Predictors of Postgraduate Dental Specialty Training Choice: The Nigerian Experience

Objectives: The objectives of this study are three-fold. First, to highlight areas of shortage in postgraduate dental education in Nigeria, secondly to propose the introduction of dental advisors into our postgraduate dental training and thirdly, to propose a model that could aid such dental advisors in predicting postgraduate dental training choice among Nigerian dental graduates. It is hoped that such a model would have enough predictive powers to aid would-be dental advisors in guiding fresh dental graduates aright in their choice of postgraduate dental training.
Methods: Participants were dentists attending compulsory continuing professional development events at different centres across Nigeria. Graded Likert responses of 16 potential predictors of dental postgraduate training choice were obtained through self-administered questionnaires filled by 112 Nigerian dentists (mean age of 35.21 years ± 8.21). Data were analyzed after necessary recodes to allow for meaningful statistical analysis. The predictive power of each factor was determined by inter-specialty and intra-specialty comparisons.
Results: A total of 51 males and 61 females participated in the study with predictors rated from 2.29 ± 1.23 to 4.09 ± 1.04.
Diagnostic challenge strongly predicted a choice of Oral and maxillofacial surgery. Affluence and income jointly predicted choices of orthodontics and restorative dentistry while the female gender predicted a choice of pediatric dentistry. (P=<0.001). Work-life balance influenced a choice of preventive dentistry-related specialties in combination with other factors. Periodontology had several unique predictors.
Conclusions: Income, work hours, private practice opportunity and affluence were stronger predictors than skills and course content in this study. There's a gradual shift from an oral surgery predilection to restorative dentistry. A female predilection for pediatric dentistry and male predilection for oral surgery persist.
Endangered specialties like periodontics, prosthodontics justify a call office of postgraduate dental advisors in Nigerian postgraduate dental training to avert the looming dental training manpower crisis