Download PDF
Open Access
CC BY 4.0 · Eur J Dent
DOI: 10.1055/s-0045-1812111
Original Article

Carving the Future: Career Aspirations of Senior Dental Students in Saudi Arabia

Authors

  • Mohammad Z. Nassani 

    1   Department of Restorative and Prosthetic Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, Dar Al Uloom University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

  • Anas B. Alsalhani 

    2   Department of Dentistry, Vision Colleges, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

  • Alwaleed A. Alasmari 

    3   Medical Services of Royal Saudi Land Forces, Ministry of Defense, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

  • Waleed S. Alqahtani 

    4   Department of Dental, Medical Services - Ministry of Interior, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

  • Samer Rastam 

    5   Department of Medicine, Vision Colleges, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

  • Enass Shamsy 

    6   Department of Dental Health Care, Inaya Medical College, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

  • Mohammed Noushad 

    1   Department of Restorative and Prosthetic Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, Dar Al Uloom University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

  • Salah Sakka 

    7   Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Dentistry, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al Kharj, Saudi Arabia

  • Faisal M. Alali 

    7   Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Dentistry, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al Kharj, Saudi Arabia

  • Bassel Tarakji 

    7   Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Dentistry, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al Kharj, Saudi Arabia

  • Kamran Ali 

    8   College of Dental Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar

  • Sadeq A. Al-Maweri 

    8   College of Dental Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
Further Information
Also available at
  Permissions and Reprints

Abstract

Objectives

This study investigates the future career plans of senior dental students in Saudi Arabia and the factors influencing these plans.

Materials and Methods

An online questionnaire-based survey, designed following STROBE guidelines, was conducted. Participants included final-year dental students and interns from dental institutions across Saudi Arabia. The survey collected demographic data, career preferences, and factors potentially impacting career choices.

Results

A total of 584 students from 12 dental schools participated. Most respondents (63.5%) reported receiving career guidance, with 87.5% expressing interest in postgraduate studies and 11.3% preferring to work as general dental practitioners. A significant proportion (63.2%) favored employment in the government sector, while 12.8% preferred the private sector. Endodontics was the most preferred specialty (15.4%), followed by orthodontics (13.2%), periodontics (12.5%), and prosthodontics (12%). Additionally, 28.4% planned to retire before the age of 50 years. Career plans were significantly associated with gender, grade point average (GPA), and receipt of career guidance (p < 0.05). Personal aspirations were the most influential factor in career decision-making, followed by the reputation of a postgraduate program and the demands of the national job market. Predictors of interest in postgraduate studies included a high GPA, graduation from a public university, and receiving career guidance from dental schools.

Conclusion

Saudi dental students demonstrated diverse career aspirations, with a strong inclination toward postgraduate education and government sector employment. Given the importance of career guidance as a predictor of postgraduate interest, Saudi educational, health, and labor authorities should consider aligning students' career goals with the evolving demands of the national job market.

Keywords

career choice - career guidance - dental students - dentistry - Saudi Arabia

Ethical Approval

The study protocol was reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of the Scientific Research Unit at Vision Colleges, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (IRB No.: alf.dent-2020034). This approval confirmed the study's adherence to ethical standards for research involving human participants. All participants had to indicate their consent before taking part and completing the survey items. The study was conducted in accordance with the ethical principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki.


Supplementary Material



Publication History

Article published online:
28 October 2025

© 2025. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Thieme Medical and Scientific Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
A-12, 2nd Floor, Sector 2, Noida-201301 UP, India