Dental students’ self-evaluation comparison between dual dental education systems in Korea

1Citations
Citations of this article
40Readers
Mendeley users who have this article in their library.

This article is free to access.

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to examine the satisfaction, educational linkage, and self-perceived competence of dental students enrolled in either 4 + 4 dental program, comprising an undergraduate degree and Doctor of Dental Surgery degree (DDS), or 3 + 4 program, which is a BS/DDS combined degree program, in the Korean dental education system. Materials and methods: The survey questionnaire using a 5-point Likert scale was developed and validated by four dental education experts, consisting of satisfaction with undergraduate courses, the interconnection of undergraduate courses with the DDS curriculum, and self-assessed core competency for dental graduates. A total of 252 students provided informed consent and voluntarily responded to the survey, among whom 109 students were in the 3 + 4 system and 143 were in the 4 + 4 system. Cronbach’s correlation analysis and independent t-test were conducted for each evaluation item. Results: Students’ overall satisfaction level with the undergraduate education was higher in the 4 + 4 system than in the 3 + 4 system (P = 0.003). Students enrolled in the 4 + 4 system recognized that natural sciences are more connected to the graduate-level DDS program (P < 0.001), while the 3 + 4 students recognized that studies in medicine are closely interconnected to the DDS program (P = 0.001). There was almost no statistically significant difference in the students’ perception of competency between the two education systems. Discussion: Even though this study analyzed the case of a single university operating both 3 + 4 and 4 + 4 systems, it can be used as the groundwork for developing new opportunities and models of dental education system.

Cite

CITATION STYLE

APA

Ji, Y. A., Seol, Y. J., & Ihm, J. (2022). Dental students’ self-evaluation comparison between dual dental education systems in Korea. BMC Medical Education, 22(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-022-03504-6

Register to see more suggestions

Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.

Already have an account?

Save time finding and organizing research with Mendeley

Sign up for free