Journey towards a dental career: the career decision-making journey and perceived obstacles to studying dentistry identified by London's secondary school pupils and teachers.

Objective To explore the career decision-making journey towards dentistry and identify possible challenges and supports in this process as perceived by academically able, science-minded, London school pupils and their careers teachers.Methods A mixed-methods study was conducted using a purposive sample of London schools. Focus groups (n = 13) with 91 pupils aged 14-18 years and a survey of career teachers (n = 12) were conducted at a range of school-types.

Dentistry as a professional career: the views of London's secondary school pupils (2011-2017).

Aim To explore young people's perceptions of dentistry as a potential future career, including features which would attract or deter them from wanting to become dentists and the perceived influences on these views.Methods Purposive sampling of London schools was undertaken. Exploration of academically-able, science-minded young people's (aged 14-18 years) perceptions of dentistry as a potential career was achieved through a series of focus groups conducted at various types of school in the Greater London region (13 focus groups and 91 students).

Embarking on a professional career: social advantage in dentistry and medicine. UK dental and medical student applications and admissions, 1996-2011.

Objectives The objectives of this research were to compare trends in applications and admissions to dentistry and medicine by sociodemographic status, country/region, academic experience and attainment, for UK domiciled students, and also to compare the odds of gaining admission to each course.Methods Secondary analysis of student data from University and College Admissions Services (UCAS) for focused, successful, UK domiciled applicants whose preferred subject was medicine or dentistry from 1996-2011. Trends for both programmes were examined using univariate and multivariate analysis including logistic regression, both with and without tariff scores.

Awareness of oral and maxillofacial surgery as a specialty and potential career pathway amongst UK medical undergraduates.

Background And Purpose Of The Study: Although traditionally a "dentistry first, medicine second" training route, UK Oral and Maxillofacial surgery is increasingly populated with medicine-first trainees at ST3 level. Despite this, there is little evidence suggesting any increase in exposure at medical undergraduate level. We sought to evaluate the current level of awareness of OMFS as a medical specialty and potential career pathway amongst 'first-degree' medical undergraduates.

The graduate entry generation: a qualitative study exploring the factors influencing the career expectations and aspirations of a graduating cohort of graduate entry dental students in one London institution.

Background: Dentistry in the UK has a number of new graduate-entry programmes. The aim of the study was to explore the motivation, career expectations and experiences of final year students who chose to pursue a dental career through the graduate entry programme route in one institution; and to explore if, and how, their intended career expectations and aspirations were informed by this choice.

Method: In-depth interviews of 14 graduate entry students in their final year of study.