Educational philosophies within medical graduates undertaking a dental degree when compared with other non-medical graduates

Abstract

Background: Kings College offers the only three-year dental programme for medical graduates within Europe. Dual qualification in medicine and dentistry is a requirement for training in maxillofacial surgery. On the tenth year running, we conducted a study looking at the differences in various parameters relating to educational philosophy. Objective: The aims of this study were to identify the variance in the ways specific student groups approached their undergraduate training. The areas included: learning methodology, attendance, self-directed techniques, career motivation, stress levels and coping strategies, time management and time spent in paid employment. Methods: Questionnaires were used to evaluate how medical graduates on the three-year dental programme compared with university graduates on the four-year programme and school leavers on the five-year programme. Findings: Medical graduates came across as highly motivated self-directed learners with excellent time management skills. Attendance at lectures was poor owing to time spent in paid employment and the basis of previous studies. School leavers on the five-year programme demonstrated grossly contrasting study methodology where the majority attended lectures regularly. Their stress levels were higher when compared to medical graduates despite spending a longer duration on the programme. Graduates on the four-year programme demonstrated a mixture of attributes. Conclusion: Students on different dental programmes within Kings College exhibit an array of different study techniques. Career motivation, past learning experiences, extracurricular commitments and differences in stress coping mechanisms were all thought to be key factors in explaining these differences.