Mandatory public practice in graduate dentists’ viewpoints in academic year 2015.

Abstract

The study aimed to explore new graduate dentists’ opinion of mandatory public professional practice, using cross-sectional survey data held by Human Resources for Health Research and  Development Office, International Health Policy Program and Praboromarajchanok Institute. According to the survey, self-administered questionnaires were distributed to all 523 graduate dentists who joined an orientation and chose workplace under the Ministry of Public Health on 12-13 May 2016 and  the response rate was 94.1 percent. Descriptive statistics were used for analysis.

The graduates chose workplaces that not far from their hometown. Followed by, could gain knowledge and experience. The expected monthly income was 50,000–100,000 Baht. Most      respondents had positive attitude toward working in rural area and community hospital. They scored their confidence in knowledge, competency and professional skill at high and highest level. 97.8 percent of them pointed “using official working hours to do private practice” was serious and very serious ethical problem. While “appointments only patients could reimburse treatment expenses for the ex-office hour clinic” was not the problem in highest proportion (7.3%).  Most of their workplaces were community hospitals that would be their workplaces if they could choose freely. Accordance with the satisfaction of workplace allocation and intended to have full 3-year work. Among who having postgraduate study plan, 51.4 percent of them planned to study under government contracts. Those who intended to resign before 3–year period, they wanted postgraduate study too in highest proportion.