Ethnic and cultural determinants of the perceptions of female dental students.

A survey of women dental students enrolled in all American and Canadian dental schools during the 1977-78 academic year was conducted to determine their backgrounds, current status, motivation regarding dentistry as a career, perception of the dental school environment, preferences in dental education, and future plans. The data were analyzed on the basis of ethnic or racial derivation to delineate differences in the perceptions of female dental students of various ethnic groups. Recognizing the nature of such differences may prove beneficial to dental educators, who must determine the specific problems faced by female students of various ethnic groups.