Abstract
BackgroundIn Chile, dentistry has become a very popular career choice for students, which has resulted in a substantial increase in both, the number of dental graduates and dental schools. Nonetheless, there is a need for change in the way dental schools select and educate their students to keep pace with the rapidly changing nature of societal needs and to tackle the marked health inequalities that exist in the country. The aim of this study was to review and critique dental undergraduate education in Chile, with a particular focus on the curriculum composition and profiles of students admitted to dental schools from 2010 to 2014.MethodsA descriptive and retrospective design was utilised. Two different methods were undertaken: primary data collection regarding curriculum and secondary data analysis in relation to students’ profiles. Descriptive statistics were used to assess the relative proportions of subject modules within the undergraduate dental curriculum and in particular the public health components. The analysis of the student profiles described specific background factors, namely, gender, age, secondary school type, location, rural-urban status and student’s year of admission. Also, trends of dental students’ intake between 2010 and 2014 were investigated. Logistic regression analysis was undertaken to assess potential associations between the aforementioned background factors and students’ choice of dental school.ResultsRegarding the curriculum review, a 67% response rate was obtained. The most dominant component of Chilean dental curriculum was the clinical subjects (33%), followed by the basic and biological sciences (16%) and then medical and dental sciences (13%). In relation to the admission of students, the majority attended private schools (72%); most were females (62%); aged 19 years or less (74%); had an urban origin (99%); and came from subsidised private secondary schools (48%). Significant differences were found between students admitted to traditional and private dental schools.ConclusionsClinical sciences are the most dominant subjects in the Chilean dental curriculum. Overall, traditional and private institutions had a broadly similar composition in their curriculum with the exception of the public health component. Students from disadvantaged backgrounds were the minority in dental schools across Chile.
Highlights
In Chile, dentistry has become a very popular career choice for students, which has resulted in a substantial increase in both, the number of dental graduates and dental schools
Many dental schools are not adequately integrated with the relevant local, regional and national health authorities to ensure a successful alignment between dental education, health delivery system and population oral health needs [8, 9]
Chilean dental curriculum A total of 22 curriculum were obtained from dental schools across Chile, representing a response rate of 67%
Summary
In Chile, dentistry has become a very popular career choice for students, which has resulted in a substantial increase in both, the number of dental graduates and dental schools. There is a need for change in the way dental schools select and educate their students to keep pace with the rapidly changing nature of societal needs and to tackle the marked health inequalities that exist in the country. Today’s dental training, oral healthcare delivery system and distribution of dental professionals are not focusing and adapting to the needs of most populations, creating a mismatch between the supply and demand of oral health professionals [6, 7]. Many dental schools are not adequately integrated with the relevant local, regional and national health authorities to ensure a successful alignment between dental education, health delivery system and population oral health needs [8, 9]. Emphasising the public health focus of dental education, with a commitment to prepare dental students to become leaders in health promotion and disease prevention, has been highlighted [1, 11]
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