The Motives Behind the Choice of Dental Specialties Among Iranian Dental Students: A Qualitative Study

Background: The motivational reasons for choosing dental specialties are highly variable among dental students. A deep understanding of these motives can greatly help in strategic planning in this respect. Objectives: Thus, this study aimed to explore the motivational reasons for choosing dental specialties among dental students. Methods: This qualitative study evaluated the viewpoints of 17 dental students at the School of Dentistry, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran who were selected via purposive sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews in the second semester of the academic year 2018 - 2019 and analyzed using the content analysis method. Results: The motivational reasons for choosing dental specialties were categorized into five main categories, including conditions and nature of a specialty (such as acceptance conditions, education, and work), financial return (such as level of income and job market), personal characteristics (such as personal capabilities and characteristics affecting the specialty choice), the external environment (such as the effect of environmental factors on the specialty choice), and academic experiences (such as personality characteristics of mentors affecting the specialty choice). Conclusions: According to the results, the motivational reasons for choosing a dental specialty are highly variable among dental students and influenced by various individual and environmental factors. These motives should be addressed in strategy planning for dental specialty programs.