Dental Therapy Student cohorts: Trends in enrolment and progress at a South African University

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: The urgent need to train a great many dental therapists to alleviate the shortage of oral health personnel has long been recognised. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To describe trends in enrolments, examination pass rates and graduations of cohorts of dental therapy students at Sefako Makgatho Health Science University during the decade 2004 to 2014. The number of students who completed their degree and graduated within the regulation time was also determined. DESIGN: A cross-sectional descriptive study. METHODS: Academic records of cohorts of dental therapy students for the period 2004 to 2014 were reviewed. Data related to demographic characteristics, numbers enrolled, numbers who dropped out, and numbers who graduated were acquired and then captured in Microsoft Excel software. RESULTS: The median number of enrolled students in all years was 36. The maximum number of first year enrolment was 21. More female students than male students enrolled and graduated. The aggregate examination pass rate was in the low 80s. The number of graduates was less than a third of the number enrolled. Less than half of all students who had registered initially successfully completed the course in the regulation time. CONCLUSIONS: Both student enrolment and graduations are on an upward trajectory.