Considerations in career choices for oral health professionals in Australia

Abstract

Aim or Purpose: Australian universities with a curriculum focussing on underserved communities are uniquely positioned in addressing health needs and current workforce shortages of regional, rural and remote communities. This project reports on the mixed-methods study that investigated trends in graduates’ career choices and identified enablers and barriers to rural and public health practices in Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) program at James Cook University (JCU). Materials and Methods: This study involved a quantitative analysis of an online survey of BDS graduates from 2013-2020, followed by qualitative semi-structured interviews with a sample of graduates focusing on their career choices. Interviews were digitally recorded, manually transcribed, and analysed thematically. Results: In the first postgraduate year, more than 4 in 5 graduates originally from non-metro areas chose to work for an employer in non-metro location enabled by extended exposure to rural and remote sites during university placements, familiarity with the physical environment, job security and lifestyle as identified through interviews. Additionally, they or their partner having a rural background was a strong indicator for retaining workforce in rural and remote areas. However, a move to metro area within subsequent few years was often noted, mainly due to lack of mentoring, support groups and/or social isolation. Conclusions: Early career choices of dental graduates aligned with the workforce needs of non-metropolitan Australia but did not translate to long term retention. Strategies to address the identified barriers could assist in greater retention of graduate dentist workforce in rural, remote and public practices.