Self-perceptions about the Profession of Dentistry - Comparisons between Lithuanian and Polish University Graduating Students.

AIM To examine the perceptions and overall satisfaction about the dental profession among the final-year student cohorts from the Lithuanian and Polish universities. MATERIAL AND METHODS For the Lithuanian cohort, the response rate was 95% (N=143) and for the Polish cohort it was 99% (N=123). The survey included a pre-tested questionnaire with multiple questions from three domains: 1) Sociodemographic, 2) Influences of others, and 3) Dentistry Profession. RESULTS Polish university students were older (25.3 ± 2.6 years) than Lithuanian students (23.5 ± 1.6 years), more Lithuanian (83.1%) students were single compared to Polish cohort (34.7%), and more students graduating in Poland (43.4%) were males compared to the Lithuanian students (26.6%). In both countries, students were mostly influenced towards their choice of dentistry by their parents/relatives and positive experiences. Similar profession-related dimensions were identified for student from both countries: 1) the prestige of the profession, 2) job-related security, and 3) self-realization. Satisfaction with a profession differed substantially between the two student cohorts, but none of the sociodemographic predictors explained this variation satisfactorily. CONCLUSIONS Sociodemographic differences were found between the students from Lithuanian and Polish universities. Yet, both student cohorts were similarly influenced towards choosing dentistry. The profession's prestige, job security, and self-realization were the most important profession-related dimensions. Polish university students were more satisfied with the profession than Lithuanian students. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.