Choosing dentistry as a career: A matter of concern – a survey

Abstract

Background: Choosing career is one of the most important decisions in life. Choosing dentistry as a career is one of the difficult and stressful decisions among dental students in India due to the uncertainty of the career and fear of unemployment. Purpose of Study: The purpose of this study is to investigate the motives behind choosing dentistry as a career option and as well as to determine the awareness regarding the future prospectus of dentistry. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional, descriptive survey. A questionnaire comprising of both close- and open-ended questions were distributed among the 208 undergraduate, intern, graduate, postgraduate, and lecturers in dental colleges in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. The response to the questionnaire so obtained was analyzed. Results: Data were analyzed using counts and percentages. Nearly 44% dentist were not satisfied with their income, 60% opted for dentistry because they could not secure a medical seat, 41% of budding dentist do not want to go for postgraduation because of less government seats and more fees in private colleges. The drastic result is that 31% dentist interested in changing the profession. Conclusion: The present scenario can be uplifted by increasing the Postgraduate seats and decreasing the Undergraduate seats in all dental colleges and to increase the job opportunities by creating more jobs in governmental sector. Counseling cell in each and every dental college to combat the stress among dental students should be established.