Comparing Burnout Between Traditional and Advanced Standing Student Program Dental Students.

Abstract

Introduction: The literature has established burnout syndrome as a modern epidemic with adverse consequences. Burnout data for dental students training in the United States is lacking. This study aimed to examine differences in the dimensions of burnout between traditional standing (TS) and advanced standing (AS) dental students.

Materials and methods: TS and AS predoctoral dental students transitioning from didactic course work to preclinical and clinical education completed an informed consent, a demographic survey, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey for Students. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, assumptions testing, independent samples t-test analysis, and Cronbach's alpha analysis.

Results: Significant differences in the burnout dimension of exhaustion, M = 0.82, 95% CI (0.41, 1.22), t (108) = 3.97, p < 0.001, and the burnout dimension of cynicism, M = 0.96, 95% CI (0.50, 1.42), t (182) = 4.11, p < 0.001, existed between TS and AS dental students. TS dental students demonstrated significantly higher exhaustion (M = 4.61) and cynicism (M = 3.43) compared to AS dental students (M = 3.79 exhaustion and M = 2.47 cynicism). No significant difference in professional efficacy, M = -0.096, 95% CI [-0.38, 0.18], t (182) = 0.68, p = 0.50, was observed between the TS dental students (M = 4.38) and AS dental students (M = 4.47).

Conclusion: While both groups of dental students experienced burnout, TS dental students experienced significantly more burnout along the dimensions of exhaustion and cynicism. The presence of burnout in both groups of students suggests the need to develop programme-based strategies that aim to alleviate academic burnout and promote the wellbeing of the future dental workforce.