Assessment Of Factors Leading To Declining Interests Of Students For Admissions In Bachelor Of Dental Surgery (Bds) Undergraduate Program, In Private Colleges Of South Punjab

Rauha Sheikh, Asad Ali, Ulfat Rasool, Yasir Ali kazmi, Ayatun Aslam, Kashif Zulfiqar, Hajra Talat,

Abstract

Objective: To identify the factors contributing to low admission rates in BDS programs in private dental colleges in South Punjab.
Place of Study: This Study was conducted at three private Medical colleges in South Punjab: Multan Medical & Dental College (MMDC), Bakhtawar Ameen Medical & Dental College (BAMDC), and Shahida Islam Medical & Dental College (SIMDC).
Study Design: A Cross-sectional descriptive study.
Duration of Study: December 2021 to January 2022.
Methodology: A total of 200 students appearing in interviews of Bachelor in Medicine and Bachelor in Surgery (MBBS) programs in three private medical colleges of Punjab were selected via convenience sampling. A self-administered questionnaire with closed-ended questions was given to the students. The questionnaire comprised of demographic information and factors leading to disinclination towards the BDS program. A 5-point Likert scale was used to document the views of the respondents. Data was entered and analyzed by utilizing SPSS version 21. Mean score, frequency, and percentages were calculated for all questions
Results: In this study, 200 applicants applying to three private medical colleges in the MBBS program were chosen. Among all the participants 42.5% (n= 85) were males and 57.5% (n= 115) were females. Among all the participants 61% and 54% strongly agreed that they did not choose BDS because of better career options in MBBS and perceived inferiority complex in the dental profession respectively. 75% of the students agreed that they will only opt for BDS as a career in case their merit is low on the list. 44% of the students did not choose dentistry due to the lack of job opportunities in our country. 66% of the students did not choose dentistry because of their Parent's influence. The scarcity of scholarships available for dental students was an important factor and 58% were hesitant to move toward dentistry because of this. 76% of the students accepted the fact that they were avoiding dentistry because of social pressure. 60% of the students did not choose BDS, realizing that there are much better opportunities for medical graduates to work abroad than dental graduates.
Conclusion: Better career options in medicine, lack of job opportunities in the dental profession, the influence of parents, and scarcity of scholarships are the main factors contributing to decreased interest in admissions in dentistry over the past few years.