Selecting Dentistry for a Career

One of the most popular and upcoming discipline in• Career advice from family, friends, and mentors
medical science is that of dentist. Many people areplay a major role in shaping the career.
selecting dentistry as their career. As the peopleOther factors influencing career buildings
suffering from dental complains continues to grow,• Challenge of entering into an altogether new
new dimensions of the career is also opening up.discipline.
One year training in vocational dental practitioners or• Moderation in vision as a result of personal
VDPs is now becoming extremely popular among thestudent debt.
new students for preparation in primary dental care.• National workforce initiatives.
Growing recognition for the emerging workforce is• Limitations on traditional clinical practices.
creating a different dimension in the professional• Cost of additional training.
expectations of the earlier generations. Some of theComponents of Six main categories of influences on
institutes like the University of Connecticut Schools ofcareer building in Dentistry
Medicine and Dentistry provide excellent opportunities• Professional factors
for career building for new and aspirant dental• Personal factors
surgeons.• Financial factors
Expectation of New Generations• Political factors
Requirements of new generations are quite different• Social factors
in comparison to the expectation of older generation.• Cultural factors
Implications for the profession, patients andWhy Choose Dentistry as Career?
performances relating to the health systems are theMost of the people choose dentistry as career since
key factors in determining dentistry for professionalthey consider it financially lucrative as well as one of
career. Professor career plans have changed today inthe most contained career in healthcare having
both short and long terms perspectives.professional status; job security and the opportunities
Motivations for making Dentistry the careerto work flexibly are much greater in it. Short term
• Academic influences of dealing with a newchanges affecting education challenges the vision of
subject that is not explored to a large extent.the aspirants of building up careers in dentistry and
• Healthcare since dental problems are spreadingthey take to accepting such challenges. Long term
fast and it is one of the most painful and naggingprofessional expectations are considered to be
experience for the patients.closely linked with their personal lives as well as
• Lifestyle of the aspirant surgeon plays a bigsupport for vision of favorable work as well as life
role in the selection.balances.