Undergraduate dental student placement in primary health care corporation in Qatar: a provider perspective

The Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) initiated a preceptorship program for undergraduate Year-2 dental students from Qatar University (QU). The study explored the placement experience of dental students and preceptors across primary PHCC health centers. An exploratory cross-sectional design was employed. The study was approved by the Department of Clinical Research in PHCC Doha, Qatar (Ref. No: BUHOOTH-D-23-00092R2BUHOOTH-D-23-00092R2). Year-2 students supervised by PHCC preceptors were included in the study. Data on the placement framework, clinical procedures, training hours, and responses to internal assessment surveys were collected from the PHCC database. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize data. Kruskal–Wallis, Bonferroni, and Mann–Whitney U tests were employed to assess the differences in categorical variables. Effect sizes were calculated using eta squared (η2) and rank‑biserial correlation (rrb) to support interpretation. The analysis was conducted at a confidence level of 95% and a significance level of 5%. The entire population of 23 students, supervised by 32 PHCC preceptors, during the 2021–2022 academic year was included. Overall, the students received consistent placement across the regions (H(2) = 4.701, p = 0.095; η2 = 0.21). Among preceptors, significant differences were observed in clinical activities (H(2) = 7.345, p = 0.025; η2 = 0.23). Post-hoc comparisons indicated elevated clinical activities in the central region compared to the western region (p = 0.023; rrb = 0.54). Education and training experience were strongly associated with higher procedural activity (U = 202.5, p = 0.004; rrb = 0.49). Overall, both students and dentists were satisfied with the placement. Notwithstanding the limitations of the study, Year-2 dental placement experiences were satisfactory. Regional service conditions rather than individual characteristics seemingly shaped clinical exposure and procedural activities. Implementing targeted adjustments, standardizing preceptors’ skills, and allocating placement activities to regions with high patient turnover may help promote greater equity in training experiences and support a consistent placement model in PHCC. Not applicable.