A survey of general dental practitioners' postgraduate education activity and demand for extended modular postgraduate programmes.

The aim of this paper is to assess the level of involvement of general dent al practitioners in postgraduate education and training, identify their spe ciality interests, preferred formal of course presentation and assess the p otential demand for modular postgraduate programmes. A questionnaire analysis of a one in three random sample of general dental practitioners on Health Authority lists in the North West of England and No rth Wales was designed and carried aut. Out of a random sample of 799, 552 GDPs completed an anonymous questionnair e in 1998 which investigated their current postgraduate activity, the areas of specialist interest and their interest in extended modular postgraduate education courses with associated summative assessment. Fifty three percent of respondents attended more than four postgraduate ses sions per year of whom the majority (59%) were in the 35-44 year old age gr oup. 79% identified Section 63 courses as their first preference and 63% pr eferred mixed didactic and 'hands on' courses. Seventy five percent of resp ondents expressed an interest in attending modular programmes which might l ead ta a postgraduate qualification. In conclusion, an enthusiasm to attend existing postgraduate courses was id entified but a demand was also perceived for courses of longer duration pos sibly leading to additional pos,graduate qualifications.