Career and Postgraduate Education Preference of Dental Students in Umm Al- Qura University, Makka City in Saudi Arabia: A Pilot Study

Mazen Almasri^1, and Dalia Nourah²

¹Oral Maxillofacial Surgery Department, Umm Alqura University, Makka, Saudi Arabia

²Department of periodontology and basic dental science, Umm Alqura University, Makka, Saudi Arabia

Cite this paper:
Mazen Almasri and Dalia Nourah. Career and Postgraduate Education Preference of Dental Students in Umm Al- Qura University, Makka City in Saudi Arabia: A Pilot Study. International Journal of Dental Sciences and Research. 2015; 3(1):10-12. doi: 10.12691/ijdsr-3-1-3

Abstract

Objective: The aim of the study is to investigate the orientation and preference of dental students to postgraduate clinical and research programs. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire was distributed among male and female dental students (third, fourth, and fifth year level). The questions were directed to assess the general preference of dental students for postgraduate specialty training and education. The papers were collected and the data were extracted, tabulated, and analyzed. Results: Students diverted away from research basic science specialties that scored only 0.9%, while the majority (50.5%) indicated that they did not decide yet. According to clinical specialties Oral Maxillofacial surgery scored 25%, orthodontics 11.6%, and pediatrics 3.6%. Conclusion: Most of dental students couldn’t determine their preferred future graduate education. Basic science research has the least preference compared to clinical specialties, and hence, an orientation programs are needed for the dental students to guide them toward variable dental specialties.

Keywords:
dental students postgraduate education

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