The aim of this book is to present findings on motivation and short- and long-term career expectations of dental students in the selection of dentistry as a professional career in relation to individual (demographic and socio-economic factors) and school characteristics and make recommendations for the future in relation to serving the population.
Aim: The aim of this thesis was to explore the views of students of dentistry, hygiene/therapy and dental nursing in motivation to study, career expectations, personality and well-being. Comparisons were made in students' first year of training and between their respective first and final for the hygiene/therapy and dental nursing groups. -- Methods: Student groups were assessed in their first year of study using questionnaires (n=209) and n=10 focus groups. Dental nursing and hygiene/therapy students were then followed longitudinally; six focus groups and questionnaires (n=39) were completed in the final year of their study. Statistical analysis of quantitative data with SPSS v!7 included factor analysis and multiple linear regressions. Qualitative findings were analysed using Framework Methodology. -- Results: The overall response rate to the study was 75%. Students across groups were attracted to study by a combination of influences which pulled or pushed them into their respective programmes of study. Factor analysis across groups suggested that 52% of the total variation in motivation to study was explained by four factors: features of the job, education/skills, public service and careers advising; at group level features of the job were significantly more important for the direct entrants to dentistry (p=0.001). Students' career expectations reflected pragmatism and realism and ranged from using their qualification to work or for career progression. In terms of their personality profile, students had more similarities rather than differences, with the only difference being observed in Openness to Experiences (p=0.001). In well-being, some variation was observed with the graduate entrants to dentistry having the lowest levels of psychological morbidity and students of hygiene/therapy the highest (M=9.4 cf M=14.3,/7=0.01).
World-renowned economist Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, explains that we have an opportunity to shape the fourth industrial revolution, which will fundamentally alter how we live and work. Schwab argues that this revolution is different in scale, scope and complexity from any that have come before. Characterized by a range of new technologies that are fusing the physical, digital and biological worlds, the developments are affecting all disciplines, economies, industries and governments, and even challenging ideas about what it means to be human. Artificial intelligence is already all around us, from supercomputers, drones and virtual assistants to 3D printing, DNA sequencing, smart thermostats, wearable sensors and microchips smaller than a grain of sand. But this is just the beginning: nanomaterials 200 times stronger than steel and a million times thinner than a strand of hair and the first transplant of a 3D printed liver are already in development. Imagine “smart factories” in which global systems of manufacturing are coordinated virtually, or implantable mobile phones made of biosynthetic materials. The fourth industrial revolution, says Schwab, is more significant, and its ramifications more profound, than in any prior period of human history. He outlines the key technologies driving this revolution and discusses the major impacts expected on government, business, civil society and individuals. Schwab also offers bold ideas on how to harness these changes and shape a better future—one in which technology empowers people rather than replaces them; progress serves society rather than disrupts it; and in which innovators respect moral and ethical boundaries rather than cross them. We all have the opportunity to contribute to developing new frameworks that advance progress.
Access to oral health care is essential to promoting and maintaining overall health and well-being, yet only half of the population visits a dentist each year. Poor and minority children are less likely to have access to oral health care than are their nonpoor and nonminority peers. Older adults, people who live in rural areas, and disabled individuals, uniformly confront access barriers, regardless of their financial resources. The consequences of these disparities in access to oral health care can lead to a number of conditions including malnutrition, childhood speech problems, infections, diabetes, heart disease, and premature births. Improving Access to Oral Health Care for Vulnerable and Underserved Populations examines the scope and consequences of inadequate access to oral health services in the United States and recommends ways to combat the economic, structural, geographic, and cultural factors that prevent access to regular, quality care. The report suggests changing funding and reimbursement for dental care; expanding the oral health work force by training doctors, nurses, and other nondental professionals to recognize risk for oral diseases; and revamping regulatory, educational, and administrative practices. It also recommends changes to incorporate oral health care into overall health care. These recommendations support the creation of a diverse workforce that is competent, compensated, and authorized to serve vulnerable and underserved populations across the life cycle. The recommendations provided in Improving Access to Oral Health Care for Vulnerable and Underserved Populations will help direct the efforts of federal, state, and local government agencies; policy makers; health professionals in all fields; private and public health organizations; licensing and accreditation bodies; educational institutions; health care researchers; and philanthropic and advocacy organizations.
Imagine overseeing a workforce so motivated that employees relish more hours of work, shoulder more responsibility themselves; and favor challenging jobs over paychecks or bonuses. In One More Time: How Do You Motivate Employees? Frederick Herzberg shows managers how to shift from relying on extrinsic incentives to activating the real drivers of high performance: interesting, challenging work and the opportunity to continually achieve and grow into greater responsibility. The results? An ultramotivated workforce. Since 1922, Harvard Business Review has been a leading source of breakthrough management ideas-many of which still speak to and influence us today. The Harvard Business Review Classics series now offers readers the opportunity to make these seminal pieces a part of your permanent management library. Each highly readable volume contains a groundbreaking idea that continues to shape best practices and inspire countless managers around the world-and will have a direct impact on you today and for years to come.
