Exploring self-perceived preparedness for practice among pre and post Covid-19 graduates of Nigerian dental schools.

backgroundExamination results do not necessarily correlate with competence or preparedness for clinical practice. The overall preparedness of Nigerian Dental graduates for practice has never been evaluated; it is important to do so on a regular basis to allow for continuous improvement. We sought to elicit the perceptions of Nigerian dental students and interns regarding the roles of interns and their preparedness for intern tasks using the modified American Dental Education Association (ADEA) Graduation Questionnaire (GQ).

methodsA survey of dental students at time of graduation, and interns (pre- and post-Covid-19) six months into internship, based on a modified ADEA GQ, explored respondents’ understanding of the roles of interns, self-reported preparedness for internship at graduation, and self-assessed competence as interns. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Chi-Square, and student’s t-test were employed to compare students’ and interns’ responses.

resultsRespondents were 49 graduating students and 167 interns (113 pre-Covid-19 and 54 post-Covid-19). Graduating students overestimated the responsibilities of interns. However, they considered themselves significantly more prepared for specific tasks at graduation than interns looking back to when they graduated. Gaps in perceived preparedness included both basic clinical dental skills (e.g., management of tooth wear, and post extraction complications), and some general medical skills (e.g., management of common emergencies). Narrative comments suggested a need for additional skills training, active and supervised participation in clinical care, and pre-internship transitional programs. Although preparedness was not different between pre/post Covid-19 groups, Covid-19 may have enhanced trainees’ opportunities during internship.

conclusionGraduating students overestimated interns’ expected clinical roles and expressed better preparedness prior to internship than did interns based on their actual experience. At the point of graduation, respondents were neither fully aware of nor fully prepared for their roles as interns. The pre and post-Covid interns did not differ significantly from each other, however post-Covid-19 interns endorsed undertaking more tasks (including validity check items) than their pre-Covid-19 counterparts. Repeated National GQ surveys can provide institutions and the nation with critical country-specific feedback needed to facilitate advancement of dental education. The ADEA GQ can be modified easily and successfully for international settings.