Comparison of Preclinical Coursework Perception Among Dental Students from India and the Republic of North Macedonia

Abstract

Background. The difference in the preclinical curriculum and teaching methodology between European and Southeast Asian countries has a great influence on the process of choosing which education model is predominant and, therefore, students’ opinion on the effectiveness of a preclinical coursework is diverse. The objective of the research was to assess the perception of the preclinical coursework in prosthodontics, conservative dentistry, and endodontics among Indian and North Macedonian students. Materials and Methods. This cross-sectional comparative study was carried out among 3rd-year students, final-year students and interns of dental schools of two respective countries. The data were collected in July 2021 using Google Form, a link to which was sent via available social media platforms. The data obtained were analyzed using SPSSv.21.0 (IBM) software. Results. The data on dental students’ perception of the preclinical coursework were obtained, analyzed, compared, and discussed. A total of 50% of Indian students stated preclinical exercises to be good to get knowledge about treating patients, whereas 47% of North Macedonian students felt the average level of knowledge needed for treating patient. Conclusions. In this study, the majority of the students were in favor of attending the preclinical course and understood its importance for building up their confidence, better understanding of the subject and better patient handling in future dental practice. However, there were different students’ opinions on the course content, its duration, exercises, faculty interaction, helpfulness of theory lectures that evidence essentiality to view dental studies from a student-centered perspective.