Exploring perceptions of dental students, house officers, and general surgery faculty on the general surgery curriculum in the undergraduate dental program – a qualitative study

Abstract

Background: Dental education integrates foundational medical sciences, including anatomy, physiology, pathology, pharmacology, internal medicine, and general surgery, to ensure holistic patient care. In Pakistan, there are growing concerns that the current dental curriculum does not adequately address the clinical and surgical components essential for preparing students to manage cases requiring basic surgical knowledge. Objectives: To explore the perspectives of dental students, house officers, and general surgery faculty on the relevance and effectiveness of general surgery in undergraduate dental curricula, and to identify challenges affecting clinical preparedness. Study design: A Qualitative Study. Place and duration of study: The study was carried out at two prominent tertiary healthcare facilities in Karachi, Pakistan. One of the participating institutions was a private-sector tertiary training institute. - Ziauddin University (ZU), while the other was affiliated with the public sector, Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS). Method: This study employed a purposive sampling strategy, a non-probability sampling technique that ensured participants’ some characteristics were directly relevant to the research objectives. In- depth interviews and focus group discussions were held. The thematic analysis was carried out using a hybrid approach, where deductive coding was performed based on the predetermined themes, with the inductive approach to thematic construction to draw out the core ideas. Result: Participants had different opinions: some people suggested that general surgery topics be modified to match the specific needs of dentistry, while others defended their value in emergency care and practice of maxillofacial surgery. Concerns shown by participants included an overstuffed curriculum, inadequate practical exposure, poor supervision, and a gap between the surgery teaching and the dental practice. Faculty stressed the need for interactive teaching, while students called for early exposure to real patients, coupled with a properly organized system of clerkships. Conclusion: Reforming the curriculum is essential for reducing the volume of surgical content, incorporating more interactive activities, increasing the opportunities for practical training, and implementing competency-based evaluations. These steps would improve the focus of learners, increase their clinical readiness, and improve the quality of care for patients. Clinical trial number: Not applicable.