An assessment of the views held by recent graduates on their undergraduate course

Abstract

The aim of this study was to ascertain the views of recent graduates on their undergraduate training. 53 Vocational Training scheme organisers were contacted and 37 (70%) responded 391 new dentists on the schemes were sent postal questionnaires to record information on their views of the undergraduate dental curriculum, 247 questionnaires were returned giving a response rate of 63%. 62% of the subjects reported that they had received sufficient practical experience in the provision of crowns, 32% for veneers and 19% for bridgework. 46% of respondents felt able to treat a simple orthodontic case with removable appliances. 63% considered they had insufficient experience in surgical extractions, 40% expressed the opinion that overall, they would like more practical clinical experience included in the undergraduate course particularly in crown/bridgework and surgical extractions. In conclusion, there are areas in which recent graduates consider their undergraduate course to have been lacking.