article · Nigerian Journal of Dental Research
A study conducted across two teaching hospitals in Lagos, Nigeria, examined the knowledge, awareness, and attitudes of medical interns regarding oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS). Evaluating 110 interns with an average age of approximately 28 years, the findings show that just over half had received undergraduate or postgraduate training in the field. Despite this limited exposure, interns achieved an above-average mean knowledge score of 8.9 out of 13, with a large majority recognising tooth extraction as an OMFS procedure. Interns who had practical experience co-managing patients alongside oral and maxillofacial surgeons demonstrated significantly greater knowledge. Most participants recognised deficits in their own knowledge and expressed an interest in further learning. Furthermore, forty percent indicated they would consider pursuing OMFS as a specialised medical career path if such training pathways were accessible to medical practitioners in Nigeria.
Understanding how early-career doctors perceive specialised surgical fields is essential for building a robust healthcare workforce. This research highlights gaps in formal training alongside strong interest in oral and maxillofacial surgery. Addressing these training deficits and career pathways could improve clinical collaboration, patient referrals, and the future availability of specialised surgical care across regional healthcare systems.
The abstract does not indicate an application pathway for commercialisation, as the study focuses entirely on medical education, workforce attitudes, and specialist awareness.
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Objectives: To determine the knowledge of medical interns in oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS) and their awareness and attitude towards further training and specialization. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at the University of Lagos and the Lagos State University Teaching Hospitals, Nigeria. Participants were medical interns. Exposure to OMFS, knowledge, awareness and attitude to further learning and specialization in OMFS were assessed using a self-administered questionnaire. Results: A total of 110 medical interns with a mean age of 28.2 ± 3.26 years participated in this study. Only 62 (56.4%) participants had undergraduate and/or postgraduate training in OMFS. The mean knowledge score for OMFS as a medical specialty was 8.9 on a 13-point scale. In addition, 88 (80.0%) participants identified tooth extraction as a dental procedure performed by OMF surgeons. Participants who had co-managed patients with OMF surgeons exhibited significantly higher knowledge compared to their colleagues (p< 0.05). Seventy-two (65.5%) participants reported their perception of inadequate knowledge of OMFS, 62 (56.4%) reported that they would like to learn more about the specialty, and 44 (40.0%) reported that they would consider OMFS as a specialty if it were available for medical practitioners in Nigeria. Conclusion: This study showed that there was a lack of sufficient exposure of young medical practitioners to OMFS. This, however, did not significantly affect their knowledge as an above average mean knowledge score was reported. Medical interns in this study also showed a positive attitude towards further training and future specialization in the OMFS specialty.
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DOI: 10.4314/njdr.v10i1.3
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