Changing Perspectives of the University of Iowa Female Dental Student on Oral Maxillofacial Surgery and Career Choices in Dentistry

While almost 50% of incoming dental students are female, Oral Maxillofacial Surgery continues to be a predominantly male profession with women making up less than 3% of AAOMS active members in 2003[1]. This is despite the fact that according to the ADEA, 38.6% of dental graduates in 2005 pursued a dental residency after graduation[3]. Another study suggested first-year female dental students were less interested in specialties such as Oral Surgery and Endodontics compared to male peers, with no difference by fourth year[2]. As we strive to improve diversity within the profession it is important to understand the factors that influence female students in making their career choices and potential reasons they may be choosing to avoid a potentially rewarding career in this great field.

A one-time anonymous survey was administered to female dental students at the University of Iowa. 34 first-year and 14 fourth-year students (48 total) participated in the survey. Univariate analysis and bivariate analyses were performed with standard chi-square test, Fisher’s exact test, and the Wilcoxon rank-sum test.

First-year students ranked Orthodontics (26.5%), Pediatric Dentistry (20.6%), Periodontics and Prosthodontics (14.7% each) their favorite specialties; fourth-year students ranked Endodontics, Pediatric Dentistry, Oral Maxillofacial Surgery (OMS), and Prosthodontics (21.4% each) at the top. If required to specialize, the preferred specialties for first-year students were Orthodontics (29.4%), Prosthodontics (20.6%), and Pediatric Dentistry (17.6%) with Endodontics (28.6%), Pediatric Dentistry (21.4%), and Other (14.3%) for fourth-year students.

The top factors influencing career choice included additional training time for OMS (93.2%), preference for GD or other specialty (88.4%), lifestyle concerns (65.1%), concerns about ability to be accepted (61.4%), lack of interest in OMS (50.8%), and family concerns (46.5%). There was a statistically significant difference in response to the statement, “If I had no plans for a family I would be more likely to choose a career in OMS,” with first-year students somewhat to strongly agreeing 73.5% compared to fourth-year students 42.8%.

It appears there is an evolution in specialty perceptions in female dental students at the University of Iowa as they advance in education, including change in specialty preferences from Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics to a broader group also including Periodontics, OMS, and Prosthodontics. This likely reflects an early familiarity with specialties such as Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics to increased interest and knowledge in other specialties with further education. It also appears that University of Iowa students have a positive clinical experience with OMS, with 50% of fourth year students ranking it top three in specialty preference with a statistically significant difference between first and fourth years with 85.7% of fourth year respondents stating they feel “somewhat familiar” with the specialty. However, University of Iowa female students are specializing at a low rate with no students indicating a plan to specialize in OMS. While some of the reasons for not choosing Oral Surgery seem to change over time, these seem to follow consistent themes of deterrents being additional training time, family, and lifestyle concerns (which became more apparent in the fourth year), with lesser reported concerns about the ability to be accepted into a residency, few women mentors, intimidation, and male dominated field.