Dental curriculum according to views of the graduates of dental schools of the country during the last 5 years

Dentists are more familiar with treatment and preventive dental needs of the society. When they begin dental services, so that, they can assess dental education system more efficiently. The present study was performed to assess the dental curriculum according to views of the graduates of dental schools of the country during the last 5 years. Methods & Materials: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 200 dentists – graduated during the last 5 years – were selected randomly and 160 of them were participated. The data were collected by means of questionnaire through a five – optional scale (very little, little, moderate, much, very much). The data were reported by descriptive indicators. According to the results, dental anatomy (practice and theory) and biochemistry (practice and theory) were the most and least effective courses among basic courses respectively. The efficiency of fixed prosthesis pre Clinic course was reported to be the most while the pre clinics of endodontics, removable prosthodontics and operative dentistry achieved the next ranks. The diagnosis ward had the most patients to be visited by dentists and the wards of operative dentistry, pediatric dentistry, removable prosthodontics, endodontics, periodontics, fixed prosthodontics, surgery, radiology and orthodontics presented them with higher patient number respectively. Practical and theoretical fixed prosthodontics courses showed the most efficiency and community oral health and orthodontics courses were the least efficiencies among clinical courses held by dental education system. According this study it seems that country dental curriculum is capable to prepare students with their needs to treat patients in different aspects however, some reforms must be made in fields like internet education, research methodology, student's research activities and some courses of basic science term.