NEWLY ADMITTED DENTAL STUDENTS' PERCEPTIONS ABOUT IDEAL QUALITIES OF DENTAL PROFESSIONALS

ABSTRACT Objective: To explore the perceptions of the newly admitted dental students about the attributes of an ideal dental professional, the difficulties faced in maintaining these ideal attributes, and the strategies they can employ to counter these difficulties. Study Design: Qualitative research methodology in constructivist paradigm was used. Place and Duration of Study: Fatima Memorial Hospital College of Medicineand Dentistry, Lahore, Pakistan, from Jun 2015 to Aug 2015. Methodology: The study was conducted during the orientation session of newly inducted Bachelors of Dental Surgery 1st year class. Written responses to questions about the objectives were posed to all the students. Qualitative thematic analysis of the data collected was done based on priori themes, and trends were identified in the current study. Conclusions were made through an iterative process and member checking. Results: Sixty-six out of 75 students responded with a response rate of 80%. They identified integrity, humaneness and good communication skills as important ideals in a professional dentist. They highlighted that due to the difficulty to satisfy every patient, and the exhaustive nature of the profession, dentists might lose their humility. Constantly revisiting their ideals, and the determination to follow them were identified as most important means to ensure retention of these ideals through the undergraduate education. Conclusion: Freshly inducted students have strong ideals including integrity, compassion, altruism and excellence. There is a need for formal professionalism curriculum to reinforce these.