Journal of Education and Health Promotion

Assessment of Self Perception of Competencies among a Group of Dental interns in Pondicherry, India

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

. Jananni Muthu
. Sivaramakrishnan Muthanandam 1
. K. R. Sethuraman 2
. K. A. Narayan 3
. N. Ananthakrishnan 4
. B. V. Adkoli 5

1 Departments of Periodontology and Oral Pathology & Microbiology, Indira Gandhi Institute of Dental Sciences, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth (SBV), Deemed to be University, Puducherry, India

2 Dean, Academics, AIMST University, Malaysia

3 Departments of Community Medicine

4 department of General Medicine, Mahatma Gandhi Medical College & Research Center

5 Center for Health Professions Education, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth (SBV), Deemed to be University, Puducherry, India

Abstract
CONTEXT: The general dentist must not only have a broad biomedical and clinical education but
also be able to demonstrate professional and ethical behavior as well as effective communication
and interpersonal skills. In addition he or she must have the ability to evaluate and utilize emerging
technologies, continuing professional development opportunities, and problem‑solving and critical
thinking skills to effectively address current and future issues in health care. But the extent to which
the core competencies are taught and the students’ level of proficiency in these competencies in
Indian scenario is to be explored at large.
AIMS: The present study aims at assessing the self‑perceived level of competencies and their
importance for future practice and the extent to which the competencies are taught in the curriculum
among interns of dental college in Pondicherry, India.
SETTINGS AND DESIGN: The cross‑sectional observational study was conducted among dental
interns of Indira Gandhi Institute of Dental Sciences, Pondicherry.
SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 72 interns participated in the study. A short version of the
Freiburg Questionnaire to Assess Competencies in Medicine” was used in this study. Questionnaire
has three sections with same set of questions, which the student had to rate: (i) To what extent do
you have the following competencies at your disposal? (ii) To what extent will your future job require
the following competencies? and (iii) To what extent is competencies taught to you? After the results
were obtained a focused group discussion with the responders was done. Focused group discussion
consisted of open questions to the groups in all the four domains and the responses of the students
were scribed.
RESULTS: In all four domains, self‑perceived level of competency was not satisfactory. However, all
students stated that the competencies were highly relevant for their future practice. Despite this, most
of the competencies are not taught to necessary extent in the curriculum. The results of the present
survey revealed that the participating students perceived deficiencies in all domains of competencies.
CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that the core competencies are still barely integrated into
dental curricula and that further research in this field is needed.

Keywords

Communication and interpersonal skills
competency‑based education
dental students
Freiberg Competencies Questionnaire
professional attitudes
self‑perception
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Journal of Education and Health Promotion
Volume 9, Issue 12
December 2019
Pages 1-8

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