Dentists’ opinion about their dental education in Amsterdam, the Netherlands
By sending out 715 questionnaires to their alumni, the Department of Social Dentistry at the Academic Centre for Dentistry obtained the opinion of their graduates on the quality of their training. Of the alumni 50,9% responded, 57,4% of whom felt that they were sufficiently experienced to work independently in dentistry. Almost 70% of the respondents were of the opinion that the treatment of patients during the educational program fits in well with the treatment in practice. Many alumni however thought it advisable to acquire more hands-on experience, both in specific operations and in a year of practical training. Although 65,9 to 84,1% of alumni were (very) satisfied with their instructors, 61% of them said there was room for improvement in their didactic skills. The outcome of this survey shows that most respondents are content with their training. The results largely correspond to those of earlier surveys and offer opportunities to optimize education in dentistry.