Future faculty training requirements and job opportunities: a survey of U.S. dental school deans

A questionnaire was sent to all 60 U.S. dental school deans to obtain their opinions concerning future faculty training requirements and job opportunities. Two rounds of mailings produced a 95 percent response rate. The deans expressed a greater need for faculty in clinical fields than in the basic sciences but they strongly indicated that the majority of future clinical faculty would have to possess the training and skill necessary to conduct independent research. Additionally, the deans indicated a preference for faculty jointly trained in two disciplines, wither two clinical fields or a clinical and basic science field. An analysis of current data on the number of dentists in formal research training programs was compared with the deans' estimation of projected faculty openings. This analysis led to the conclusion that there is a significant undersupply of dentists trained jointly in two disciplines who are capable of independent research. In the absence of corrective action, an opportunity to strengthen dental faculties and dental research will be lost.