Aa. Brand et al., CHOOSING DENTISTRY AS A CAREER - A PROFILE OF ENTERING STUDENTS (1992) TO THE UNIVERSITY-OF-SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, Australian dental journal, 41(3), 1996, pp. 198-205
The present study is an investigation of motives students have for wis
hing to become dentists. The study population comprised 85 first year
dental students of the class of 1992 at the University of Sydney. A qu
estionnaire which sought information on student demography, attitudes
to dentistry, and motive rankings was administered. Demographic findin
gs indicated that the majority of students came from countries in the
Pacific rim and the male/female ratio was 62 to 38 per cent. Responses
to the attitude questionnaire showed that Australian student motives
for becoming dentists did not differ from those of students in other c
ountries. The most predominant of these motives was to serve others,to
become independent, to enjoy job satisfaction, and to acquire financi
al security. The least important motives were manual and communication
skills, science and knowledge, and surprisingly, status and prestige.
To attribute meaning and value to these motives, however, reflects in
consistencies which are expressed as contradictions between motive cat
egories, between items within categories, and between motive categorie
s and motive rankings. When one considers the basis upon which career
decisions are made, disparity in the findings may be attributable to a
decision-making process that rests on subjective rather than objectiv
e criteria.