low scores were reported on ability to assess orthodontic treatment needs, treatment planning, crowns, endodontics, research skills, referral for suspected oral cancer and raising concerns regarding inappropriate behaviour of colleagues.Conclusions The scale used in this study explored the self-perceived preparedness on a range of cognitive, clinical and behavioural attributes. The data show that the studen...

Conceptual Framework Explaining “Preparedness for Practice” of Dental Graduates: A Systematic Review

Journal of Dental Education, 2018

The lack of a comprehensive conceptual framework explaining the construct of “preparedness for dental practice” necessitates an in‐depth exploration and synthesis of the literature. The aim of this systematic review of the literature was to develop a conceptual framework explaining the construct of “preparedness for practice” among dental graduates and to identify the factors influencing the construct through a synthesis of the literature. Articles identified for the review were selected from the databases PubMed, Science Direct, Web of Science, and EBSCO Host. They were analyzed using the framework method of qualitative content analysis to understand the underlying conceptualization of preparedness. Thematic analysis using a grounded theory approach was performed to understand the pathways through which various factors influence preparedness. A conceptual framework explaining preparedness constituted by six domains emerged: academic and technical competence, communication and inter...