Evaluation of willingness to practice dentistry after completion of internship among the interns of a private dental college in India – A cross sectional study

After completion of internship; every intern’s dream is to treat the patient confidently but are the interns ready to fulfill the responsibility of an independent dental practitioner after completion of internship. To find out the answer, the present study was conducted to evaluate willingness of dental interns to practice dentistry after completion of internship. A cross-sectional study was conducted among interns of Ranjeet Deshmukh Dental College & Research Centre Nagpur. A pre- validated questionnaire of twenty-four questions was used. Out of 97 interns, 15(14.55%) interns joined dentistry out of interest while 77(74.69%) interns felt that they require additional exposure under a dentist before establishing their own practice and 57(55.29%) interns felt that they have not gained sufficient knowledge and confidence while studying dentistry to practice as independent dental practitioner immediately after internship. The interns felt they are unprepared and not competent to handle complex tasks. To perform complex tasks such as third molar extractions, root planning and giving comprehensive orthodontic treatment they require additional skills by attending workshops or any certificate courses. Key Words – Dentistry, Interns, Internship, Practice