title: Measuring the attitudes of dental students towards social accountability following dental education - Qualitative findings.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The term social accountability has gained increased interest in medical education, but is relatively unexplored in dentistry.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study is to explore dental students' attitudes towards social accountability.
  
  
  METHODS
  A qualitative study utilizing focus groups with University of Otago final year (5th year) Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) students was carried out. A questionnaire designed to measure medical students' attitudes towards social responsibility was used as a guide. Following data collection, framework analysis was used to analyze each of the three focus groups, and repeating themes were noted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Analysis of the focus groups discovered recurring themes, such that participants believed that dentists should be accountable to society in a professional context and that they are responsible for patients who present at their clinic but that there is no professional obligation to help reduce oral health inequalities by working with populations facing inequalities. There was strong agreement that there needs to be change to the dental health care system from a structural and political level to address oral health inequalities, rather than individual dentists assuming greater responsibility.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings show that dental education may not be accountable to society in the sense that it is not producing graduates who believe that they have an obligation to address the priority oral health concerns of society.
authors.affiliation: a Wellington Hospital , New Zealand .
authors.forename: Vivian
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: b University of Otago , New Zealand .
authors.forename: Lyndie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Foster Page
authors.affiliation: b University of Otago , New Zealand .
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McMillan
authors.affiliation: b University of Otago , New Zealand .
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lyons
authors.affiliation: c University of Sheffield , UK.
authors.forename: Barry
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gibson
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D004497:Education, Dental / Q000458:organization & administration; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009520:New Zealand; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012941:Social Responsibility; D013335:Students, Dental / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult