Evaluation of Professional Behavior among Dental Students: A Case Study on Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences in Yazd and Qom University of Medical Sciences in Qom, Iran

Background and Objectives: Evaluation of the status and improvement of professional behavior among dental students is a vital objective of the dentistry faculty. The principles and methods of professional behavior, which affect the doctor-patient relationship, are of paramount importance in all medical services. Regarding this, the present study aimed to assess the professional behavior of dental students studying at two universities, namely Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran, and Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran. Methods: This study was conducted on 72 and 82 dental students of Qom University of Medical Sciences and Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, respectively, who entered the clinical course, in 2017. The study population was selected from students with various college admission years using stratified random sampling technique. Data collection tool was a 35-item professional behavior assessment questionnaire, the validity and reliability of which were confirmed. Data analysis was performed using the statistical tests of ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and t-test. P-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: According to the results, the mean scores of the professional behavior of dental students in Yazd and Qom universities were 102.70±15.76 and 106.41±13.66 out of 135, respectively. The results of Pearson test revealed a direct correlation between professional behavior and interest in dentistry (r=0.246, P<0.003). However, no significant difference was observed between the two student groups in this regard (P=0.66). Conclusion: As the findings indicated, the professional behavior of the two groups of dental students was at an acceptable level. However, Qom students had a higher level of professional behavior, compared to the Yazd students. Therefore, it is suggested that more attention be paid to this issue during the academic years.