Barriers in Sustainability of Dental Students Choosing Academic Career Path: Comparison between the United States and Japan

Akiko Asano, Masahiko Maeno, Xixi Zhou, Daisuke Sasaki, Yukinori Kuwajima, Yoshiki Ishida, Takehito Nakamura, Kenichiro Kobayashi, Yasushi Hojo and Shigemi Nagai ()
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Akiko Asano: Department of Restorative Dentistry, Iwate Medical University School of Dental Medicine, Iwate 020-8505, Japan
Masahiko Maeno: Department of Adhesive Dentistry, School of Life Dentistry at Tokyo, The Nippon Dental University, Tokyo 102-8159, Japan
Xixi Zhou: Department of Restorative Dentistry and Biomaterial Sciences, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Daisuke Sasaki: Department of Periodontology, Iwate Medical University School of Dental Medicine, Iwate 020-8505, Japan
Yukinori Kuwajima: Department of Orthodontics, Iwate Medical University School of Dental Medicine, Iwate 020-8505, Japan
Yoshiki Ishida: Department of Dental Materials Science, School of Life Dentistry at Tokyo, The Nippon Dental University, Tokyo 102-8159, Japan
Takehito Nakamura: Department of Oral Medicine, Infection and Immunity, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Kenichiro Kobayashi: Department of Oral Medicine, Infection and Immunity, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Yasushi Hojo: Department of Oral Medicine, Infection and Immunity, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Shigemi Nagai: Department of Oral Medicine, Infection and Immunity, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA 02115, USA

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 6, 1-12

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to investigate barriers experienced by dental students when choosing professional careers. An anonymous online survey with eight questions extracted from the annual American Dental Education Association Survey for U.S. dental school seniors (UDS) and two Japan-specific questions was given to Japanese dental school seniors (JDS) in 2019, 2020, and 2021. The results were compared to UDS data. This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Harvard Medical School and included 1053 respondents. The parental education and income levels of JDS were higher than UDS, and educational debt of JDS was lower than UDS. The top reason for choosing dentistry for JDS was influence and expectation from family members, while the top reason for UDS was service to others. Although both groups showed interest in teaching in academia, the majority chose to enter private practice immediately post-graduation, and would consider teaching during their mid or late career. Barriers for dental students staying in academia varied between the two countries. For JDS, the main barrier was an anxiety around stable income. For UDS, it was their educational debt. Dental educators and policymakers need to consider these barriers to improve the sustainability of dental students choosing an academic career path.

Keywords: dentistry; educational debt; dental education; faculty retention; income; salary; career plan (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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