OMFS Residency Program Director Massachusetts General Hospital Boston, Massachusetts
Abstract: There is extensive literature on the factors that influence medical students toward or away from surgical careers, including their perceptions of surgeons and the surgical field. Some studies suggest that mentorship can improve perceptions of surgery and surgeons, and play a role in career choice. Significantly less research has been done on these topics for dental students.
The primary aim of this study is to characterize oral surgery-related perceptions and concerns among first- and second-year dental students and to explore the impact of resident-student mentoring on such perceptions and concerns. The secondary aim is to evaluate the impact of mentoring experience on resident career-path selection.
The investigators launched a prospective cohort study using a paired-data design. Recruitment of participants was done using institutional email list-serves. Student-resident mentorship pairs were made with consideration given to self-described important aspects of identity when possible. Students answered a 44-question pre-mentorship-program survey assessing 6 topics: Attitudes toward oral surgeons and the field of oral surgery, understanding of the scope of oral surgery, motivations and deterrents to the field, clinical experiences and interests, desired aspects in mentorship, and demographics. Students will answer a similar post-program survey with the opportunity to provide feedback at the end of the program. Data was linked with unique but non-identifying survey questions. Residents will answer a post-program survey evaluating post-program interest in teaching and academic careers. Descriptive statistics were generated, and paired Wilcoxon-Signed Rank tests will be used to analyze differences in pre- and post-program oral surgery-related opinions at the conclusion of the mentorship period. Qualitative theme analysis was done of free-response questions related to students’ pre-program goals and areas of anxiety, and will be done of students post-program feedback.
12 students and 12 residents enrolled in the study from February to August of 2023. 12 students filled out the pre-program survey (100% response rate). 75% of participants were “strongly” interested in oral surgery. The most sought aspect of mentorship was to increase understanding of and exposure to the field (75%). Pre-mentorship participants showed the highest levels of agreement with opinions of oral surgeons as knowledgeable and respected by patients, and with opinions of oral surgery as being competitive and prestigious. 75% of participants described the existence of a stereotype of an oral surgeon, with “confident” (56% of responses) and “male” (44%) being the most cited stereotype themes. Common motivations for pursuing oral surgery were scope of practice (100%) and intersection with medicine (83%). 83% of participants reported deterrents to the field, among which the most common were concerns about work life balance (70% of responses) and length of training (60%). The most cited pre-mentorship oral surgery-related areas of anxiety concerned applying to and completing residency (67%) and post-residency quality of life (42%).
Our study suggests that dental students feel uneasy about the demands of an oral surgery residency and quality of life after residency. Mentorship programs may be an effective way to address these concerns and encourage excellent students to pursue the field.
1. Naylor RA, Reisch JS, Valentine RJ: Do student perceptions of surgeons change during medical school? A longitudinal analysis during a 4-year curriculum. J Am Coll Surg 210:527, 2010. 2. Coe TM, McKinley SK, Hamdi I, Sinyard RD, Jogerst KM, Pradarelli AA, Petrusa E, Moses J, Saillant N, Phitayakorn R: The Big Sibling program: Impact of a medical student-resident mentorship program during the surgery clerkship. Am J Surg 225:650, 2022.
Figure 1: Pre-Mentorship Motivations for Pursuing OMFS
Figure 2: Pre-Mentorship Deterrents from Pursuing OMFS
Table 1: Theme Analysis of Pre-Mentorship OMFS-related Areas of Anxiety