Career Choices and Plans of Dental Students: A Cross-sectional Study in Dental Students in Jordan

There is a growing number of dental students who are increasingly pursuing career opportunities abroad, and this area remains underexplored. This study aimed to examine the career choices and future plans of dental students in Jordan.

This cross-sectional study was conducted on dental students (N = 300) at various universities in Jordan in 2023-2024. Following ethical approval, a self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the information: dental students' career aspirations, motives for choosing dentistry, socioeconomic background, interest in dentistry, and projected career paths. The data were analyzed using SPSS 22.

The study sample consisted of 192 females (64%) and 108 males (36%). A total of 153 students (51%) were enrolled in government universities, while 147 students (49%) attended private universities. Most of both female and male students reported that the decision was their own, with a notably higher number among females. Most students (200) expressed a desire to become specialists, a smaller number of students wished to become researchers, while even fewer were interested in becoming general dentists. Additionally, a small portion of students remain undecided about their future career path. A large portion, 159 students (53%), indicated that they have plans to pursue a clinical career; a significant portion, 93 students (31%), were undecided; and 48 students (16%) expressed plans not to become a clinical dentist. A total of 61 students (20.3%) expressed a preference for staying and working in Jordan after graduation. When considering international destinations, the USA was the most popular choice, with 30 students (23%) wanting to work there, followed by the UK with 24 students (18%).

Through a comprehensive survey administered to dental students, this study also investigated various dimensions of their educational and professional lives, including their financial support for dental education, their interest in specialized fields of dentistry, and their plans for post-graduation. Furthermore, this study explored the potential implications of students' aspirations to work abroad and offers an analysis of how these trends might influence the country's dental education system and healthcare landscape.

Overall, personal motivation played the most significant role in the decision to pursue dentistry. The majority of the dental students are interested in working abroad in developed nations such as the USA, UK, Australia, Germany, Canada, and the Gulf nations. Most students expressed a desire to become specialists, a smaller number of students expressed their desire to become researchers, while even fewer were interested in becoming general dentists. Additionally, a small portion of students remained undecided about their future career path.