Employer and graduate perceptions of the competence of graduates from a dental school in Trinidad

ABSTRACT

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate employers' and graduates' perceptions of the competence of dental graduates from the School of Dentistry, University of the West Indies (UWI). Method: Anonymous questionnaires were sent to employers of the dental graduates in 2013. Similar questionnaires were also completed by graduates of the class of 2011 and 2012. Respondents were asked to rate employees or self assess the UWI School of Dentistry (SoD) curriculum's 23 competency areas and 6 domains of dental practice including professionalism, assessment of a patient, establishment and maintenance of oral health. Results: Response rates of 48.3%, 100% and 95.7% were obtained from the employers, class of 2011 and class of 2012 respectively. The graduates' self-rated competency means were satisfactory or higher (better) in all competency areas. Employers rated the competency of UWI graduates higher than average in all competency areas except temporomandibular joint/occlusion therapy, orthodontic therapy and dental office administration. Overall, the graduates consistently rated themselves significantly higher than the employers except for periodontal therapy, minor oral surgery, removable prosthodontics and dental office administration. The graduating class of 2011 rated themselves significantly higher than class of 2012 in most (15 out of 23) competency areas. Conclusion: Employers and graduates rated UWI dental graduate competency above average in all areas except orthodontics and dental office administration. UWI dental graduates have a better perception of their competency than do their employers. The School of Dentistry needs to pay particular attention to the areas highlighted and review the curriculum accordingly.