title: Perceptions of predoctoral dental education and practice patterns in special care dentistry.
abstract: The objective of this research project was to compare alumni perceptions of predoctoral dental education in the care and management of patients with complex needs to alumni practice patterns. Alumni from the University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry who graduated from 1997 to 2007 were surveyed regarding perceptions of their predoctoral education in the care of patients categorized and defined as medically compromised, frail elders, and developmentally disabled, as well as their practice patterns. Perceptions were rated on a Likert scale. Regression analyses were utilized. Three primary relationships were identified: 1) positive relationships emerged between perceptions of educational value, as students and practitioners, of the training they received compared to percentages of medically compromised patients they currently treat (p≤0.05); 2) after practice experience, 2003-07 graduates reported significantly higher value of their education in this area compared to 1997-2002 graduates; and 3) alumni who reported treating more patients with complex needs during school reported treating significantly more of these patients in practice (p≤0.05). We conclude that alumni who reported educational experiences as more valuable treat more patients with complex needs compared to those who valued them less. Alumni who reported having more opportunities to treat patients with complex needs as students treat a higher percentage of those patients than those reporting fewer. Even positive perceptions may underestimate the value of educational experiences as they relate to future practice.
authors.affiliation: Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, University of the Pacific, San Francisco, CA 94115, USA. echavez@pacific.edu
authors.forename: Elisa M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Chávez
authors.forename: Paul E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Subar
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Miles
authors.forename: Allen
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Eugene E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Labarre
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Glassman
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002140:California; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D016321:Dental Care for Aged / Q000523:psychology; D003730:Dental Care for Persons with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology; D004497:Education, Dental; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D019239:Practice Patterns, Dentists'; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012575:Schools, Dental; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires