Department of Prosthodontics, The Affiliated Stomatology Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, China.
Department of Oral Implantology, The Affiliated Stomatology Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, China.
BMC Med Educ. 2024 Oct 3;24(1):1087. doi: 10.1186/s12909-024-06050-5.
Given today's competitive climate, graduates in stomatology face the dilemma of deciding whether to pursue higher education, obtain a master's degree, or focus on clinical careers. However, their career planning tendencies and decision-making factors have not been clarified. This study aimed to analyze these aspects among stomatology undergraduate students at the Southwest Medical University (SWMU) in China.
This cross-sectional study between July and August 2022 included undergraduate students majoring in stomatology at SWMU. A cross-sectional online questionnaire was used to gather data on the respondents' plans after graduation. The questionnaire included inquiries into their intentions regarding postgraduate education and standardized training. Additionally, the survey explored whether the respondents preferred academic or professional master's degrees, which stomatology subspecialty they preferred, and the factors that influenced their choices.
One hundred dental undergraduate students participated in this survey. Results indicated that 91.0% of respondents chose to pursue a master's degree after graduation. Moreover, 80.2% of the respondents chose the professional master rather than the academic master as their first choice. Orthodontics, oral and maxillofacial surgery, and oral implantology were the top three subspecialties that students preferred. Personal interest, expected revenue, and family suggestions were the main factors influencing subspecialty selection.
The study reveals that stomatology undergraduate students face challenges and a dilemma at graduation. Due to the fierce competition in the job market, graduates aspire to pursue postgraduate studies instead of entering the workforce immediately after graduation. Students need to understand the employment landscape in oral medicine and familiarize themselves with the work patterns of various subspecialties while remaining flexible in charting their career paths.
在当今竞争激烈的环境下，口腔医学专业的毕业生面临着决定是否继续深造、攻读硕士学位还是专注于临床职业的困境。然而，他们的职业规划倾向和决策因素尚未得到明确。本研究旨在分析中国西南医科大学（SWMU）口腔医学专业本科生的这些方面。
本研究采用横断面研究设计，于 2022 年 7 月至 8 月期间纳入 SWMU 口腔医学专业的本科生。采用横断面在线问卷收集受访者毕业后的计划数据。问卷中询问了他们对研究生教育和规范化培训的意向。此外，调查还探讨了受访者是否倾向于学术型或专业型硕士，他们更喜欢哪个口腔医学亚专科，以及影响他们选择的因素。
共有 100 名口腔医学本科学生参与了这项调查。结果表明，91.0%的受访者毕业后选择攻读硕士学位。此外，80.2%的受访者首选专业型硕士而非学术型硕士。正畸、口腔颌面外科和口腔种植学是学生首选的三个亚专科。个人兴趣、预期收入和家庭建议是影响亚专科选择的主要因素。
本研究揭示了口腔医学专业本科生在毕业时面临的挑战和困境。由于就业市场竞争激烈，毕业生渴望继续深造，而不是毕业后立即进入职场。学生需要了解口腔医学领域的就业形势，熟悉各个亚专科的工作模式，同时保持职业道路的灵活性。
