RESEARCH ARTICLE


Analysis of Dentists’ Participation in Continuing Professional Development Courses from 2001-2006



Paul Abbott*, Kate Burgess, Eric Wang, Kang Kim
School of Dentistry, University of Western Australia, Australia


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Creative Commons License
© Abbott et al.; Licensee Bentham Open.

open-access license: This is an open access article licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted, non-commercial use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the work is properly cited.

* Address correspondence to this author at the School of Dentistry, University of Western Australia, Australia; Tel: 61 8 93467665; Fax: 61 8 93467666; Email: paul.v.abbott@uwa.edu.au


Abstract

Currently in Western Australia (WA) there is no requirement for dentists to participate in continuing professional development (CPD). The aim of this study was to determine the participation pattern of dentists in WA in CPD activities. Data was collated regarding registrants for courses conducted by the University Continuing Dental Education Committee. Information concerned number of courses attended by each dentist, location of work and year of graduation from university. Details of subject, length and type of courses conducted were also gathered. Most courses were half to one day in duration with many subjects covered. Between 10.1-24.4% of dentists registered in WA attended at least one course each year. Low numbers of recently graduated and older dentists attended courses. Similar percentages of metropolitan and rural dentists attended courses. Participation in CPD activities of dentists in WA was low. Half day or evening courses appear to be favoured by dentists.

Keywords: Continuing education, dentistry.