Sociodemographic backgrounds and career decisions of Australian and New Zealand dental students.
This article describes the sociodemographic and career selection characteristics of dental students in Australia and New Zealand. A total of 672 dental students participated in the study. The survey covered age, language proficiency, type of school attended, place of residence, parental occupation, and level of education. The respondents had an average age of twenty-two years, with a range of eighteen to fifty. Fifty-six percent of respondents were female, and approximately half had completed secondary education in private schools with 44.3 percent having finished in public schools. The majority of students lived with their parents, with only a few respondents reporting a rural home address (6.8 percent). The majority of students (65.3 percent) had placed dentistry as their first career choice and had most likely made the decision after leaving high school or near the end of high school (81.4 percent), with self-motivation being the major influence on their decision. This study provides a description of the sociodemographic profile of Australian and New Zealand dental students and provides a better understanding of career decision issues. It also highlights areas for further investigation and management by educational institutions and public policy.
Cooperative Research Centre in Oral Health Science, University of Melbourne, Melbourne VIC 3010, Australia. rmarino@unimelb.edu.au
Rodrigo J
RJ
Mariño
Michael V
MV
Morgan
Tracey
T
Winning
W Murray
WM
Thomson
Roderick I
RI
Marshall
Theo
T
Gotjamanos
Wendell
W
Evans
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia; D002321:Career Choice; D018864:Cultural Diversity; D003657:Decision Making; D004522:Educational Status; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012923:Social Class; D013335:Students, Dental / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires