Dentistry as a Career Choice: Perception and Motivation 0f Dental Students Attending a Nigerian Tertiary University

Abstract

Background: Dentistry, though an essential component of healthcare, is often perceived as a secondary career option in Nigeria. Despite the increasing number of students enrolling in dental schools, perception and motivation about the profession remain varied and under-explored.

This study aimed to assess the perception and motivation towards the choice of dentistry among dental student at the University of Port Harcourt.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among 91 dental students using a structured questionnaire. The questionnaire was divided into four sections:  section A included questions on demographic information: age, gender, academic level and religion, section B included questions on motivation towards Dentistry, section C included questions on perception of Dentistry, while section D included questions on the impact of perception on academic performance. Data were analyzed with SPSS version 25.0 with significance set at p <0.05.

Results: Sixty-six participants (72.5%) chose dentistry as first choice. Overall perception of the participants for dentistry was high. Key motivators for choosing dentistry included personal interest (23.1%), financial prospects (29.7%), and flexible working hours (30.8%). A significant relationship was found between positive perception and better academic performance (p = 0.009).

Conclusion: The study shows that 72.5% of participants chose dentistry as their first choice. 48.4% of the participants had high perception about dentistry. 49 (28.5%) participants indicated personal interest and passion as motivation for choosing dentistry. There was a significant negative relationship between students' perception scores of dentistry and academic performance (? = -0.274, p = 0.009)