Journal of Indian Association of Public Health Dentistry

ARTICLE
Year
: 2011  |  Volume : 9  |  Issue : 18  |  Page : 5--11

Reasons for choosing public health dentistry as a career option in M.D.S among the students pursuing masters in public health dentistry in State of Karnataka


Gurmukh Singh1, SS Hiremath2, Amandeep Kaur3 
1 Reader, Dept. of Community Dentistry, Govt. Dental College, Bengaluru, India
2 Dean cum Director, Professor and Head, Dept. of Community Dentistry, Govt. Dental College, Bengaluru, India
3 Reader, Dept. of Periodontics, Maharaja Ganga Singh Dental College and Research Center, Sri Ganga Nagar, India

Correspondence Address:
Gurmukh Singh
Reader, Dept. of Community Dentistry, Govt. Dental College, Bengaluru
India

Background: �SQ�Destiny is decided�SQ� No doubt about it but the almighty has given us wisdom and knowledge to share and apply in a particular circumstance. One such difficult circumstance is choosing a career in dentistry in tertiary education for eg. Public Health Dentistry. The aspirations and reasons for foraying in to a particular specialty by an aspiring candidate in turn contributes a lot for the future of the particular specialty. Aim: To find out reasons for choosing Public Health Dentistry as a career option in M.D.S among the students pursuing Masters in Public Health Dentistry in state of Karnataka. Materials and methods: A questionnaire study with a cross section design, comprising of 85 students pursuing their career in Masters in Community Dentistry in all three years in state of Karnataka were included in the study. The questionnaire tries to extract information pertaining to various motives to enter in to the specialty, ranging from, financial stability, prior interest and knowledge of the prospects of subject to current status and interest in the subject and perceptions and plans of the students pertaining to their career in foreseeable future. Results: The primary reason for choosing Public Health Dentistry as a career option in M.D.S was, prior interest in the subject by 29%of repondentents. And again the favorite subject of choice before counseling was Public Health Dentistry by 27% of respondents. Teaching job 22.4 % as a frontline choice as future plans after M.D.S by respondentents is not a very encouraging trend. Conclusion: A sizable proportion of the students quoting job security as a reason for the choice of specialty is not a very encouraging trend in a long term. Many students are not aware of the future prospects the subject. There is a need to create awareness and inculcate interest among the students during their graduation. Teaching job as a preference for maximum number of candidates points towards the dearth of opportunities for dental public health professionals at the first place.


How to cite this article:
Singh G, Hiremath S S, Kaur A. Reasons for choosing public health dentistry as a career option in M.D.S among the students pursuing masters in public health dentistry in State of Karnataka.J Indian Assoc Public Health Dent 2011;9:5-11


How to cite this URL:
Singh G, Hiremath S S, Kaur A. Reasons for choosing public health dentistry as a career option in M.D.S among the students pursuing masters in public health dentistry in State of Karnataka. J Indian Assoc Public Health Dent [serial online] 2011 [cited 2024 Mar 28 ];9:5-11
Available from: https://journals.lww.com/aphd/pages/default.aspx/article.asp?issn=2319-5932;year=2011;volume=9;issue=18;spage=5;epage=11;aulast=Singh;type=0