MOTIVATIONS FOR STUDYING DENTISTRY AND DENTAL COLLEGE PREFERENCE AMONG RAS AL KHAIMAH MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES UNIVERSITY ( RAKCODS ) STUDENTS
students . The authors stated that there were many inconsistencies in their findings reflecting subjective rather than objective criteria selection by the students . The dental profession stands as a specialized field and enables fresh graduates to establish their own dental practice , thus the high valued concept of self-employment . In addition to the current study , many others 18-21 found similar motive strength among the respondents . A dental career is very attractive occupation and well-known for its high revenues . A substantial number of male students expressed their motives to study dentistry for financial gain and revealed a statistically significant difference when compared to female students ( p = 0.033 ). This finding is in agreement with a similar regional study 13 . Furthermore , dental practice is not the only wellpaid profession . However , in contrast to female respondents , more than half of the male students who preferred dentistry as their future career believed that the dental profession would pay far better than any other potential jobs ( p < 0.001 ). In the Middle East culture , males are responsible for most of family expenditures whereas females are invariably dependent and this probably reflects the low financial concerns expressed by females as a priority for job preference . It appears that , when it comes to career decision males are likely to be motivated by working conditions and financial gain while females by altruistic and human factors , a view that is shared by other reports as well 13 , 22 . A private dental practice has the merit of time flexibility . This would make practitioners able to adjust their working schedule and find sufficient time to be with their families . Du Toit et al . 3 , reported that “ leaving time for family life ” was the first and strongest motivation for the surveyed students in the United States , Taiwan , Singapore , South Africa and Australia . In our study , more than half of the respondents , particularly the females considered this factor as crucial in taking a dental career decision . Another factor that might have influenced the students in their career choice was prestige . Dentists provide an essential oral health care service . Furthermore , the patients ’ oral welfare and much of their total well-being is in the dentists ’ hands ; thus the profession occupies a highly respected position within the community . Over 50 % of the respondents rated prestige as an important factor for their career choice . This is in accordance with several previous reports 2 , 3 , 23 . Nevertheless , others found that prestige was the least important motive 24 , 25 . This probably reflects the range of social differences . In many countries including USA and UK the title “ Doctor ” is reserved for medical professionals or for those holding a PhD degree , while in the Middle East , the title is also used for dentists and this probably inspires motivation towards a dental career . In UAE there are four accredited dental colleges providing undergraduate programs , each has its own curriculum , admission criteria and fees structure . This diversity may induce preferences among applicants for dental colleges . Therefore , the second part of the survey sought answers to questions related to RAKCODS ( Table 2 ). Probably this is the first study in the region to include another element of motivation in a survey querying for dental career , the “ INSTITUTE ”. In 2011 , the RAKCODS curriculum was completely revamped . Several new courses were added , clinical training credit hours were increased and the final year ends up with the submission of mandatory research project . Moreover , in Sep 2012 the college launched a new building complex with state of the art facilities . The survey revealed that 48 % of the respondents chose RAKCODS because of the curriculum structure that meets their own country requirement and matches international standards . Many of the RAKCODS students are expats and approval of the curriculum by the authorities of their countries is essential for the recognition of the BDS degree . A similar percentage of students ( 47 %) were attracted by the fascinating building and associated facilities . The new students invariably visit the RAKCODS site and take a tour with their families before officially enrolling in the program to ensure satisfaction . The other issue that might influence the students ’ admission or choice of a discipline is tuition . RAKCODS tuition remains the most reasonable compared to other dental colleges in UAE . About 27 % of the respondents might have considered RAKCODS for a dental career because of tuition . It appears that about 20 % of the surveyed students failed to get admission in other dental colleges , so that was the reason they chose RAKCODS . One fact remains unresolved in UAE with regard to admission to Universities . Students studying the British curriculum usually get their IGSC grades in mid-August and by mid-July all dental colleges would have filled their allocated seats , leaving those IGSC students with no chances for admission until the next academic year .
6 . Conclusion The present study describes the diverse demographic background of the RAKCODS students . The motivations seemed to be associated with the socioeconomic aspects of dentistry . The main motives were the interest to treat and improve people ’ s oral health , dentistry is a knowledge and skill-based profession , dentistry generates a potential high income and dentistry provides self-employment , and it is a career that provides adequate time to be with one ’ s families . There were statistically significant differences in motivation between males and females with financial factors more influential for males , and altruistic factors for females . With regard to the factors that may have influenced the choice of RAKCODS as the “ INSTITUTE ” for a dental career , the curriculum and fascinating facilities were the most attracting factors .
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