Factors Affecting the Career and Speciality Preferences of Dental Students in Trinidad and Tobago: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was 1) to identify the factors that affect dental students’ decision to pursue specialisations and different career paths. 2) to identify the most common speciality of interest and factors that influence that decision . 3) to determine if there is a significant difference in factor selection by gender. Materials and Methods: An online cross-sectional self-administered questionnaire was formulated. The sample population consisted of clinical dental students and interns of T he University of the West Indies. Participants were then asked about their plans after leaving dental school and questioned if they wish to specialise and the main reasons. Factors influencing their choices were assessed using a 5 point Likert scale. They were also asked about their preferred work sector. Results: Fifty-six dental students responded and this gave a response rate of 55.4%. Males comprised 14.3% and females 85.7% of the sample. 80.4% of the respondents reported a desire to pursue a specialist career. The most preferred speciality was Aesthetic Dentistry (n = 12, 21.4%) followed by respondents who preferred not to speciali s e (n = 11, 19.6 % ) and then Paediatric Dentistry (n = 8, 14.3%). Overall, participants reported personal preference, flexible work schedule and job security were the three most important factors for selecting a career path. Most participants preferred to work in the private sector. There was no association with gender and choosing a specialist career. Conclusion: This study shows the most desired career choices and specialities. There is a need to encourage students to steer towards general dentistry, the public sector and academia. The results show a baseline for national policies and possible postgraduate programmes of interest for this country.