title: CAREER PLANS OF GRADUATES OF A CANADIAN DENTAL SCHOOL: PRELIMINARY REPORT OF A 5-YEAR SURVEY.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Comprehensive data on the characteristics and opinions of graduating dental students in Canada are lacking. Specifically, only minimal information is available on graduates' immediate career plans and factors that may influence their decisions regarding these plans. Our aim was to gather such data to allow better understanding of this issue and improve the design of future studies on this topic.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Career Development Committee at the school of dentistry, University of Alberta, designed a short survey to be administered to graduating students over 5 years to gain insight into their immediate career plans and opinions on career services at the school. Preliminary results from 2012-2014 are reported here.
  
  
  RESULTS
  With a response rate of close to 90% (n = 99/111), the data reveal considerable differences in immediate career plans between the surveyed students and those in other schools in Canada and the United States. Of the students, 89% were planning to work in a general dental practice and only 9% were planning to enroll in advanced education, including general practice residency training.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  More research is needed to better understand the factors affecting career path decisions of students.
authors.affiliation: University of Alberta, Edmonton AB.
authors.forename: Usama
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Nassar
authors.forename: Connor
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fairbanks
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Flores-Mir
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kilistoff
authors.forename: Rick
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Easton
mesh_terms: D002170:Canada; D002321:Career Choice; D006801:Humans; D012575:Schools, Dental; D013335:Students, Dental; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires