Dentistry Students’ Educational Status in Iranian Medical Universities: Faculty Viewpoints

Introduction: Continuous evaluation of students’ educational status is necessary for improving of educational system. The aim of this study was to compare educational status of present dental students all around the country with previous graduated students from the viewpoint of Iranian dental faculty members. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in 2011. The information was collected by a valid and reliable questionnaire that was completed by 354 eligible faculty members employed in 18 dental schools. The questionnaire was designed to compare educational status of present dental students with that of the previous graduated students. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t-test, ANOVA and Spearman correlation coefficient. Results: More than 50% of the faculty members stated that the students’ tendency to participate in specialty exams and to embark on research activities is better to much better then before but interest in didactic class attendance and to accomplish educational assignments is worse to much worse. Moreover, most participants believed that there was no difference between current students and graduates in other variables and totally, educational status of students has not changed. The participants believed that about 46% of dental graduates have enough clinical skills for independent practice. Spearman's correlation coefficient did not show a significant correlation between years of services of faculty members and study’s variables. Conclusion: Although aspiration for participation in postgraduate entrance exams and research activities have increased, in general the educational status of Iranian dental students has not improved during the last years. According to the viewpoints of faculty members, dental students’ clinical skills necessary for independent practice is not satisfied.