Dental Interns’s Motivation Towards their Professional Career and Perception of Career Path during the Pandemic (COVID-19) in India
Abstract
Background: The reasons for the selection of a particular profession can be very complex, and the choice of dentistry is no exception. The pandemic has had an immediate impact on the field of dental education, such as students having anxiety regarding their safety, unavailability of learning resources, retaining the efficiency of patient care after dental schools fully reopen, and uncertainty about their future prospects.
Objectives: Assessment of the motivation behind students selecting dentistry as a career and the impact of the pandemic on the career path of dental interns.
Methodology: An online questionnaire-based cross-sectional study comprising 208 students representing different public and private dental colleges in Bengaluru City.
Results: About 90% of the participants wanted to continue with dentistry as their profession before the pandemic while the remaining 10% did not want to continue with dentistry as their profession. About 61% of the participants who wanted to continue with dentistry as their profession, considered the pandemic as a setback to their career.
Conclusion: Most of dental interns regarded the pandemic as a setback to their careers due to reduced job opportunities and patient turnover. Re-evaluation and prioritization of patient safety protocols by dental institutions are essential. Teledentistry and e-oral health education should be encouraged.
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