Factors Influencing Pursuit and Satisfaction of Academic Dentistry Careers: Perceptions of New Dental Educators

• Published in: Journal of dental education Vol. 65; no. 9; pp. 841 - 848
• Main Authors: Shepherd, Kathi R., Nihill, Patricia, Botto, Ronald W., McCarthy, Melanie W.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Dental Education Association 01-09-2001
• Subjects: Attitude of Health Personnel; Canada; Career Choice; dental education; dental faculty; Dental Research - economics; Dental Schools; Dentistry; Education, Dental; faculty recruitment; faculty retention; Faculty, Dental; Humans; Influences; Job Satisfaction; Leadership; Medical School Faculty; Mentors; Organizational Objectives; Personnel Selection; Private Practice; Professional Autonomy; Puerto Rico; Quality of Working Life; Research Support as Topic; Salaries and Fringe Benefits; Schools, Dental - organization & administration; Staff Development; Teacher Attitudes; Teacher Surveys; United States; Work Environment; Workload; Workplace; Canada; United States; Puerto Rico
• ISSN: 0022-0337; 1930-7837
• DOI: 10.1002/j.0022-0337.2001.65.9.tb03431.x

New dental educators (n = 280) with zero to five years full‐time teaching experience were surveyed to ascertain their perceptions regarding salary, work environment, and workload to determine the impact of these factors on faculty recruitment and retention. Work environment was the most frequently reported factor for considering and maintaining an academic dentistry position. Educational resources, facilities, salary, and benefits were ranked as moderately important for considering an academic position. Mentoring, startup funds for research, and external private practice opportunities weren also reported as moderately important for maintaining a position. Other factors of concern to new faculty included quality of administration and leadership, reputation of program, professional development opportunities, faculty autonomy, and reasonable criteria for tenure and promotion. These findings suggest that resources, strategies, and formal mentoring programs that provide direction and guidance in the areas of teaching, promotion, and tenure for new educators should be considered for implementation in our dental schools.