INVESTIGATING THE PERCEPTION OF COMPETENCE IN DENTISTRY

Abstract

Introduction: This thesis is aimed at understanding the perception of competence from the viewpoint of final year dental students, dental interns, and their supervising university staff and clinicians. Our understanding of perception of competence can help us to contribute to shape and build the profile of a day-1 Saudi dental graduate. Material and Methods: A total of six research projects were conducted, using mixed methods of one-to-one and focus group interviews. Thematic analysis was used to process the data into themes and subthemes. Results: Three categories and 14 enabling competencies were identified. The categories included clinical (C), People’s Skills (P), and Understanding Self (U). Conclusion: This thesis is one of the many building blocks to produce the Saudi Dental Competency framework. Further work is required to interview and explore the ideas of professional competence form the viewpoint of other major stakeholders.