An examination of entrepreneurial tendencies and career planning of dentistry faculty students

This study aims to determine the entrepreneurial tendencies of dentistry students and analyze how these tendencies influence their career planning and the adoption of entrepreneurship as a career choice. The research encompasses first-year and fifth-year students from six universities, selected based on their rankings in the Turkish Higher Education Institutions Examination (YKS), representing both high and low percentile groups. During the data collection process, personal information, the University Students' Entrepreneurship Scale (USES), and the Career Planning Scale (CPS) were used and responded to by 584 students. Analyses were conducted using SPSS 27, employing descriptive statistics, multiple correlation, linear regression, and moderator analyses. Findings indicate that dentistry students exhibit a high level of entrepreneurial tendencies, with 68.3% considering opening their own dental clinic after graduation. A strong and positive relationship was identified between entrepreneurial tendency and career planning (R²=0.692). Furthermore, university ranking played a moderating role in this relationship, with students from higher-ranked universities demonstrating higher levels of both entrepreneurship and career planning. It was determined that gender did not create a significant difference in entrepreneurship and career planning, whereas factors such as age, economic status, and having a dentist or entrepreneur in the family showed significant differences in these variables. Additionally, fifth-year students scored significantly higher in entrepreneurship and career planning compared to first-year students. Based on the findings of the study, it is recommended to enhance entrepreneurship and career planning education for dentistry students, integrate practical clinic establishment models into educational programs, and provide information regarding financial support mechanisms.