· To explore the views of dental students about professionalism
· To establish if there are different perceptions as students progress through the dental school
Method:
This qualitative study was designed to explore the concept of professionalism amongst dental students. A sample matrix was used to select participants for five focus groups, one for each year of study with 6-8 participants in each group. To facilitate discussion, a topic guide was formulated based on the pilot study findings. The group discussion was audio taped and transcribed. Thematic analysis was carried out using the software QSR NVivo 9. Ethics approval was granted (QMREC2011/93).
Result:
The four main themes emerging were character values, communication skills, patient relationships and knowledge and technical skills. Each year identified with all four themes but with different emphases. First years focused mainly on abstract values, second years on acquiring knowledge and technical skills, third years on building patient relationships, fourth years, as they gain more clinical experience, on the critical importance of relationships with teachers and fifth years link together the diverse perceptions and identify professionalism as multifactorial.
Conclusion:
The study found a progression in dental students’ perception of professionalism. This included a development from early years in relation to self to a wider perception in later years involving the influence of patients, teachers and fellow students. Their earlier abstract ideas became more applied as their clinical experience increased.