Change is never easy: Exploring the transition from undergraduate to dental student in a U.S.-based program.

ABSTRACT: The goal of this study was to gain student-centered insights to better understand the challenges of transitioning from undergraduate to dental education. To this end, questionnaires were designed and distributed to incoming dental students, as well as second-, third-, and fourth-year students in the same year for a cross-sectional assessment in 2015/2016. The same questionnaires were also distributed to those same incoming students when they were in their second, third, and fourth years for a longitudinal assessment (2015-2019). There were both open-ended and Likert scale-type questions about expectations (incoming students) and experiences (years 2-4) in dental school compared to undergraduate education. Accordingly, data analysis involved a combination of qualitative and quantitative sta

SUBMITTER: Leite TC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11999116 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature