Methods: A survey was given to all BDS and BOH students on the first and last day of their first professional year (2009). Two different ways of examining students' perceptions of their future professional work and educational environment was collected along with sociodemographic information. The first included two open-ended questions regarding a dental professional's central role and everyday difficulties. The second evaluated the educational environment using the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM). Themes were coded based on the frequency of mention in responses by students. The data was analysed using SPSS 17.0.
Results: Overall 75.0% (51 out of 68 students) of BDS and 82.5% (33 out of 40 students) of BOH students completed both start and finish surveys. Eight themes emerged in students' responses to the two open-ended questions. When weighted based on the frequency of mention, BDS students were found to emphasise restorative tasks as central to their future work, while BOH students emphasised patient care and health promotion. The DREEM results indicated a ‘more positive than negative' view of students' educational environment (scores between 101-150 out of 200 in total), although students' expectations scored slightly higher than their actual experiences.
Conclusion: Clear differences were found between BOH and BDS students reflecting their contrasting definitions of the ‘ideal professional'. Specific strengths and weaknesses of the educational climate were identified through the DREEM. This study was supported by the Auckland Dental Association.