Evaluation of Perceived Competency of Dental Graduates of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background. Dental professional’s competency comprises a comprehensive management of the oral health care of their patients, and an evaluation of competence level is an important step towards assessing the quality of the graduating dentists. This study assessed the level of self-rated competencies of dental graduates from Saudi dental colleges. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted online through a structured questionnaire that consisted of three domains of “Knowledge, Skills, and Values.” The study population was dental graduates who have studied the same curriculum and were working in Saudi dental settings. Dental graduates included interns, general practitioners, and specialists/consultants, both male and female, grouped into age groups (20-24, 25-29, and ≥30 years), Saudi/non-Saudi, with qualifications (Bachelor, Master, and Fellowship/Board), working in any region inside Saudi Arabia. Results. Complete responses received from 197 graduates were analyzed. ≥75% of the respondents felt that they were well prepared for 40% and half of the respondents felt that they were not well prepared in 50% competencies in the domain of “Knowledge.” ≥75% of the respondents felt that they were well prepared for 36% and 50% were not well prepared in 36% competencies in the domain of “Skills.” ≥75% of the respondents felt that they were well prepared for 67% competencies in the domain of “Values.” Statistically, mean values were significant ( $p\le 0.001$ ) for female genders and nonsignificant for qualification and rank categories. The overall mean scores for self-perceived competencies for the domains of “Knowledge,” “Skills,” and “Values” were $8.9\pm 3.1$ , $12.8\pm 3.3$ , and $5.5\pm 2.1$ , respectively. Participants showed the highest level of “Knowledge” in medical problem diagnosis and least level in basic life support. The highest level of “Skills” was noted in the differential diagnosis and lowest in the dental emergency management. Most participants had shown a value for service to humanity. Conclusions. Dental graduates of this study sample perceived themselves well prepared for many aspects of dental practice and have highlighted areas that need improvement in their training at the undergraduate level.