Dental Core Trainees: Career Motivations, Preferences and Perceptions of Training

Dental Core Training (DCT) is an optional postgraduate training programme that dentists can pursue in order to further their skillset.

Carried out across two phases this study sought to understand the career motivations and preferences of the trainees who pursue one, two or three years of DCT and their perceptions and experiences of the programme in order to inform how DCT might best be developed and tailored in the future.

Results

We concluded that DCT appears to be advantageous both for those intending on careers in general dental practice and for those aiming for specialist practice, as well as those uncertain of their future trajectory. Although trainees reported on positive training experiences, particularly in terms of experiences not encountered in practice and the support of educational supervisors, there appear to be some areas for improvement.