Dental Students’ Assessment About the Adequacy of Time for Clinical Training During their Studies in BDS Program of the College of Dentistry, King Saud University

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the adequacy of time allocated in the BDS curriculum for clinical training of undergraduates in the BDS program of the College of Dentistry. The research questions focused on choice of students about treatment timing, their time management skills, no. of patients, students to faculty ration as well as their perception about time wasting clinical procedures.
Methods: Three cohorts of BDS students of dental Class 2014-2015 studying in 3rd year n=88 M, 47 F), 4th year (n=61 M, 41 F) and 5th year (n=85 M, 38 F) constituted population of the present investigations. A specialized questionnaire including 21 questions focusing mainly on time distribution for clinical training was distributed among all male and female students. Feedback of the respondents was sought a 7 scale Likert scale. The data obtained was subjected to statistical analyses using Minitab statistical software. Descriptive statistics, Means and percentages were worked out for each question.
Results: Out of a total population of 360 students, 290 students responded with a response rate of 80.83% including 190 male and 101 female students. The students revealed that in general, the time assigned for the clinical session was insufficient as indicated by a score of 2.75 on a five point Likert scale. The students disclosed that their clinical performance was better in the afternoon session than the morning session. They revealed that most of their time is wasted in waiting for the instructor followed by waiting for x-rays and dealing with problems in the dental chair unit as depicted by scores of 4.22, 3.97 and 3.23 out of 5, respectively. The students were there found less satisfied with their time management skills.
Conclusions: The clinical contact hours may be increased by eliminating time wasting factors such as problems with dental chair unit, prolonged waiting time for the X-ray may so that students may utilize their full time in learning through the clinical session. The students to instructor ratio may also be improved and the instructors may be made available to guide their students in the clinics. Besides, the students may be provided training on time management skills so that they may optimally utilize the allocated time in clinical learning.