Beyond the Chairside: Clinical Tutors as Role Models in a Caribbean Dental School

Background: Role modeling is an essential part of clinical education, allowing students to develop professional values and behaviors by observing their tutors. In dentistry, clinical tutors often influence students both positively and negatively, yet little is known about these dynamics in the Caribbean context. Objective: This study explored how clinical dental students and interns at the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, view their clinical tutors as role models, with attention to both positive and negative attributes. Methodology: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 71 doctors of dental surgery clinical students (years 3–5) and interns. An anonymous online questionnaire collected demographic information, perceptions of role modeling, and ratings of tutor characteristics. Descriptive statistics summarized the findings. Friedman’s test with post hoc analysis compared domains, while Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney tests assessed variation by year of study and gender (significance set at 5%). Results: The response rate was 71.3%. All participants agreed that role models are important, and most (79%) reported that gender did not affect their choice. Tutors were perceived to increase career confidence (82%) and to display both positive (90%) and negative (91%) traits. Clinical competence received the highest rating (4.61 ± 0.39), followed by personal qualities (4.51 ± 0.41) and teaching acumen (4.48 ± 0.39) ( P < 0.001). No significant differences were observed by year of study or gender. Conclusion: Students recognized the importance of role models in their education and identified clinical competence as the most valued attribute. While both positive and negative traits were acknowledged, the findings underscore the responsibility of clinical tutors to encourage positive behaviors and reduce negative ones to support a constructive learning environment. Clinical Relevance: Understanding how students perceive clinical tutors as role models can inform faculty development initiatives within Caribbean dental schools. Supporting positive role modeling and addressing negative behaviors may strengthen dental education and prepare students for professional practice.