Final year dental students' career plans, work patterns, work-life balance and domestic life in New Zealand and Australia.

Abstract

Having insight into final year dental students' career planning is vital in maintaining and enhancing the quality of dental education. The aim of this study was to investigate final year dental students' career plans, work patterns, work-life balance and domestic life, in New Zealand and Australia. The design of the study was a two-centred cross-sectional study. A total of 148 students, including 95 females (64%) and 53 males (36%), completed the survey (response rate=87%). The mean age of students across two Australasian universities was 23±3years. Findings from this study demonstrate that students prefer their first job is an urban, full-time and salary-based with a good mentor. However, when describing their long-term planning, work-life balance becomes more important. The growth in the number of female dentists will continue to shape the future patterns of our dental profession. The current study has highlighted several similarity and differences in career plans, work patterns, work-life balance and domestic life between two Australasian universities. The information might be useful for the policymakers involved in future workforce planning and infrastructure and for those involved in the delivery of dental education.