Abstract

COSTA, Camila Helena Machado da et al. Profile, reasons for entrance and dropout of dental students. Odontol. Clín.-Cient. (Online) [online]. 2015, vol.14, n.3, pp. 713-718. ISSN 1677-3888.

The career choice is not easy, because a lot of feelings encircle this process. This study had the objective to set the profile and identify the reasons for entrance and dropout of undergraduate dental students from Federal University of Campina Grande. It was a transversal, observational study, using a questionnaire as a strategy for data collection. The sample consisted in 144 students regularly enrolled on the dental undergraduate of Federal University of Campina Grande, which the entrance was in 2013 and 2012 and second semester of 2011. The socio demographic characterization of the students revealed that the majority is female (69.4%), from State of Paraiba (53.5%) and live with roommates (49.3%). Among the possible reasons for dropout, 59% said they had done a college entrance exam for another course before entrance in the dental graduation and 22,9% intend to have a new college entrance exam. About reasons of choosing, most participants answered that dentistry is part of healthcare (30.1%) and vocation (28.7%). There were statistically significant differences between the variables "having a new college entrance exam" and the dissatisfaction with the course (p = 0.03). So, in spite of a moderate number of students reported the wish to have a new college entrance exam, most of them are happy with the course.

Keywords : Student dropouts; Dental Students; High Education..