Postgraduate Training in Prosthodontics: Residents' and Supervisors' Perspectives on Current Training: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Abstract

Objective: To identify postgraduate (PG) prosthodontic trainees' and supervisors' introspective views regarding prosthodontic education and clinical training.

Study design: Cross-sectional survey. Place and Duration of the Study: The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, from May to October 2021.

Methodology: Data regarding the trainee induction process, teaching and learning practices, research interests, frequency of assessment, and trainees' satisfaction levels with the adequacy of didactic and clinical training in their centres were collected from Prosthodontic PG trainees and supervisors in Pakistan using REDCap software and analysed using SPSS 23.0. Frequencies of the observed responses from both populations were reported, and associations among private and public training centres were studied with Chi-square (or Fisher's exact). Differences in satisfaction levels across theoretical and clinical training domains were assessed with Mann- Whitney U test.

Results: Out of 17 supervisors and 104 PG trainees, 30% reported having a supervisory board in their institute. Most participants had entry tests conducted in their centres. The interference of influential sources during trainee induction was reported by 88.2% of the supervisors, while 66.7% trainees expressed the need for such influence to acquire training. Simulation-based teaching was available to 43.2% of trainees, 83% expressed interest in publishing research and 85% in publishing cases. Trainees were overall satisfied with their didactic and clinical training, whereas their satisfaction level was found neutral with theory and clinical training in maxillofacial-prosthodontics and clinical training of occlusion and temporomandibular disorders.

Conclusion: The results emphasise the need for regulation and monitoring of the trainee induction process, quality of training, and frequent assessments in the prosthodontics postgraduate training programmes across Pakistan.

Key words: Prosthodontics, Programme evaluation, Graduate dental education, Postgraduate dental education, Postgraduate medical education.