Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Education
  • Published:

Dental core training - a five-year review of career intentions and outcomes of trainees working at a large teaching hospital

British Dental Journal volume 230, pages 246–250 (2021)Cite this article

Abstract

We reviewed five cohorts of dental core trainees over a five-year period in a single unit (2013-2018). We identify specific motivators for undertaking dental core training and common career paths. We suggest how mentorship and educational supervision is an important part of the overall experience. We suggest 'taster days' could allow trainees an introduction to the different specialties, helping to improve recruitment.

Key points

  • Key motivating factors to undertake posts include entry to speciality training.

  • Numerous educational benefits include those achievements of the core curriculum and the value of the hidden curriculum.

  • Over two-thirds of trainees believe their hospital dental core training post played a significant role in their career development.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. UK Committee of Postgraduate Dental Deans and Directors DFT Policy Statement. 2020. Available at https://www.copdend.org/postgraduate-training/dtf-policy-statement/ (accessed March 2020).

  2. House of Commons Health Committee. Modernising Medical Careers: Third Report of Session 2007-08. 2008. Available at https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmselect/cmhealth/25/25i.pdf (accessed January 2021).

  3. UK Committee of Postgraduate Dental Deans and Directors. UK Dental Core Training Curriculum. 2016. Available at https://www.copdend.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/2016-12-14-UK-DCT-Curriculum-December-2016.pdf (accessed January 2021).

  4. General Dental Council. Specialist Lists. 2019. Available online at https://www.gdc-uk.org/registration/your-registration/specialist-lists (accessed July 2020).

  5. Bullock A, Bartlett S, Cowpe J, Dickenson A J. The dental core training experience: the views of trainees and their postgraduate training leads. Br Dent J 2020; 228: 952-956.

  6. Coleman A J, Finn G M. Post-qualification dental training. Part 1: perceptions of different dental foundation and dental core training pathways. Br Dent J 2019; 227: 915-921.

  7. Garg M, Wong L, Dhariwal D. Seven-year review of dental foundation year 2/senior house officer training at the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Unit in Oxford. Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg 2017; 55: 775-779.

  8. The Glossary of Education Reform. Hidden Curriculum. 2015. Available at https://www.edglossary.org/hidden-curriculum/ (accessed February 2020).

  9. Mannion C, Tyler D. OMFS: Seven day services. Br Dent J 2016; 221: 211.

  10. Patel K, Adam N, Mannion C. Night shifts. Br Dent J 2019; 227: 847-848.

  11. Mannion C, Kanatas A. The role of the dental degree in the UK Oral and Maxillofacial training pathway: is there a future without it? Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg 2020; 58: 1222-1224.

  12. Wilmott S, Mannion C. The SAS grade: underused and under recognised? Br Dent J 2018; 225: 703-704.

Download references

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank all the dental core trainees who have worked at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in Leeds for all the exceptional hard work.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Junior Trainee in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Royal Bolton Hospital, UK

    Harpal Singh Flora

  2. Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Leeds General Infirmary, UK

    Christopher James Mannion

Authors
  1. Harpal Singh Flora
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Christopher James Mannion
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Harpal Singh Flora.

Ethics declarations

The authors do not have any conflicts of interest in this paper.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Flora, H., Mannion, C. Dental core training - a five-year review of career intentions and outcomes of trainees working at a large teaching hospital. Br Dent J 230, 246–250 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-021-2652-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-021-2652-5

Search

Advanced search

Quick links