Qualitative Study of the Experience of Hospital Students in the Odontology Department

During their studies, the dental students of Brest (France) learn their future profession by working in the Dental University Hospital, from the fourth academic year. This clinical activity is considered as a source of satisfaction by most of the students. They are also reassured because they know that they will easily find an employment at the end of their studies. However, the clinical activity can also create a stress among the students, which varies with their progress in their studies (Polychronopoulou et Divaris, 2009). Other sources of stress could also be identified. This multifactorial stress can influence their well-being, their practices and their relationships with patients. The stress and satisfactions of the dental students have mainly been studied by some questionnaires (Inquimbert et al., 2017). The main objective of this study is to investigate the experience of Brest dental students through a qualitative methodology, with individual interviews, followed by an analysis by grounded theory (Paillé, 1994). This type of research can enable us to keep a broad approach of students' experience and to stay faithful to it.