Table 3 Bivariate and multivariable linear regression of factors associated with the MIS

Constant (multiple regression)

-

-

-

81.63 (70.36, 92.90)

5.70

 < 0.001

-

Environmental factors

Geographic location

(If you were to own a private practice, in which area would you like to set it up?)

  Urban/Suburban (constant)

80.29 (78.36, 82.19)

0.97

 < 0.001

-

-

-

-

  Small town/Rural

5.10 (1.37, 8.84)

1.89

0.008

4.76 (0.52, 9.01)

2.15

0.028

1.198

Dental care market

(Would you perceive the people who come to your future private practice as patients or consumers?)

 Patient (constant)

85.07 (82.80, 87.33)

1.15

 < 0.001

-

-

-

-

 Consumer

-6.86 (-10.06, -3.66)

1.62

 < 0.001

-3.71 (-7.13, -0.29)

1.73

0.034

1.101

Institutional factors

Institution environment

(Have you seen/experienced a student’s unethical behaviour going unpunished?)

  Never (constant)

85.59 (81.04, 90.14)

2.31

 < 0.001

-

-

-

-

  Rarely

-3.46 (-8.95, 2.02)

2.78

0.215

-

-

-

-

  Sometimes/Often/

Always

-5.87 (-10.99, -0.75)

2.60

0.025

0.73 (-3.14, 4.60)

1.96

0.709

1.380

Faculty member teaching methods

(Have you seen/experienced a faculty member asking you/another student to instigate unnecessary patient discomfort for students’ learning needs?)

 Never (constant)

83.78 (81.47, 86.09)

1.17

 < 0.001

-

-

-

-

 Rarely

-4.76 (-8.77, -0.74)

2.04

0.020

-2.49 (-7.15, 2.18)

2.36

0.294

1.647

 Sometimes/Often/

Always

-6.02 (-10.58, -1.46)

2.31

0.010

1.83 (-3.99, 7.65)

2.94

0.535

1.976

Faculty member behaviour

(Have you seen/experienced a faculty member talked about a patient inappropriately to a student or a colleague?)

 Never (constant)

83.65 (81.30, 86.00)

1.19

 < 0.001

-

-

-

-

 Rarely

-3.31 (-7.15, 0.52)

1.95

0.090

-

-

-

-

 Sometimes/Often/

Always

-5.48 (-9.89, -1.08)

2.23

0.015

-1.57 (-6.40, 3.28)

2.45

0.524

1.366

Curriculum

(Are you satisfied with the dental school’s teaching methods for behaving in a professionally responsible manner?)

 Very dissatisfied/

Dissatisfied/Neutral

(constant)

80.56 (77.48, 83.64)

1.56

 < 0.001

-

-

-

-

 Satisfied

-1.13 (-4.88, 2.62)

1.90

0.554

-

-

-

-

 Very Satisfied

9.01 (4.21, 13.81)

2.44

 < 0.001

3.61 (-2.41, 9.62)

3.04

0.238

1.950

Assessment methods

(Are you satisfied with the dental school’s teaching methods for developing the ability to self-reflect?)

 Very dissatisfied/

Dissatisfied/Neutral

(constant)

80.89 (78.54, 83.25)

1.20

 < 0.001

-

-

-

-

 Satisfied

0.22 (-3.26, 3.70)

1.76

0.901

-

-

-

-

 Very Satisfied

7.95 (1.96, 13.94)

3.04

0.010

-0.87 (-9.91, 8.17)

4.57

0.849

2.590

Effective communication

(Are you satisfied with the dental school’s teaching methods for communicating effectively with patients?)

 Very dissatisfied/

Dissatisfied/Neutral

(constant)

81.03 (78.24, 83.81)

1.41

 < 0.001

-

-

-

-

 Satisfied

-1.24 (-4.89, 2.41)

1.85

0.504

-

-

-

-

 Very Satisfied

7.52 (2.40, 12.65)

2.60

0.004

6.68 (-1.13, 14.48)

3.95

0.093

2.899

Culturally sensitive care

(Are you satisfied with the dental school’s teaching methods for providing dental care to different populations?)

 Very dissatisfied/

Dissatisfied/Neutral

(constant)

81.15 (78.67, 83.62)

1.25

 < 0.001

-

-

-

-

 Satisfied

-0.62 (-4.18, 2.94)

1.81

0.733

-

-

-

-

 Very Satisfied

5.89 (1.08, 10.69)

2.44

0.017

0.63 (-5.42, 6.69)

3.06

0.837

1.622

Interdisciplinary experience

(Are you satisfied with the dental school’s teaching methods for working with other health care professionals?)

 Very dissatisfied/

Dissatisfied/Neutral

(constant)

79.59 (77.55, 81.63)

1.04

 < 0.001

-

-

-

-

 Satisfied

3.85 (-0.03, 7.74)

1.97

0.052

-

-

-

-

 Very Satisfied

10.41 (4.71, 16.12)

2.89

 < 0.001

1.14 (-5.80, 8.08)

3.51

0.746

1.705

Student factors

 Age

(What is your age?)

  Less than 24 years (constant)

83.44 (80.55, 86.32)

1.46

 < 0.001

-

-

-

-

  24 years and older

-2.71 (-6.24, 0.81)

1.79

0.130

-

-

-

-

Race/ethnicity

(What is your ethnicity/racial background?)

 Else (constant)

80.60 (78.63, 82.57)

1.00

 < 0.001

-

-

-

-

 White

3.41 (-0.20, 7.03)

1.83

0.064

-

-

-

-

Dependents

(How many dependents do you have?)

 None (constant)

81.35 (79.65, 83.05)

0.86

 < 0.001

-

-

-

-

 1 or more

5.75 (-2.12, 13.62)

3.99

0.151

-

-

-

-

Family income

(Approximately, what is your, and if applicable, your spouse’s combined, annual pre-tax income?)

 No income (constant)

79.98 (77.87, 82.08)

1.07

 < 0.001

-

-

-

-

 Less than $25,000

7.02 (2.70, 11.35)

2.19

0.002

2.82 (-1.55, 7.20)

2.21

0.204

1.198

 $25,000 or greater

3.67 (-1.32, 8.65)

2.53

0.148

-

-

-

-

Motivation to study dentistry

(Multiple response variable—Why have you chosen to pursue dentistry?)

1

Other reasons (constant)

82.30 (80.60, 83.99)

0.86

 < 0.001

-

-

-

-

It’s easy for dentists to find employment

-9.18 (-15.40, -2.95)

3.16

0.004

-5.21 (-11.83, 1.41)

3.35

0.122

1.219

2

Other reasons (constant)

83.13 (81.06, 85.19)

1.05

 < 0.001

-

-

-

-

To have regular work hours when practicing as a dentist

-4.10 (-7.51, -0.69)

1.73

0.019

-2.99 (-6.66, 0.68)

1.86

0.109

1.227

3

Other reasons (constant)

79.56 (77.25, 81.87)

1.17

 < 0.001

-

-

-

-

To become a health care professional

4.18 (0.89, 7.46)

1.67

0.013

2.38 (-1.22, 5.98)

1.82

0.193

1.216

Year of study

(Please indicate your year in the dental program.)

 Year 1 (constant)

86.37 (83.49, 89.26)

 < 0.001

1.47

-

-

-

-

 Year 2

-7.20 (-11.55, -2.86)

0.001

2.21

-3.31 (-8.87, 2.24)

2.81

0.240

2.165

 Year 3

-5.40 (-10.02, -0.78)

0.022

2.34

-2.95 (-9.33, 3.43)

3.23

0.363

2.602

 Year 4

-7.85 (-12.22, -3.49)

 < 0.001

2.22

-5.65 (-11.88, 0.58)

3.15

0.075

2.933

Future career goals

(Please indicate your preferred career path upon graduation.)

 Others (constant)

83.51 (80.05, 86.97)

1.75

 < 0.001

-

-

-

-

 General dentistry residency

-0.09 (-4.75, 4.57)

2.36

0.968

-

-

-

-

 Career in private practice

-3.78 (-7.96, 0.40)

2.12

0.076

-

-

-

-

Work experience

(How many years of paid work experience have you had prior to entering dental school?)

 0 or less than 1 year (constant)

78.25 (75.24, 81.26)

1.53

 < 0.001

-

-

-

-

 1 – 2 years

4.89 (0.50, 9.28)

2.23

0.029

2.02 (-2.34, 6.39)

2.21

0.362

1.379

 2 – 3 years

3.30 (-1.98, 8.58)

2.68

0.219

-

-

-

-

 More than 3 years

5.45 (1.17, 9.73)

2.17

0.013

1.43 (-2.92, 5.79)

2.20

0.517

1.472

Patient exposure

(Have you seen/experienced a student receiving criticism/verbal abuse from a patient while interacting with them?)

 Never (constant)

88.28 (84.08, 92.48)

2.13

 < 0.001

-

-

-

-

 Rarely

-7.69 (-13.21, -2.17)

2.80

0.007

-4.08 (-10.30, 2.15)

3.15

0.197

2.668

 Sometimes/Often/

Always

-8.44 (-13.14, -3.74)

2.38

 < 0.001

-4.37 (-10.81, 2.06)

3.26

0.181

3.755

Conscientiousness

(Personality)

 Constant

69.51 (60.07, 78.95)

4.79

 < 0.001

-

-

-

-

 Conscientiousness as a continuous variable

1.59 (0.37, 2.81)

0.62

0.011

0.63 (-0.65, 1.92)

0.65

0.331

1.103