Exploring Dental Students' Experiences of Clinical Education: A Qualitative Study

Background: Clinical education is the basis of medical education and one of the most important criteria for professional education, which plays a crucial role in consolidating students' learning. Objectives: This study was conducted to explain the experiences of dental students from one of the universities of medical sciences in Tehran regarding clinical training. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted in Iran in ۲۰۲۳ using conventional content analysis. Sampling was performed using purposeful sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured individual interviews, which continued until data saturation. Participants included fourteen final-year dental students from one of the dental faculties in Tehran, Iran. Data were analyzed using the method by Graneheim and Lundman. Lincoln and Guba's criteria were used to ensure the accuracy and robustness of the data. Results: From the data analysis, four categories and ten subcategories were obtained. Categories and subcategories include the skill and ability of the clinical professor (professional characteristics of the clinical professor, professor-student interactions), effective clinical training (professor's educational and teaching ability, the importance of case diversity in better learning, the role of mentoring in learning), weak educational management (inappropriate evaluation, disproportion between the number of instructors and students, inadequacy of facilities and equipment), and a bidirectional learning atmosphere (student motivation and lack of motivation, positive and negative psychological atmosphere). Conclusion: According to this study's findings, it is recommended that the officials of the studied dental school take action to improve the quality of clinical education and enhance student learning by strengthening the advantages and addressing the existing shortcomings and weaknesses.

کلیدواژه ها:

Clinical education ، Experience ، Dental ، Qualitative study ، Student