Acar Nihan Kaya, Sahin Nursen, Celikel Peris
Department of Prosthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, Giresun University, Giresun, 28000, Turkey.
Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Ataturk University, Erzurum, 25240, Turkey.
BMC Med Educ. 2025 Jul 16;25(1):1064. doi: 10.1186/s12909-025-07677-8.
Dental education in Türkiye has expanded rapidly, with new faculties established and increased student quotas. This growth may influence educational quality and student satisfaction. If this influence proves detrimental, the quality of public healthcare services may decline, or there may be a lag behind international standards. This study aimed to compare undergraduate students' satisfaction levels at long-established versus newly established dental faculties in Türkiye.
A cross-sectional, multi-center survey was administered to undergraduate dentistry students (n = 828) from long-established (≥ 10 years) and newly established (<;10 years) faculties. Data were collected online using a two-part questionnaire comprising demographics and a 30-item Likert-type scale evaluating satisfaction with quality of educational programs, physical facilities, integration of modern technologies, evolving patient demographics, clinical experiences and professional outlook. Statistical analyses, including Pearson's Chi-Square and Fisher's Exact tests, were used to examine the relationships between student demographics and satisfaction variables.
A total of 828 students participated (65.9% (n = 546) from long-established, 34.1% (n = 282) newly established faculties). Most were in their first or second grade, with 61.8% (n = 512) female. Across both faculty types, key reasons for choosing dentistry included professional satisfaction (32.9% (n = 272)) and societal prestige (26.2% (n = 217)). Significant differences were observed between long-established and newly established faculties regarding perceptions of theoretical course content, sufficiency of clinical experience, international competitiveness of the curriculum, adequacy of physical facilities, and overall university satisfaction (p < 0.05). Students from long-established faculties generally reported more favorable ratings in these domains. A notable proportion of students (34.9% (n = 289)) expressed concern about the future of the profession, with differences in worry levels observed between the faculty types (p < 0.05).
Students in long-established faculties reported higher satisfaction across multiple domains, potentially reflecting more developed infrastructures and greater academic expertise. These findings highlight the importance of enhance physical resources, technological capacities, and clinical opportunities-particularly in newly established institutions. Strengthening these aspects may enhance student satisfaction and better prepare future graduates for the evolving demands of dental practice. Furthermore, fostering international accreditation and collaboration could support ongoing improvements in educational quality across all dentistry faculties in Türkiye.
土耳其的牙科教育发展迅速，新建了多所牙科学院并增加了学生名额。这种增长可能会影响教育质量和学生满意度。如果这种影响被证明是有害的，公共医疗服务质量可能会下降，或者可能会落后于国际标准。本研究旨在比较土耳其老牌牙科学院和新建牙科学院本科学生的满意度水平。
对来自老牌（≥10年）和新建（<10年）牙科学院的本科牙科学生（n = 828）进行了一项横断面多中心调查。使用包含人口统计学信息和一个30项李克特量表的两部分问卷在线收集数据，该量表用于评估对教育项目质量、物理设施、现代技术整合、不断变化的患者人口统计学特征、临床经验和职业前景的满意度。采用包括Pearson卡方检验和Fisher精确检验在内的统计分析方法来检验学生人口统计学特征与满意度变量之间的关系。
共有828名学生参与（65.9%（n = 546）来自老牌牙科学院，34.1%（n = 282）来自新建牙科学院）。大多数学生处于一年级或二年级，女生占61.8%（n = 512）。在两种类型学院中，选择牙科的主要原因包括职业满意度（32.9%（n = 272））和社会声望（26.2%（n = 217））。在理论课程内容认知、临床经验充足性认知、课程的国际竞争力、物理设施充足性以及对大学整体满意度方面，老牌学院和新建学院之间存在显著差异（p < 0.05）。老牌学院的学生在这些方面通常给出更积极的评价。相当一部分学生（34.9%（n = 289））对该职业的未来表示担忧，不同类型学院的担忧程度存在差异（p < 0.05）。
老牌牙科学院的学生在多个领域报告了更高的满意度，这可能反映了其更发达的基础设施和更丰富的学术专业知识。这些发现凸显了加强物质资源、技术能力和临床机会的重要性，尤其是在新建机构中。加强这些方面可能会提高学生满意度，并使未来毕业生更好地为牙科实践不断变化的需求做好准备。此外，促进国际认证与合作可以支持土耳其所有牙科学院教育质量的持续提升。
