Motivation and attitudes of Tunisian students for choosing the dental profession

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Published Jun 21, 2019
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Vol. 97 No. 2 (2019): Issue Feb 2019

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Mehdi Khemiss
Sana Bagga
Latifa Berrezouga
Mohamed Ben Khélifa

Abstract

Background. The right motivation for choosing the future profession is crucial. Focusing on students’ motivation for choosing dentistry as a career is very important in order to understand the reasons behind this decision.
Aim. To determine the current motivations of first year dental students and the reasons for choosing dental medicine at the university of Monastir.
Methods. This was a cross-sectional and descriptive study led among the students registered at the faculty of dental medicine during the academic year 2016/2017. Foreign students as well as those repeating the year were not included in the present study. Information on the socio-demographic profile and motivation for choosing dentistry was collected using a self-administered questionnaire written in English.
Results. One hundred and sixty-nine students participated in the survey, representing a 77.9% response rate. One questionnaire was excluded because of incomplete answers. The majority of the students (69.6%) were self-motivated to study dentistry. A difference according to gender (54.8% and 73% respectively among males and females, p=0.04) was noted. Over half of them (53.6%) had relatives in the medical profession. The majority of dental students (64.9%) would have preferred to study medicine. The financial motive was the first (69.6%) for choosing dentistry and the profession’s prestige was the second (61.3%). The majority of the respondents indicated that the chosen profession is prestigious (57.7%) and provides good income (63.1%).
Conclusions. The right motivation for choosing the future profession is very important. The focusing on students’ motivation for choosing dentistry as a career is very important in order to understand the reasons behind this decision.

Keywords:

Motivation, Students, Career Choice, Tunisia, Dentistry

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