Key Points
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Over 45% of the applicants surveyed had relatives who were either dentists or doctors.
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A total of 43% came from comprehensive schools. This compares to over 86% of the population of England who attend comprehensive schools.
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Dentistry had not been selected as the first choice career for 9.2%. Over half of this group had chosen medicine.
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Careers advice should be given early and directed towards the target audience.
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The representation of ethnic minorities is rising in dentistry, but it is important to work alongside the widening participation agenda to broaden the social and cultural intake.
Abstract
Purpose To gather background information about applicants to the dental undergraduate course, and ascertain the factors involved in their decision to study dentistry.
Method Applicants attending for interview at Dundee and Manchester Dental Schools completed anonymous questionnaires. The useable response rate was 94% (n = 436).
Results There were equal numbers of male and female applicants to the two schools as a whole. Although there was a much broader ethnic mix in the applicants to Manchester, the overall proportion of minority ethnic groups was considerably greater than in the UK population as a whole. Seventy-five per cent came from professional backgrounds, although marked differences were apparent between ethnic groups. A quarter had family relations who were dentists, and 30% were related to doctors. Over half (53%) decided to apply within the last year, with popular motivating factors including a general interest in dentistry, a desire to help people and to work with their hands. Dentistry was the first choice of career of 89%, with medicine the most popular alternative.
Conclusion Valuable information was gathered from these prospective dental students regarding their backgrounds and the decision process involved in their career selection. This will prove beneficial when developing the recruitment process and allow appropriate tailoring to the target audience.
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Stewart, F., Drummond, J., Carson, L. et al. The future of the profession — a survey of dental school applicants. Br Dent J 197, 569–573 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.4811810
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.4811810
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