The University of Hong Kong dental school disputes a survey by the Dental Association that shows a crisis of confidence among new dentists.
The association - which surveyed 102 of the 238 dentists who graduated from the dental school between 2004 and 2008 about how they perceived their competence - has called on the school to consider introducing a one-year internship for new graduates so they can have more vocational training before entering practice.
The survey, commissioned by the association and done by City University Professional Services and the university's department of marketing in February 2009, has never been made public. The association compared its findings with a previous survey by the HKU dental school of graduates between 1997 and 2001.
The 2004-08 graduates felt less prepared for practice than those who graduated between 1997 and 2001 - 42 per cent of the later graduates said they were not prepared for general patient management, compared with less than 30 per cent in the earlier group. The 'ill-preparedness' ratio was higher in more specialised areas, including oral rehabilitation, orthodontics, managing children and special needs patients, and oral and maxillofacial surgery.
The association survey also found 40 per cent of respondents were not confident to practise independently.
Some findings point a finger at the dental school's 'problem-based learning' curriculum introduced in 1998. Some members of the profession complain the new curriculum gives inadequate weight to training in practical skills.