A longitudinal qualitative multi-methods study of new dental graduates’ transition journey from undergraduate studies to professional practice

Al-Yaseen, Waraf, Nanjappa, Sucharita, Jindal-Snape, Divya and Innes, Nicola ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9984-0012 2024. A longitudinal qualitative multi-methods study of new dental graduates’ transition journey from undergraduate studies to professional practice. European Journal of Dental Education 28 (1) , pp. 41-55. 10.1111/eje.12913

PDF - Published Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial. Download (1MB)

Abstract

Introduction New dental graduates' (NDGs) transition to professional practice is an important landmark and developmental stage in their career and in the UK it is supported by a formal educational transition process through a one-year salaried practice-based programme. However, little is known about graduates' experiences during this period. As part of a larger mixed-methods project, this study aimed to explore NDGs' experiences during their transition to professional practice, represented by Vocational Dental Practice. Materials and Methods Sixty-six NDGs from one dental school were invited to participate. Two rounds of in-depth interviews were conducted: Interview 1 upon NDGs' graduation and then Interview 2 was a follow-up interview after they had spent six-nine months in vocational dental training (VDT). At Interview 1, a subset of participants agreed to record longitudinal audio-diaries (LADs) and continued these for 6–9 months into VDT. Data from the interviews and LADs were analysed together using a thematic analysis approach. Results Eleven of the 66 invited NDGs agreed to be interviewed at Interview 1 (16.6%), seven at Interview2 (10.6%), and six (9.2%) recorded LADs. Four topic summaries were developed around NDGs transition experiences: (1) conceptualisation of the process; (2) responses to the transition, (3) challenges and support and (4) relationships with stakeholders. Conclusion NDGs' transition to professional practice was perceived as exciting and rewarding on personal and professional levels but carried challenges. VDT and related stakeholders play a vital role of supporting NDGs into their new professional life.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Dentistry
Publisher:	Wiley
ISSN:	1396-5883
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	9 May 2023
Date of Acceptance:	16 April 2023
Last Modified:	21 Feb 2024 02:13
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/159321

Actions (repository staff only)

Edit Item