Status of aspirations for dental technicians from the perspective of the "Survey on Medical Technology Jobs for High School Students"

Abstract

Since 2015, we have been holding a vocational experience project, "Let's know the work of the hospital" for high school students who are thinking about co-medical employment in the future. This project introduces the work of medical technicians at our hospital to high school students, who wish to enter medical technology-related occupations, and to foster future medical technicians. With the number of students passing the national examination for dental technicians on the decline, how are dental technicians perceived by high school students who wish to pursue a career in medical technology? The analysis was based on a preliminary questionnaire survey of 162 participants from 18 high schools in the vicinity conducted upon the 2019 event as well as the result of a questionnaire survey on dental technicians for high school students who wanted to enter other professions. The results showed that dental technician was the most unpopular occupation. The dental care community needs to know the status of aspirations for dental technicians within medical technology related occupations.