[Relationships between application for the School of Oral Health Care Sciences and awareness as a dental hygienist].
The aim of this study was to investigate students' awareness of applying for the School of Oral Health Care Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University and being dental hygienists in the future. Forty-seven students (24 first-year students and 23 second-year students) in the school answered the questionnaire including questions about becoming dental hygienists and certified social workers. We requested them to answer by recalling their thoughts at the time of application. The chi-square test and Fisher's exact test were used for statistical analysis. A significantly larger number of the first-year students thought that a dental hygienist was an attractive occupation compared with the second-year students. The time when first-year students decided to apply for the school was classified into three categories: by August, from September to December of the year preceding admission, and January or February of the admission year. The ratios of the students who decided to apply for the school were 42%, 21%, 38% respectively. The results of analyzing first-year students' questionnaire responses were as follows. A significantly larger number of students who wished or decided to apply for the school by August of the year preceding admission also applied for other dental hygiene programs. The number of students who thought that a dental hygienist was an attractive occupation was significantly greater among the students who wished or decided to apply for the school by August of the year preceding admission than among those who didn't. We consider that these students were highly motivated to become dental hygienists. It is important for the school to recruit students with high motivation.
Shimoyama
Kazuhiro
K
Geriatric Oral Health Care Science, Department of Lifetime Oral Health Care Sciences, School of Oral Health Care Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, Tokyo Medical and Dental University.
Yoshimasu
Hidemi
H
Kinoshita
Atsuhiro
A
Sakamoto
Yujiro
Y
D001364:Awareness; D003756:Dental Hygienists / Q000193:education* / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D009910:Oral Hygiene / Q000193:education*; D012576:Schools, Health Occupations; D013336:Students, Health Occupations / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires