Assessment of Perception on Dual Degree Requirement Among the Residents of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in India: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Abstract

Requirement of both dental and medical degree (dual degree) for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMFS) training is a topic of debate till date across the world. The aim of the study was to assess the perception on dental and medical degree requirement among the OMFS residents across India. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 150 postgraduate residents pursuing OMFS in various institutions across India to evaluate the perception regarding dual degree requirement. A set of 15 structured questionnaire was distributed among the residents who were willing to participate in the study by completing the questionnaire. The residents were instructed that at any point of the study they can withdraw from participation without any negative consequences. Among the 150 participants, n = 22 (14.66%) were excluded as they did not complete the questionnaire. Out of n = 128 (85.33%) participants included for this study, 62.5% participants responded against the need for a medical degree apart from their existing training whereas 38.3% respondents felt that the dual degree would be essential to perform various surgeries in the field of OMFS. More than 60% participants responded against the need for a medical degree apart from their existing training. 54.69% of the respondents felt that they did not obtain adequate knowledge in allied medical subjects during their training whereas a more than 72% respondents felt discrimination at some point of their training carried out by the medical colleagues, which clearly shows that the human resource involved in training of our residents is an issue.