CAREER MOTIVATIONS: DIFFERENCES AND SIMILARITIES BETWEEN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE DENTAL SCHOOLS

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the motivators choosing dentistry as a career among dental students at Umm ? Al Qura public dental school and compare the results with previous study conducted at Ibn ? Sina private dental school. Methods: This study is a continuation of a previous similar study that was carried out at Ibn ? Sina private dental school. A self- administrated questionnaire was used for data collection. Results: A 69.3% of dental students choosing dentistry as a first career among Ibn ? Sina dental students when compared with the response of Umm ? Al Qura dental students (61.5%). A significant difference in the motivator factors between public and private dental students was also observed. Private dental school students were found to be motivated by financial factors (6.51 ± 3.26), while the public dental school students were motivated more by people factors (7.52 ± 3.57). Conclusion: All the students assessed both in public and private dental schools, listed dentistry as a career choice primarily as they enjoy helping people, although the flexibility of the study program and money gains also appealed.