TRENDS OF POST-GRADUATION IN FINAL YEAR DENTAL STUDENTS AND PREFERENCES IN SPECIFIC SPECIALTY

Abstract

Study was carried out to evaluate trends of post-graduation in final year dental students and preferences in specific specialty.It was a descriptive cross-sectional survey carried out in CMH Medical College Institute of Dentistry.It was done from January 2019 to March 2019. It helps us to understand which specialty is most popular amongst final year dental students. Students were asked what other field they will choose if given a chance again in life other than dentistry. A self- administered questionnaire was distributed amongst students and they were asked questions regarding their interest in post-graduation and their preference in specific field of dentistry. Out of 69, 62 students completely filled the questionnaire, 17 were males and the rest were females. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20 and descriptive statistics were used to achieve the results. Majority of students were in the age range of 22-23years and they wanted to pursue postgraduate studies. Regarding the preference of specific field of dentistry, the first choice of specialty for students was Restorative dentistry and Endodontics (58.1%), followed by orthodontics (17.7%), remaining (14.5%) choose oral surgery and 4.8% of the students chose prosthodontics. (1.6%) students were undecided. As the trend towards postgraduate specialization in dentistry is gaining momentum, it is imperative to research this area more for better planning and allowing students to make informed decisions.