Recruitment of dentists by military services: implications for academia

This study seeks to explore the perceptions of senior dental students and junior military dental officers regarding their choice of a military career to identify the recruitment methodologies that influenced their decisions, and to determine if these strategies might suggest ways of increasing recruitment for dental academia. Official documentation of activities related to recruitment was requested from the military services. In-depth telephone interviews were conducted to gather qualitative data from senior dental students and junior military dental officers. The interviews suggest that, although obtaining a dental education paid for by military scholarship was a dominant factor, other inducements to sign with the military included: guaranteed employment upon graduation; the prestige associated with the military; access to post graduate training; minimal practice management concerns; and opportunities for continue education. A career in dental education can offer similar incentives, and students may choose academia as a career if the incentives are emphasized