IADR Abstract Archives
Assessing The Need For Leadership And Management Training In Dentistry In South Africa
Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the need for leadership and management training in Dentistry in South Africa from an industry perspective.
Methods: Personal one-on-one semi structured interviews were conducted with ‘Senior Managers’, namely, fourteen key role players, heading/managing the public sector, private sector, SADA and the military. Telephonic one-on-one interviews were also conducted with eleven graduated young dentists across South Africa who had less than ten years of experience.
Results: From the senior managers and young dentists, 100% agreed that dentistry in South Africa is experiencing major challenges including expensive and unaffordable dental services, reduced pay-outs from third party funders and marginalisation of dentistry from other medical professions. Participants ascribed these to lack of management and leadership skills within the health sector. All (100%) agreed that dentists need leadership training for these challenges. Of the senior managers: 43% supported both management and leadership, 36% only management and 21% only leadership training. The young dentists favoured management and leadership (73%), 18% management and 9% leadership training. Most of the senior managers (36%) favoured undergraduate with postgraduate follow-up, while young dentists (45%) favoured undergraduate alone and another 45% both undergraduate with post-graduate follow-up.
Conclusions: The study results confirm the need for leadership and management training, starting at undergraduate level, with post-graduate follow-up. This study can inform the design of dental schools curricula.
Methods: Personal one-on-one semi structured interviews were conducted with ‘Senior Managers’, namely, fourteen key role players, heading/managing the public sector, private sector, SADA and the military. Telephonic one-on-one interviews were also conducted with eleven graduated young dentists across South Africa who had less than ten years of experience.
Results: From the senior managers and young dentists, 100% agreed that dentistry in South Africa is experiencing major challenges including expensive and unaffordable dental services, reduced pay-outs from third party funders and marginalisation of dentistry from other medical professions. Participants ascribed these to lack of management and leadership skills within the health sector. All (100%) agreed that dentists need leadership training for these challenges. Of the senior managers: 43% supported both management and leadership, 36% only management and 21% only leadership training. The young dentists favoured management and leadership (73%), 18% management and 9% leadership training. Most of the senior managers (36%) favoured undergraduate with postgraduate follow-up, while young dentists (45%) favoured undergraduate alone and another 45% both undergraduate with post-graduate follow-up.
Conclusions: The study results confirm the need for leadership and management training, starting at undergraduate level, with post-graduate follow-up. This study can inform the design of dental schools curricula.