Factors associated with career choice among women dental students.

This paper describes factors associated with women's decisions to enter dentistry including timing of decision, external influences, previous dental experience, and dempgraphic characteristics. Analyses comparing data from male students are provided. On the basis of responses from 66% of all women dental students and a systematic comparison sample of men enrolled in 1974, both sexes were found to possess similar values,motivations, and reasons for pursuing dentistry. Male and female dental students differed significantly, however, in time of career decision, factors influencing this decision, work and educational history of parents, and the student's previous dental-related work experience.