Social profile of first-year dentistry students at the University of Sydney.

There has been constant interest in the background of dentistry students over the years. This paper, based on the data amassed by surveying the first-year dentistry students of 1994 and 1995, builds on previous questionnaires and publications, and shows that certain trends in student make-up, predicted earlier, have been checked. The article examines such features as the gender breakdown of first-year students, age at the end of their first year, their own and their parents' countries of origin, English and non-English language proficiency, type of school attended, parents' occupations, parents' highest level of education, motivations for choosing dentistry as a career, aptitude for a career in dentistry, and previous studies and employment. The data are analysed with the view to determining changes over time in the social composition of dentistry students.

The formation of professional and consumer solutions: ethics in the general practice setting.

A general practice research project on ethics is underway at the University of New South Wales, funded by GPEP (General Practice Evaluation Program, Commonwealth Department of Human Services and Health, GPEP 386). Ethical issues, as defined and explored by general practitioners and consumers, are being examined across four areas of Sydney. So far, telephone interviews have been conducted (64% response rate) with a random sample of general practitioners (GPs). Face-to-face interviews have been conducted with 107 consumers, randomly sampled using ABS collection district information. Focus groups have been formed to discuss acceptable solutions to GP and consumer identified ethical issues. This report will report on some preliminary findings to date and will explore professional and consumer roles in the formation of ethical solutions.