Future Career Options Research Articles

Career choice and attitudes towards dental education amongst dental students in Japan and Sweden

The purpose of this study was to identify and compare the perspectives of dental students towards their career choice and dental education in Japan and Sweden. One hundred and fourteen dental students from the Nippon Dental University, Japan and 43 dental students from the Karolinska Institutet, Sweden participated in this study. Information was derived from a self-answered questionnaire consisting of five items for career choice and six items for dental education. Chi-square test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test were used for comparison. Significant differences were detected for 10 questionnaire items between the two countries. Regarding motivation towards the career choice, 44% of Swedish students indicated interpersonal motives related to helping other people, whereas 32% of Japanese students indicated expectations of their family in the dental profession. As future career options, 64% of Japanese and 47% of Swedish students planned to work as general dentists. More Swedish students (37%) preferred specialisation than Japanese students (17%). Nearly three-quarters of the Swedish students were satisfied with the teaching faculty of their school, whilst only 32% of the Japanese students indicated content. The perspectives of dental students were different in Japan and Sweden. This study provides a description of the perspectives of Japanese and Swedish dental students and enables better understanding of career decision and dental curriculum issues.

Student Selected Components (SSCs): AMEE Guide No 46

Student Selected Components (SSCs) are one of the more innovative recent developments in medical education. Initially established in the UK in the 1990s in response to the General Medical Council's recommendations in Tomorrow's Doctors (1993), they provide students with a significant element of choice and depth of study in the curriculum. SSCs have become an integral part of medical curricula throughout the UK, and to a limited extent the rest of the world. In most cases they contribute to the delivery of learning outcomes broadly encompassing personal, professional and research skills, whilst creating opportunities for students to explore future career options. This AMEE Guide is written for developers of new medical curricula, where SSC-like initiatives offering choice and depth of study, in conjunction with core learning, are being considered. Its aim is to provide insight into the structure of an SSC programme and its various important component parts. It is also relevant for those already involved in SSC development by offering insight into effectively managing, assessing and improving existing programmes, to deliver effective, coherent and core-integrated teaching valued by students and faculty alike.

Coping with Failure, Mental Health and Career Intentions among Failed Entrepreneurs

Research studies on the exploration of attributes to failure of business operation were reported more often than the types of coping styles, mental health and future career options of those entrepreneurs who had failed. Systematic examination on the types of career intentions shown by the failed entrepreneurs and the extent to which entrepreneurs cope with such adverse business failure, their status of mental health, self esteem etc, will immensely help to provide suitable assistance to those targeted categories of miserable entrepreneurs. Data on cognitive emotive regulation, coping strategies, mental health and self esteem from 140 entrepreneurs who had encountered adverse business failure events were collected. Comparison among three categories of career intentions shown by failed entrepreneurs revealed that the entrepreneur who have strong intention to re-start again (Category A) tend to follow mostly adoptive coping strategies such as positive refocusing, refocus on planning and putting into perspective than the other two categories of entrepreneurs who do not have any intention at all to venture once again instead prefer working for others (Category B) and who are undecided about future career plan (Category C). It was also revealed that the level of self esteem and mental health tend to moderate the adoption of the types of coping strategies significantly. The implications of results were discussed with suggesting possible intervention to improve the internal strength and capacities among the failed entrepreneurs.

Career planning and development needs of rural and remote nurses

The overall purpose of this study was to examine the career planning and development needs of registered nurses (RNs) working in native reserves and in Inuit communities in rural and remote areas of Ontario, Canada. A total of 142 surveys were sent out, and 68 questionnaires were returned for an overall response rate of 48%. Nurses are adept at scanning the work environment, conducting self-assessments and reality checks of their workplace. At the same time, they require further direction in developing a career vision and understanding their future career options. The research provides evidence that career planning may contribute to nursing retention.

Test (review)

Reviewed by: Test April Spisak Sleator, William; Test;. Amulet/Abrams, 2008; [320p] ISBN 978-0-8109-9356-3 $16.95 Reviewed from galleys Ad Gr. 8-10 Seventeen-year-old Ann cannot help but be obsessed about the XCAS: this standardized test determines the future career options for almost all teenagers. If she fails, she will face a bleak life as a drudge worker living in horribly substandard housing; if she passes, she will likely never have the lifestyle of the few elite, but she will at least be comfortable. Her focus on the upcoming exam is diverted, however, when a dangerous man begins following her as a threat to her politically active father. This threat leads to Ann's becoming involved in a web of conspiracy and intrigue as she befriends the employee of this man (a shy but handsome immigrant who attends her classes) and, with his help, gathers evidence that the test itself is flawed, that the creators are corrupt, and that the entire educational system needs a dramatic overhaul. This dystopic society, crisply segregated into those who must dwell in the pollution and those who can literally fly above it, is a haunting backdrop for Ann's desperation to enact change. Unfortunately, although teens will undoubtedly empathize with the resentment the characters feel about the tests, Sleator's diatribe against standardized testing is so overwhelming that the characters are underdeveloped, the dialogue is inauthentic (often, the protagonist is used as a prop to spew dislike for the No Child Left Behind act), and there is little dramatic tension as the forces of good are guaranteed success. Nevertheless, high-schoolers organizing a revolt against an all-powerful educational system that is unbalanced, dehumanizing, and unfeeling will still resonate with readers, who may see glimpses of themselves in the downtrodden adolescents. Copyright © 2008 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

Cross‐Cultural Comparison of the Attitudes of Dental Students in Three Countries

The aim of this study was to identify and compare the attitudes of dental students toward their career choice and dental education in three different countries. Three hundred thirty-six dental students from the University of British Columbia, Canada; Mahidol University and Chiang Mai University, Thailand; and Nippon Dental University, Japan, participated in this study. Information was derived from a questionnaire consisting of career choice items and dental education items. Significant differences in the responses of the participants from each of the three countries were detected for each of the questionnaire items (P<0.001). Regarding factors that may have served as motivations for career choice, the majority of dental students from each country indicated positive reasons such as interpersonal motives, caring for other people, and academic interest. For future career options, the majority of Japanese and Canadian students planned to work as general dentists. Thai students were more likely than Japanese or Canadian to prefer specialization than practicing general dentistry. Nearly three-quarters of the Canadian and Thai students were satisfied with the teaching faculty of their schools, while only a quarter of the Japanese students indicated satisfaction. The findings from this study enhance our understanding of differences and/or similarities among dental students in three nations; this information may help to define strategies to improve the quality of international student exchange programs.

Increasing risk in the ‘scary’ world of work? Male and female resistance to crossing gender lines in apprenticeships in England and Wales

This paper is based on research conducted as part of the Equal Opportunities Commission's General Formal Investigation into gender segregation in the United Kingdom labour market. The project comprised a survey of and focus groups with 14/15 year‐olds in eight English schools in spring 2004 and a survey of 15/16 year‐olds in four Welsh schools in autumn 2004. The survey explored the process of young people's career decision‐making, their attitudes to career choice and whether apprenticeship was seen as an option. Experiences and perceptions of respondents suggest that decisions about their future career options are based in part on risk avoidance strategies but also on a willingness to take risks where it will advance an individual's interests. By utilising Beck's concept of risk, the authors reveal the dilemmas which young people face as they consider their post‐school futures. The data show that boys are less likely than girls to opt for a job traditionally held by the opposite sex. In addition, the paper examines the implications of the finding that access to and the quality of careers information and guidance remain very varied.

Crystallizing enterprising interests among adolescents through a career development program: The role of personality and family background

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a new career development program designed to help adolescents explore their interest in enterprise as a career option. Using a person-oriented approach, pre- and post-test measurements of enterprising interests in an intervention ( n = 321) and a control group ( n = 302) of adolescents aged 16.5 years on average were compared. As predicted, the frequency of five different patterns of enterprising interest development (stable high, stable low, decreaser, increaser, middle) differed between the two groups, with increasers and decreasers more prevalent in the intervention group. Furthermore, a discriminant function analysis revealed that adolescents in the stable high and increaser groups showed the most entrepreneurial personality profile (e.g., low risk avoidance, high social dominance). Moreover, increasers often had a non-entrepreneurial family background. Results suggest that the new program is a useful tool in supporting adolescents’ exploration of enterprise as future career option.

Clinical experiences of students with dyslexia

This paper reports a study exploring the clinical experiences of student nurses with dyslexia and its potential influence on their practice. Widened access to university education has meant an increase in the number of students with dyslexia. A limited number of studies have explored the academic experiences of dyslexic student nurses. However, nursing students in the United Kingdom spend 50% of their programme in practice settings, and there are no studies detailing their clinical experiences. This qualitative exploratory study involved tape-recorded interviews with a convenience sample of 18 nursing students with a formal dyslexia diagnosis. Data were collected in 2003-2004 and were analysed using thematic analysis. Participants described a number of personalized approaches to managing their difficulties in practice. Whilst many of these may be useful to non-dyslexic students, descriptions of, for example, avoiding answering the telephone, were inappropriate. Some participants contended with discrimination and ridicule, often choosing not to disclose their disability. Less acute clinical environments appeared to provide more satisfying working experience, and this factor may be influential in shaping future career options. Participants valued more time and an undisturbed place to complete clinical documentation. Heightened self-awareness promoted patient safety as the major concern for study participants. Positive aspects of dyslexia were never raised or acknowledged by participants. The clinical setting provides a challenging environment for nursing students with dyslexia, who find personalized ways to manage their disability. A dyslexia diagnosis continues to carry a stigma that may result in non-disclosure, with implications for the level of support available. Greater awareness of the practice-specific needs of such students is required to ensure appropriate support and public safety.

Introducing clinical laboratory science: CLS students help shape the future.

The profession of clinical laboratory science (CLS) is in dire need of increased exposure to young people. By introducing the clinical laboratory sciences to students at a critical point in their science education and by making it relevant to their lives, more choices are made available to them when considering future career options. With this in mind, the CLS faculty at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) redesigned a recruitment program and developed it into one making use of CLS student knowledge, enthusiasm, and professionalism. CLS students were given the assignment of designing an entire curriculum for a ten day presentation of clinical laboratory science topics to middle and secondary school students. Following the presentations, participants in the program were asked to provide feedback regarding CLS student performance and overall opinion of their interest in clinical laboratory science. The objectives of this study were twofold: 1) to determine if educational methodologies could be appropriately applied by CLS students to present CLS disciplines to middle and high school students; and 2) to determine if the student presentation was successful in initiating interest in the CLS profession based on outcome measures. As a component of the CLS laboratory management course, CLS students were instructed in education methodologies including objective writing, teaching-unit preparation, and evaluation tool design. In the following semester, these students were divided into groups and assigned a specific CLS discipline that would then be presented to middle and secondary school students in a two week, 30 hour educational program. This program was offered by the TTUHSC CLS program in cooperation with the Institute for the Development and Enrichment of Advanced Learners (IDEAL) at Texas Tech University. The curriculum prepared by the CLS students (with faculty supervision) provided the framework for the present study. Didactic instruction of the CLS students regarding objective writing, curriculum design, and preparation of evaluations was included as a component of a CLS laboratory management course. The educational program presented by IDEAL in conjunction with the TTUHSC CLS program within the School of Allied Health Sciences occurred in the CLS student laboratories located in Lubbock, Texas. TTUHSC senior CLS students in a 2 + 2 baccalaureate level CLS program acted as instructors in the educational program which was presented to middle and secondary school students from around the region. CLS program faculty served as supervisors of this program. Questionnaires with Likert-scaled responses were used to evaluate outcomes. These questionnaires regarded 1) faculty assessment of CLS student performance relative to instruction in education methods; 2) participant feedback on the effectiveness and competence of the CLS student instructors and overall appeal of the presented subject material; and 3) peer evaluations of attitude, contribution, and effort of the group members. CLS faculty strongly agreed that the CLS students demonstrated a high level of competence when writing objectives, planning age-appropriate curriculum and activities, and demonstrating a positive image of the profession. Regarding satisfaction of the IDEAL student participant, questionnaire responses demonstrated a high rate (84% or greater for middle school participants and 85% for high school students). The program design has been so successful that it has been implemented for several other programs offered by TTU and IDEAL. The education methods used in presenting the IDEAL program mirror those found in clinical and academic settings and is an effective technique to introduce CLS students to the varied aspects of educational methodology. The presentation by the CLS students also demonstrated that introduction of clinical laboratory science disciplines early in the education of middle and secondary school students leads to an interest in the CLS profession and to the desire to learn more about it.

ER Vets: Life in an Animal Emergency Room (review)

Reviewed by: ER Vets: Life in an Animal Emergency Room Deborah Stevenson Jackson, Donna M. ER Vets: Life in an Animal Emergency Room. Houghton, 2005 [96p] illus. with photographs ISBN 0-618-43663-4$17.00 Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 4-7 Going ER one better by making the patients cute and fuzzy, ER Vets focuses on the state-of-the-art emergency vet clinic at Colorado State University. The book provides some information about the history of veterinary medicine in general and some of these hospital staffers in particular, but the main stories here are those of the animals. Jackson, who researched on-site at the hospital and took most of the book's photographs herself, intersperses accounts of specific cases—a dog hit by a car, a foal with oxygen deprivation, a hypothermic snake—with discussion of emergency-room veterinary care in general, while sidebars provide information about topics such as common emergency-room abbreviations and human foods with devastating pet consequences. Though the non-linear organization makes this more a detailed scrapbook than a narrative (and the important issue of cost is never touched upon), the book makes effective use of its exciting and inviting material, making clear that the high-pressure, wildly varied work in the emergency room is indeed a specialization that requires particular abilities as well as interest in animals. The pictures are key in this photodocumentary, and while the setting sometimes limits photographic options, the images are informative and affecting; reproduced x-rays and 'scope pictures add crucial internal views and familiarize readers with the vets' own tools. The heavily visual layout is occasionally a little overbusy, but the captions and chapter titles keep text chunks easily manageable. This will be an easy sell to animal lovers of various reading levels, and they may also get some ideas about future career options. Extensive end matter includes a list of suggested reading, relevant websites, a glossary, source notes, and an index. Copyright © 2005 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

Elementary Career Intervention Programs: Social Action Initiatives

This paper examines several conceptual frameworks that can inform elementary career intervention programming. Equity, social justice, and the development of intrinsic motivation are key concepts in the promotion of social action initiatives aimed at improving academic achievement and expanding future career options for all students. Early career interventions provide the ideal venue for prevention efforts in elementary schools. Relevant career theory forms the basis for the design and delivery of elementary career intervention programming.

Elementary Career Intervention Programs: Social Action Initiatives

This paper examines several conceptual frameworks that can inform elementary career intervention programming. Equity, social justice, and the development of intrinsic motivation are key concepts in the promotion of social action initiatives aimed at improving academic achievement and expanding future career options for all students. Early career interventions provide the ideal venue for prevention efforts in elementary schools. Relevant career theory forms the basis for the design and delivery of elementary career intervention programming.

Attitudes of medical students toward pediatric neurology

Planning strategies to encourage students to pursue a career in pediatric neurology requires assessment of their attitudes and career choices. A structured 30-item questionnaire was designed to examine students’ attitudes toward pediatric neurology. In the study, 161 final-year medical students (1999-2000), 20-26 years of age (mean, 23 years of age) were included prospectively. Although most students had been taught by a pediatric neurologist and considered neurologic disorders interesting, 77%-100% had unfavorable attitudes. Although 79% considered pediatric neurology as a future career option, only nine students (6%) selected it as their first choice. Our findings highlight some aspects that might be targeted to promote students’ interest in pediatric neurology and improve their learning experiences.

Care environments influence student perceptions.

Positive experience of work with older people is one of the key influences determining whether the specialty is seen as interesting and exciting and is viewed as an attractive future career option, according to research conducted for the English National Board.

Applying science to electronics

I began my career in a fairly conventional manner, taking A-levels in maths, physics and chemistry. When it came to choosing a degree, I didn't have a particular career in mind. But having found physics at A-level both stimulating and satisfying, I decided to study it further at Exeter University. I believed that I would enjoy studying physics at degree level and that the course would provide an opening to a wide variety of other disciplines, such as maths, computing and electronics, thereby leaving my future career options open.

Can educational methods influence the popularity of psychiatric nursing?

The ongoing difficulty of attracting sufficient numbers of undergraduate nursing students to a career in psychiatric nursing has been acknowledged. Limited available research suggests that education can produce a more positive view of psychiatric nursing. Despite these findings, research into the impact of educational methods upon the popularity of psychiatric nursing has not been undertaken. This paper reports the findings of a quasi-experimental research project, which examined the relationship between the study of, and the popularity of, psychiatric nursing. The results propose that through undertaking the psychiatric nursing program, psychiatric nursing as a future career option became more popular. The greater significance of the results of this study than had been found in previous studies suggests that problem-based learning is an educational method capable of influencing the development of more positive attitudes.

Who wants to be a psychiatric nurse? Novice student nurses' interest in psychiatric nursing.

Available research findings suggest that nursing students do not regard psychiatric nursing as a desirable future career option. This paper addresses the results of a research project conducted by the author. This research addresses the relative popularity of psychiatric nursing in comparison to other nursing specialties, within Victoria, Australia. The research was conducted by use of a questionnaire in which commencing undergraduate nursing students were asked to rank nine areas of nursing specialty in order of preference and provide some explanation for their choices. The results indicate that psychiatric nursing emerges as the second least popular career choice for student nurses at this stage of their education.

Hopes, Tensions and Complexity: Indian Students' Reflections on the Relationship of Values to Management Education and Future Career Options

This case study was undertaken to explore the way in which postgraduate management students relate their personal values to their current education and future career aspirations. The research primarily focused on the perceptions of students taking an elective offered by the Management Centre for Human Values at the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta (IIMC). Students' attitudes toward western postgraduate manage ment programme were elicited using interviews and group discussions. Part A of the paper had presented the aiverse range of attitudes analysed under the themes ofgender; personal identity; age and status; ethics, religion and spirituality; profit and wealth: as well as consumerism and environmentalism. Part B extends this exploration by direct quotes from students to illustrate their experience of tension and ambiguity, as they anticipated moving from an academic to a business role.

Psychiatric nursing education: Doing the impossible?

Historically, psychiatric nursing has struggled to attract sufficient numbers of graduates of comprehensive nursing programs. Limited available research suggests that psychiatric-nursing education can produce more positive attitudes towards psychiatric-nursing practice and the care of the mentally ill. This article describes the results of a research project undertaken in Victoria, Australia, to extend existing knowledge by determining the impact of education in augmenting interest in psychiatric nursing as a future career option. The results of this quasi-experimental study suggest education can significantly increase the popularity of psychiatric nursing as a profession.