Perceptions of business skill development by graduates of the University of Michigan Dental School.

Many graduating dentists leave dental school feeling that they are not prepared to start and run a dental practice. The aim of this pilot study was to explore the knowledge and perceptions dental graduates have in the area of practice management. A twenty-item survey was mailed in the fall of 2008 to nearly half of the University of Michigan dental school alumni who had graduated between the years of 1997 and 2007.

Status of current dental hygiene faculty and perceptions of important qualifications for future faculty.

Purpose: Dental hygiene educators are expressing concerns about faculty retirement causing an educator shortage. The primary objective of this study was to investigate current dental hygiene faculty demographic characteristics, future plans and perceptions of important skills for future faculty.

Methods: A Web-based survey instrument was designed after reviewing the literature and consulting with dental hygiene faculty.