Country and gender differences in the motivation of dental students - An international comparison

PURPOSE The objective of this study, conducted in Germany, Finland and Turkey, was to identify whether motivations to study dentistry varied by country, gender or year of study. METHODS The multicentre pilot study was conducted in English language in 2014. Participants (n = 469 dental students) were either in the first or last year of study. The response rate was 91%. RESULTS The sample comprised 63% females and 37% males, reflecting the common gender distribution in dental education. A total of 236 first year students (50.3%) and 233 final year students (49.7%) took part in the study. The participants were aged 21-25 years and of 15 different nationalities, mostly from Turkey, Germany and …