Evaluation of the " Early Clinical Experience" Program for Undergraduate Dental Students

Early experiences in clinical environment are emphasized by researchers. The purpose of this study was to evaluate early deal program with clinical environment for the first year dental students of Tehran University of Medical Sciences. In this descriptive-analytical study, 140 first-semester Dentistry students of Dentistry Faculty of Tehran University of Medical Sciences in two consecutive years 2011-12 and 2012-13 were examined using census sampling of which 74 students were students of the October 2011 (group I) and 66 students were students of the October 2012 (Group II). Data were collected using a self-administered researcher-made questionnaire with Cronbach's alpha coefficient 0.82. Data were analyzed by SPSS 18 software using descriptive statistics and Chi-square and Independent-T tests. 59 (79.7%) in the first group and 60 patients (90.9%) in the second group announced this program useful and very useful in initial recognition of dentistry, 58 (78.4%) in the first group and 55 patients (83.3%) in the second group announced it useful and very useful in clarifying of motivation of dentistry choose. The standard score of visit efficacy from clinical sections was significantly higher than non-clinical sections in both groups. Professional behavior and medical ethics and prevention were of important discussed issues. Early deal with clinical environment courses affects basic awareness of dentistry students and clarifying their motivation and from students’ view presence in clinical sections is more suitable than the other sections.