Socio-demographic backgrounds of Australian and New Zealand dental students

Objectives: This paper describes the socio-demographic and career selection characteristics of dental students in Australia and New Zealand. Methods: A total of 672 dental students participated in the study. 155 participants were from the School of Dental Science, the University of Melbourne; 141 from the School of Dentistry, the University of Sydney; 120 were from the Dental School, the University of Adelaide; 70 were from School of Dentistry, the University of Queensland; and 65 were from the School of Dentistry, University of Western Australia. The remaining 121 were from School of Dentistry, the University of Otago in New Zealand. The survey covered age, language proficiency, type of school attended, place of residence, parental occupation and level of education. Results: The results of this study are consistent with other studies on dental students. The respondents had an average age of 22 years old, with a range of 18 to 50. Fifty-six percent of respondents were female, and about half of the population had completed secondary education in private schools with some 44.3% having finished in public schools. The majority of students lived with their parents, with only a few respondents reporting a rural home address (6.8%). The majority of students (65.3%) had placed dentistry as their first career choice. They most likely made the decision while in high school and self-motivation was most influential in that decision. Conclusion: This study provides a description of the socio-demographic profile of Australian and NZ dental students, helps to understand career decision issues, and highlights areas for further investigation and management by educational institutions and public policy.

Supported by the University of New England (Armidale, NSW, Asutralia) Internal Research Grant.